Backtracking on a rule amendment that one observer said "would fundamentally change the claiming game," the California Horse Racing Board tabled a proposal that would have voided a claim if the horse that was bought, due to injury or distress, was unable to return to the designated unsaddling area after the finish of the race.
3 days ago
The popular Sunshine Millions, which was designed to match the best California-bred horses versus the best bred Thoroughbreds from Florida, will return to both Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park on Jan. 30 with $1.8 million in purses at stake.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Claiming a horse would no longer be a blanket "buyer beware" scenario under a rule amendment approved for a 45-day public comment period by the California Horse Racing Board Oct. 15.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Santa Anita president Ron Charles announced that HRTV anchor/analyst Jon White has been named as Santa Anita's new morning line maker, replacing the recently retired Jeff Tufts, who served in that position from 1974 through this past April.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Santa Anita Park concluded its 84-day winter/spring meeting in robust fashion on April 19, posting the first gain in on-track attendance at any major California racetrack since the summer of 2007 at Del Mar.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The City of Arcadia has proclaimed Sunday, April 19, as "Eddie Logan Day" in honor of Santa Anita's iconic shoeshine attendant who passed away on Jan. 31 at the age of 98.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
CARMA invited representatives from several California rescue organizations to a roundtable April 8 at Santa Anita to discuss ways the groups could work together to save Thoroughbreds and rehabilitate them for second careers.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
A settlement has apparently been reached over a federal lawsuit involving a controversial California claiming rule, but racetracks in the state are scrambling to deal with the fall-out left from the suspension of the regulation.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The 42nd annual Holy Angels/Santa Anita Jockeys Charity Basketball game will take place Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at La Salle High School in Pasadena, Ca. Proceeds will benefit the Holy Angels athletic department and legendary Hall of Fame jockeys Eddie Delahoussaye and Laffit Pincay Jr. will serve as honorary captains.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Santa Anita Park lost an important link to its past glory when 98-year-old Eddie Logan, Santa Anita's iconic shoeshine attendant since opening day, Dec. 25, 1934, died early on the morning of Jan. 31 at his home in Monrovia, Calif.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Santa Anita Park dodged the rain, which hit Southern California Christmas day but left skies sunny for the traditional Dec. 26 opening day. A crowd of 33,112 attended, an increase of 9.8% over the 30,156 fans at the 2007 opener.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Though champion Curlin may not have handled the synthetic racing surface as well as some of his European rivals did in the $5-million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I), Santa Anita Park's Pro-Ride racing surface performed safely during the two-day World Championships Oct. 24-25.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Industry stakeholders received a tongue-lashing from Richard Shapiro, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, as the agency took its first swipe at a race dates calendar for 2009.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Longtime Southern California broadcaster Gil Stratton has died at the age of 86, his Web site reported Oct. 12.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Magna Entertainment Corp. has formally adopted a company-wide policy promoting the humane treatment of racehorses, the company announced Oct. 10.
Friday, October 10, 2008
With the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita less than 10 weeks away, track president Ron Charles told the California Horse Racing Board that its new synthetic racing surface is nearly ready for the acid test.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
California's advance deposit wagering truce may be coming to an end.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Santa Anita Park announced June 23 that its main track will undergo a complete overhaul beginning July 14, and will be reconstituted with a mixture of Pro-Ride synthetic material.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Unable to travel to Saratoga Springs for the national Hall of Fame induction ceremony Aug. 4, retired jockey Ismael "Milo" Valenzuela will receive his commemorative jacket and plaque on Sunday in a special induction ceremony at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Replacement of the asphalt base is likely the next step in the ongoing efforts to improve Santa Anita Park's synthetic surface.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A two-day flooding of Santa Anita Park's synthetic surface is one of the final tests management plans before making a decision on the future of the main-track surface. Track president Ron Charles said the surface will be flooded following training hours May 28.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Hurt by its early-season cancellation of 11 racing days, Santa Anita concluded its winter/spring meet April 20 with decreases in overall handle and attendance. But officials were breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't worse.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Now that the Santa Anita winter meeting has ended, work can begin in earnest on the choice of main-track surface. Following a comprehensive series of tests on the current main track, a decision is probable sometime in May, Santa Anita president Ron Charles said April 22.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
With one analyst tagging the proceedings "Groundhog Day," Magna Entertainment Corp. announced Feb. 29 more losses during a short, testy conference call that discussed year-end financials for 2007.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Santa Anita will honor Gil Stratton, a former Los Angeles sportscaster and actor who hosted a popular weekly television racing show on the CBS affiliates for 34 western markets from 1955 to the early 1970s, on Feb. 17.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Following a test of several horses galloping over the backstretch, Santa Anita management has given the go-ahead to return to racing Saturday, Feb. 9. The track has been closed since Sunday, Feb. 3, for a renovation of its Cushion Track surface to fix the drainage problem that has plagued the track.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Santa Anita Park announced Feb. 7 that live racing will be canceled Feb. 8 due to a one-day delay in the last phase of its main track renovation. Racing is scheduled to resume Feb. 9.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
After getting a break in the weather enabling the Sunshine Millions program to go forward Jan. 26, Santa Anita announced it has canceled its live racing programs for the next two days after more rain hit the track overnight.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
With sunny skies overhead and another rainstorm not expected until the evening, Santa Anita is going to proceed with its half of the Jan. 26 Sunshine Millions.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Santa Anita cancelled its Jan. 25 card because rain again made the Cushion Track too wet to use. However, officials remain hopeful that the track can conduct its Jan. 26 Sunshine Millions card as scheduled.
