Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced at L. A. Live, that the Breeders' Cup World Championships will return to Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, in 2012. It will mark the sixth time that Santa Anita Park hosts the two-day event.
New season began at Santa Anita Park on December 26. This season's opening day drew 41,000 fans, a significant increase over last year's turnout and a morale boost for the iconic venue that has been protected by National Registry of Historic Sites since 2006. In order to appeal to a younger crowd, the clubhouse space has been reconfigured, and the strictly reinforced dress code of yesteryear has been eliminated, along with the private Turf Club--now called Turf Terrace and is open to the public. The decor of the Chandelier Room has gone mid-century modern and the Directors' Room can be rented out for private parties. Gene Simmons of rock band KISS is a marketing advisor and the new management policy seems to be "anything goes." (Photos)