Santa Anita

Scott Chaney takes over as the executive director of the California Horse Racing Board at a pivotal time for racing in the state. He will be asked to steer racing through the coronavirus outbreak while focusing on animal welfare and integrity issues. A lawyer, a former assistant trainer and steward, Chaney sat down with the TDN to discuss his thoughts on his new job and tackling the challenges that he will face. TDN: The Stronach Group is trying very hard to have racing resume at Santa Anita and at Golden...

The following op-ed appeared in Friday's print editions of newspapers owned by the Southern California News Group, which includes the Orange County Register, the Pasadena Star-News, and others. Let horse races resume in L.A. without an audience By Belinda Stronach On March 12, a full week before any stay-at-home orders were issued, Santa Anita Park voluntarily closed to the public for the protection of the people and horses who call it home. Since then, we have demonstrated our capacity to operate as a safe, self-contained, lockeddown community working under stringent...

Scott Chaney, since 2005 a well-respected steward in the state of California, has been appointed the executive director of the California Horse Racing Board. Chaney, whose first day on the job was Apr. 16, replaced Rick Baedeker, who retired Mar. 31. "When I became a steward, I saw my role as enforcing the rules in order to create a safe and fair environment for horses and licensees, as well as to protect the wagering public," said Chaney. "As executive director my duties become more expansive, but my basic role remains...

The longer live racing is suspended in California the deeper the economic toll, which is why the industry continues to push hard for that suspension to be lifted: that was the main takeaway from a broad-sweeping conference call Friday morning, organized by the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), for industry heads to outline and discuss the impacts from the coronavirus pandemic on racing and training in California. The call was presided over by TOC Chairman Nick Alexander, Greg Avioli, TOC president and CEO, The Stronach Group (TSG) CEO Craig Fravel,...

The financial toll from COVID-19 on the racing industry in California, spurred by the suspension of live Thoroughbred racing, has been sharp and swift. Backstretch healthcare and mental illness services have been pared back, those in charge of other programs reliant on betting revenue are wondering how to bolster coffers if the broader economy nose-dives, while the financial thumb-screws have been further twisted on stretched-thin trainers. What's more, all this is playing out against an economic backdrop that was already shaky. The California Horse Racing Board's (CHRB) latest annual report...

Still another track, Golden Gate Fields, was forced to stop racing last week, leaving only a precious few wagering opportunities for action-hungry horseplayers. But more betting opportunities are on their way--even if they aren't necessarily the real thing. Wagering on virtual horse races is now being offered by three ADWs and more are expected to come on board soon. The contestants are computer generated horses or greyhounds that dart across the screen in real time, battling it out against one another to see who gets to the wire first. Virtual...

The Thoroughbred Owners of California issued the following updates to its members Saturday related to the COVID-19 pandemic and current closures of Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields: Racing Cancelled at Golden Gate Fields In accordance with an order received Thursday, Apr. 2 from the Alameda County Public Health Officer, Golden Gate Fields has temporarily closed for live racing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no specific time frame for return of racing, stabling and daily training will continue at Golden Gate for the approximately 1000...

The shock announcement of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York's indictments against a slew of Thoroughbred veterinarians and trainers—and to a much lesser extent the California Horse Racing Board's (CHRB) long-awaited report into the equine fatalities at Santa Anita early last year—cast a kaleidoscopic shadow of speculation and questions marks over the industry. But one of the most salient takeaways from these two developments is surely this: What kind of investigative infrastructure is in place within the sport to catch the cheats and protect the...

Santa Anita Park announced Tuesday that it will remain closed for live racing through at least the weekend, prompting the postponement of the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Santa Anita Oaks, which where scheduled for this Saturday, Apr. 4, to an undetermined date later in the meet. Racing was halted at Santa Anita last Friday on orders of the Los Angeles County Health Department, which has closed all businesses deemed non-essential in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been no known cases of COVID-19 at Santa Anita Park...

When Ron Ellis sent the quirkily named Drop the Chalupa (Liam's Map) out for his first start earlier this month, the trainer admitted he had modest expectations for the 16-1 longshot. After all the gelding, who Ellis had purchased for $35,000 on behalf of Richard Templer's Doubledown Stables at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale, was up against a pair of well-respected runners from the power-packed Bob Baffert barn in the 6 1/2-furlong special weight. "I liked him and I knew he had talent," Ellis said of Drop the Chalupa....

Aqueduct Racetrack has been commandeered by the State of New York to be converted to a COVID-19 hospital. One day after an official from Santa Anita Park predicted a humanitarian crisis could erupt if live racing got shut down, county health officials ordered the spectator-free racing there to cease. Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano announced last Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the sport's most prominent participant to disclose an infection. Later that same day, six Belmont Park backstretch workers were additionally confirmed as COVID-19...

In an effort to resume live racing at Santa Anita as promptly as possible, starting Monday, March 30, jockeys will not be permitted on the track's backstretch and agents will be asked to stay off the grounds, according to a text circulated among the horsemen by track officials Saturday morning. This followed a sudden announcement Friday--with first post time looming--that Santa Anita, in accordance with Los Angeles County Health Department, would temporarily close for live racing "effective immediately" as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That same day, California Thoroughbred...