Santa Anita

With Los Angeles County's stay-at-home order expected to be extended until July, officials at Santa Anita said that they still remain optimistic about opening this Friday with strict protocols in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus. "We remain optimistic about running on Friday," said Mike Willman, the director of publicity at Santa Anita. Track officials said that that would be the only statement the track would offer Tuesday. L.A. County's Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said that the order would "with all certainty" be extended for the next three...

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, barred from The Stronach Group's (TSG) California facilities since June of last year, has fired the latest legal salvo in his ongoing dispute with the company with a first amended complaint against the Los Angeles Turf Club (LATC)--at Santa Anita--filed late last month in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. "We're playing the cards that we are dealt," said Hollendorfer's attorney, Drew Couto, about the reasons behind the latest complaint. "We sought provisional remedies from the outset--we're trying to mitigate his losses by getting...

Santa Anita has sent a text to local horsemen confirming that it will take entries Tuesday for the Friday, May 15 card. Due to the coronavirus, Santa Anita has been closed for racing since Mar. 27. Earlier this month, track officials announced their plans to reopen on the 15th and issued a new condition book and stakes schedule. The state has begun to lift restrictions on some businesses, including parks and golf courses and the county's "Safer-at-Home" order is set to expire Friday. But the track has yet to be...

With racing's temporary opportunity as the only game in town, the TDN's Katie Ritz took a poll of some industry insiders known to like a good bet and asked them: what is one simple way that tracks could make betting more friendly for existing horseplayers and/or more effective at bringing in new players? As you'll see, none of them could stop at just one. ZOE CADMAN As an avid racing fan first and foremost, and a gambler second, I truly believe we need to make things just a bit easier...

Blessings for the Backstretch, a charitable initiative, has been launched by Breeders' Cup in partnership with The Stronach Group to support mothers living and working on the backstretch at Santa Anita Park this Mother's Day. On Sunday morning, May 10, the two organizations will hand-deliver Mother's Day Blessings Baskets to these hard-working women in appreciation for their immeasurable contributions to the horse racing industry. Each basket will include chocolates, fresh flowers, body wash, moisturizers, nail polish and other special gifts and treats curated with moms in mind. "We are indebted...

Confident that racing will resume shortly at Santa Anita, the track's racing department has released a stakes schedule that covers May 16 through the end of the meet on June 21. There are several changes to the stakes program, including new dates for the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Santa Anita Oaks, as well as reduced purses for many of the track's top races. Santa Anita is hoping to begin racing again on May 15, but is still waiting approval to do so from the Los Angeles County Department...

Santa Anita has published its first condition book since live racing was put on a hiatus as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. The book, published Thursday afternoon, spans May 15 to May 25, and includes a number of prestigious stakes races, including the GI Shoemaker Mile S. and the GI Gamely S. Entries close on Tuesday, May 12 for the following Friday—what would be the first day of racing at the track since mid-March. Racing was formally cancelled there Mar. 20. There has been no official announcement that Santa...

Santa Anita will put out a condition book April 30 which will target May 15 for the resumption of live racing under strict protocols with no fans present, according to a letter issued by track management Wednesday. The TDN obtained a copy of the letter, which was sent to Greg Avioli, the President and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California; Alan Balch, the Executive Director of California Thoroughbred Trainers; and Darrell Haire, Regional Manager of the Jockeys' Guild. Officials at Santa Anita said that they would have no comment...

Santa Anita may not be running, but that hasn't kept a number of horsemen from finding ways to win races and earn money for their owners. With Santa Anita shutting down Mar. 29, more and more Thoroughbreds are finding their way to Los Alamitos, where the track has been carding more races suited to Thoroughbreds. For Los Alamitos, that has meant more races, full fields and record handle numbers. "The purses aren't what we are used to at Santa Anita, but they're more than if you just breeze them," said...

Santa Anita issued the following statement Thursday regarding a possible resumption of live racing: "Santa Anita is continuing discussions with the LA County Health Department and LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office as they undertake a thorough and thoughtful review of the proposal submitted to resume live racing as soon as possible at Santa Anita. The comprehensive written proposal was submitted last Thursday (Apr. 16), following a meeting with Supervisor Barger earlier that day. While Santa Anita is first and foremost in our minds, we are one of literally hundreds...

At one point in Wednesday's California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) teleconference meeting, as discussion of yet another agenda item spiraled wildly off-topic and devolved into argumentive cross-talk, chairman Gregory Ferraro, DVM, attempted to restore order by firmly declaring "chaos is not allowed." For some industry participants who vocalized frustration Apr. 22 at how CHRB meetings have become increasingly dominated by anti-racing proponents using allegedly obstructionist tactics to muddle the hours-long monthly proceedings, the chairman's assertion must have seemed like the figurative equivalent of trying to cram toothpaste back into the...

Last year's champion juvenile colt Storm the Court (Court Vision) is on target for the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby following a five-furlong work in 1:13.60 (3/3) at Santa Anita Monday, trainer Peter Eurton confirmed. Eurton also plans to enter Shooters Shoot (Competitive Edge), winner of a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn Apr. 11, for the nine-furlong race. "Very pleased with his work," Eurton said of Storm the Court. "Very pleased with Shooters Shoot. I know it's going to be tough on both ends with Bob [Baffert]'s two horses, but we're...