Friday, January 25, 2008
The drainage problems of Santa Anita's Cushion Track coupled with two inches of hail that fell at 5 a.m. Jan. 24 has put the West Coast half of Sunshine Millions in serious doubt, according to track president Ron Charles. Santa Anita had to cancel its Jan. 24 card.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
A liquid binder officials believe will save Santa Anita Park's Cushion Track should take about 10 days to acquire and another four to mix with the synthetic racing surface, the California Horse Racing Board was told Jan. 16.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Santa Anita officials hope that adding more synthetic material with a new binder that traps fine sediment in the Cushion Track will restore the track's ability to drain. The track may lose a couple days while installing the new material, which is being manufactured. Santa Anita officials promise the material will be added at the first opportunity.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Synthetic material that includes a liquid binder will be added to Santa Anita Park's main surface in an effort to improve drainage, the Southern California racetrack announced Jan. 15.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Santa Anita officials, considering re-installing a dirt racing surface, have delayed a decision regarding whether to replace its synthetic track, which is plagued by continual drainage problems.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The California Horse Racing Board, meeting in a brief emergency session by teleconference Jan. 8 following Santa Anita's canceled weekend Jan. 5-7, cleared the way for the Los Angeles Turf Club to move some or all of the 2008 winter/spring racing dates to Hollywood Park.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Santa Anita Park president and chief executive officer Ron Charles has taken on additional duties with the parent company of the racetrack after accepting an appointment as chief operating officer of Magna Entertainment Corp., it was announced Jan. 7.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Knee deep in controversy over drainage problems with Santa Anita's new synthetic racetrack and heavy rainfall expected this week, the company that installed the surface has acknowledged that the issue remains unresolved.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
The renovated Cushion Track at Santa Anita Park produced a track record at seven furlongs in the second race of the opening day card on Dec. 26. Bob Black Jack hit the wire in 1:20.37, .53 seconds faster than the previous mark set during the fall Oak Tree Association meet. While new surfaces always mean new records, the previous dirt record for seven furlongs set by Spectacular Bid in 1980 was 1:20.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Santa Anita's main track opened for training Dec. 22 after 3 1/2 weeks of drainage renovation work kept the track closed.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Horses are expected to return to training on the main Santa Anita Park racing surface Dec. 22 following a renovation of the Cushion Track to fix a drainage problem.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Santa Anita Park's renovation of its Cushion Track to improve drainage encountered further delays as rain threatened the Southern California area, but track president Ron Charles said Dec. 16 horses could be back training by Dec. 19.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Less than two weeks from opening day, construction crews are scrambling to get Santa Anita Park's Cushion Track back in running condition.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Santa Anita Park, currently open for training only, will close its main track Dec. 3-10 to examine its new Cushion Track surface due to problems with drainage.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Santa Anita Park will shake up its racing schedule this winter in what it says is an effort to stimulate on-track business.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens has reached an agreement with HorseRacing TV to serve as an on-air analyst, the network announced Nov. 7.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Safety was the watchword as Santa Anita became the third and final major Southern California racetrack to unveil its synthetic surface on the opening day of the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The Oak Tree Racing Association announced Sept. 17 that it has reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Turf Club to extend the Oak Tree lease through the fall of 2016.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Santa Anita Park, which has been closed for training and under major construction since July 5, will unveil its new Cushion Track surface for training on Sept. 4.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Magna Entertainment Co. announced "disappointing" second-quarter earnings Aug. 9 that included a $23.4-million loss during the period, and outlined new initiatives to help reduce mounting debt that has haunted the racetrack operator.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
