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Santa Anita Park

Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2023. Since 2011, the Stronach Group are the current owners.

Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park logo
Location285 W. Huntington, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States
Coordinates34°08′26″N 118°02′40″W / 34.140635°N 118.044354°W / 34.140635; -118.044354Coordinates: 34°08′26″N 118°02′40″W / 34.140635°N 118.044354°W / 34.140635; -118.044354
Owned byStronach Group
Date openedDecember 25, 1934
Course typeThoroughbred flat racing
Notable racesSanta Anita Handicap (G1)
Santa Anita Derby (G1)
Sunshine Millions Day
Official website

History

The original Santa Anita Park

Santa Anita Park was originally part of "Rancho Santa Anita", which was owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor-Domo, Claudio Lopez, and named after a family member, "Anita Cota". The ranch was later acquired by rancher Hugo Reid, a Scotsman. The property's most widely known owner would be multimillionaire Lucky Baldwin, a successful businessman in San Francisco who greatly enhanced his wealth through an investment in the famous Comstock Lode. Baldwin became a successful breeder and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses and in 1904 would build a racetrack adjacent to the present site in what is today the city of Arcadia, outside of the city of Los Angeles.[1] On February 4, 1909 the California State Legislature passed an anti-racetrack gambling bill known as the Walker–Otis Law.[2] Similar in its goal to New York State's 1908 Hart–Agnew Law,[3] the California law resulted in the permanent closing of the Baldwin racetrack. In 1912 the racing facility burned to the ground.[4]

The new Santa Anita Park

In 1933, California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks. In the San Francisco area, a group headed by Dr. Charles H "Doc" Strub was having trouble locating a site. In the Los Angeles area, a group headed by movie producer Hal Roach was in need of further funds. These two groups combined and the newly formed Los Angeles Turf Club opened the present day track on Christmas Day in 1934, making it the first formally-established racetrack in California.[5] Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed its various buildings in a combination of Colonial Revival and a type of Art Deco known as Streamline Moderne, painted primarily in Santa Anita's signature colors of Persian Green and Chiffon Yellow.[6]

In February 1935, the first Santa Anita Handicap was run. The race's $100,000 purse, largest of any race ever in the United States until that time, produced its nickname the Big 'Cap.

 
Art deco entrance to Santa Anita's grandstands.

In its heyday, the track's races attracted such stars Betty Grable, Lana Turner, Edgar Bergen, Jane Russell, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Esther Williams, and other stars. Bing Crosby, Joe E. Brown, Al Jolson, and Harry Warner were all stockholders.[7]

 
The unique downhill turf course includes a section where horses have to momentarily cross the dirt track

In 1940, Seabiscuit won the Santa Anita Handicap in his last start.

In 1942, racing at Santa Anita was suspended due to the Second World War. Santa Anita was used as an "assembly center" for Japanese Americans excluded from the West Coast.[8] (See below.) For several months in 1942, over 18,000 people lived in horse stables and military-style barracks constructed on the site, including actor George Takei, then a young boy. After the track reopened in 1945,[8] it went through the postwar years with prosperity. A downhill turf course, which added a distinctly European flair to racing at Santa Anita, was added in 1953.

Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, Santa Anita has traditionally been associated with the film and television industries. The racetrack sequences in the Marx Brothers 1937 classic A Day at the Races were filmed there, and The Story of Seabiscuit with Shirley Temple was filmed on location in 1949.[9] It was also featured in A Star Is Born (1937).[10] Several stars, including Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Alex Trebek, and MGM mogul, Louis B. Mayer, have owned horses that raced at the park.

The 1958 Santa Anita Derby was attended by 61,123 people, making the attendance that day a record crowd.[citation needed] They had come to watch Silky Sullivan come from 28 lengths off the pace and win—going away.

