A new Bermuda turf course at Santa Anita will be installed beginning June 20, it was announced Thursday. The course will be ready for use in advance of Santa Anita's Autumn Meet, which begins in late September. There will be no turf racing in Arcadia from June 23 through closing day of the track's Spring Meeting July 10.
“With the impact of additional racing dates and increased demand for turf racing, the replacement of the course is something we have been anticipating and planning for several months,” said Joe Morris, Senior Vice President, West Coast Operations for The Stronach Group. “The new course will be very tight-knit and uniform, and we're confident that we can have it fully installed by early July, which will give it the time it needs during optimum growing conditions.”
He continued, “Turf racing is extremely popular with our fans and horsemen, and with our expanded racing calendar, we are placing demands on this course that have never before existed. The new turf is designed to be robust enough to handle the additional use. The horsemen are fully supportive of this project, and together, we look forward to its implementation.”
With Santa Anita's current Winter Meet drawing to a close Apr. 10, turf racing in California will shift to Golden Gate Fields as they conduct their 75th anniversary Turf Festival, which will run from Apr. 14 through May 1. Turf Festival purses will be increased and horsemen will be offered complementary vanning between Santa Anita and Golden Gate.
Trainer Jim Cassidy, President of the California Thoroughbred Trainer, added, “A completely new and durable turf course is essential to successful year round racing at Santa Anita. Track leadership has been careful to consider our suggestions and we are pleased to endorse their plan.”
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