The 1960s brought about a major renovation of Santa Anita Park, including a much-expanded grandstand as well as major seating additions. In 1968, Del Mar Racetrack relinquished its dates for a fall meeting. A group of horsemen including Clement Hirsch intervened and established the not-for-profit Oak Tree Racing Association. Oak Tree had no facilities of its own and rented Santa Anita Park for its first autumn meeting in 1969. The Oak Tree Association became the operator of the autumn meet at Santa Anita Park. This meet usually ran from the end of September until early November. Many key stakes races were held during the Oak Tree Meeting, including many preps to the Breeders' Cup races. The Oak Tree meet relocated to Hollywood Park for 2010[11] but the California Horse Racing Board awarded the fall dates to Santa Anita in its own right in 2011. This prompted a renaming of many stakes races held at the fall meeting that were formerly associated with Oak Tree. For example, the Norfolk, Goodwood, Yellow Ribbon, Lady's Secret, and Oak Leaf, were renamed at the FrontRunner, Awesome Again, Rodeo Drive, Zenyatta and Chandelier respectively.[12]

Prosperity continued at Santa Anita throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. In 1984, Santa Anita was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics.[13] The following year, the track set an attendance record of 85,527 people on Santa Anita Handicap Day. However, recognizing the potential revenue boon to the State of California, the California Legislature expanded off track betting, bring operating betting parlors within closer driving distance of the race-day tracks. While the Santa Anita meeting could still draw large crowds, attendance had decreased by a third. Only 56,810 people were at the park for Santa Anita Derby Day 2007 to witness a Grade I event.

 
The Seabiscuit statue, created by American sculptor Jame Hughlette ("Tex") Wheeler[14] was hand tooled by Frank Buchler, a German immigrant the owner of Washington Ornamental Iron Company Los Angeles. Washington Ornamental Iron Company built all of Santa Anita's facilities. Lily Okuru, a Japanese American woman who lived on the site during its time as a War Relocation Camp, poses with Seabiscuit statue, 1942.

In 1997, Santa Anita Park was acquired by Meditrust when it purchased the Santa Anita Companies for its unique real estate investment trust paired share corporate structure. Following the elimination of the special tax treatment accorded Pair Share REITs, Meditrust sold the track to Magna Entertainment Corp. In 2006, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita cohosted the Sunshine Millions,[15] a day of competition with $3.6 million in stakes races between horses bred in the State of Florida and those bred in the State of California.

At Santa Anita standardbred racing was also conducted.

At Santa Anita Park's European-style paddock there are statues of jockeys George Woolf, Johnny Longden, Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr. plus a memorial bust of announcer Joe Hernandez and one of trainer Charlie Whittingham with his dog, Toby. There is also a lifesize bronze of Seabiscuit in the walking ring at Seabiscuit Court; a similar bronze of John Henry was unveiled near the Seabiscuit statue in December 2009. Buried near the paddock is Emperor of Norfolk, the best horse Lucky Baldwin ever owned, along with three other great Baldwin horses: Volante, Silver Cloud, and Rey El Santa Anita, all four of them winners of the prestigious American Derby. In 2012, a lifesize bronze of Zenyatta was unveiled prior to the running of the race renamed in her honor.[16]

Since 1950, Santa Anita Park has annually presented the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award to a rider who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.

South African native Trevor Denman served as Santa Anita's full-time announcer from the 1983 Oak Tree meet until his retirement from the position in 2015.[17] Denman is noted for his calls beginning with "And awaaay they go..." and his distinctive gravelly voice. Queensland, Australia native Michael Wrona was chosen to succeed Denman in March 2016, and continued through fall 2018. Frank Mirahmadi took over after that.[18]

Starting in 2014, Santa Anita began adding more racing cards due to the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack, hosting Hollywood Park's old spring dates from late April until June.[19]

In mid-March 2020, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, racing resumed without fans; two weeks later, racing was suspended until it returned on Friday, May 15, 2020.

Horse fatalities of 2019

In early March 2019, all races were cancelled following the 21st fatality of the winter season; racing resumed late in the month.[20] Races were postponed so that the dirt surface could be studied. Seven of the 21 deaths occurred during races on the dirt oval with nine happening during training on dirt and the others occurring on the turf track.[21]

Thirty-seven horses died at the facility in 2019, causing the above noted suspension of races, and resulting in the California Racing Commission considering rule changes.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Following the death of the 30th horse in late June, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who had trained four of the horses that died, was banned forever by the Stronach Group from all of its facilities.[30][31]

Santa Anita Assembly Center

 
A panoramic view of the Santa Anita Assembly Center

In February 1942, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized military commanders to exclude "any or all persons" from certain areas in the name of national defense, the Western Defense Command began ordering Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to present themselves for "evacuation" from the newly created military zones. Seventeen temporary "assembly centers" were designated to house the evicted population until construction on the more permanent and isolated internment camps was finished. Most, like the Santa Anita Assembly Center, were converted from former uses like racing tracks or fairgrounds.[32]

Santa Anita was turned over to the Wartime Civilian Control Administration, the government body responsible for oversight of the temporary detention facilities, in March 1942, and army engineers soon after built 500 barracks on the parking lot and converted the horse stables and the area underneath the grandstand into residential "apartments". Japanese-Americans began arriving in April, most coming from the surrounding Los Angeles County, and the center's population soon topped 18,000, peaking at 18,719 by August of that year. Six mess halls, each seating approximately 850 at a time, fed some 3,000 people daily at a cost of 33 cents per person. The sanitary facilities faced similar overcrowding, with a ratio of 30 people to each shower after the number of showers was increased from 150 to 225 in early July. Consequently, those in the center spent a significant portion of their time in Santa Anita waiting in line for meals or to use the sanitary facilities.[32]

The Assembly Center remained open for seven months, and in the meantime, Japanese-Americans took up jobs in camp at the camouflage net factory, the hospital or various administrative departments, and set up schools to ensure their children's education would not be interrupted. Transfer to War Relocation Authority camps began on August 26, 1942, when 901 Japanese-Americans left for Poston, Arizona, and over the next month the remaining Japanese-Americans were sent to Poston and several other camps. The Santa Anita Assembly Center closed on October 27, 1942.[32][33]

Course attributes

 
The Santa Anita track is set against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains.

Santa Anita has a one-mile (1,609 m) natural dirt main track which rings a turf course measuring 0.9 mile, or 1,584 yards (1,448 m). In addition, it has an unusual hillside turf course which crosses the dirt and had been used mainly to run turf races at a distance of "about" 6½ furlongs (exact distance is 1,408.5 yards (1,287.9 m)), as well as longer races at 1.25 miles, 1.5 miles and 1 mile 1,232 yards. This type of track is one of the few of its kind in America.

In August 2020, Santa Anita broke ground on a new backstretch turf chute. The new turf chute is expected to be finished in time for the 2020/2021 winter meet, and will be used primarily for turf sprints at distances up to 6½ furlongs. Santa Anita effectively ended downhill turf sprints following an incident in the 2019 San Simeon Stakes; under their plans, the hillside turf course will continue to be used for distance races.[34][35]

To comply with a State of California mandate, Santa Anita replaced its dirt racing surface with a new synthetic surface called Cushion Track, a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber, granulated rubber and a wax coating. The new Cushion Track opened for training on Sept 4, 2007 and hosted its first live race on Sept 26, 2007. The track lost 11 racing dates in 2008 due to a drainage problem with the new material, but intensive maintenance and the addition of a liquid binder greatly improved the artificial surface. Santa Anita restored the all natural dirt surface in December 2010.[36]

Santa Anita occupies 320 acres (1.3 km2). It has a 1,100-foot (340 m)-long grandstand, which is a historic landmark that seats 26,000 guests. The grandstand facade is rendered in an Art Deco style and is largely the original from the 1930s.[37] The track infield area, which resembles a park with picnic tables and large trees, can accommodate 50,000 or more guests. The Park also contains 61 barns, which house more than 2,000 horses, and an equine hospital.[38]

Endangerment and reprieve

In 2000, the racetrack was named to America's "Most Endangered Historic Places" list. The Santa Anita Racetrack was determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006,[39] but continued to be threatened by developer's plans. A themed entertainment complex proposal was aborted, but there were new plans are in the works for the parking and support areas adjacent to the historic race track and grandstands.[9]

In 2006, there was a proposal to close Santa Anita Park and use its location as the site of a new retail/entertainment complex. The Arcadia City Council approved a plan In April 2007 to develop an 830,000 square foot commercial, retail, and office complex in the south parking area, where the barracks that housed interned Japanese Americans during World War II are located. The proposal planned to tear down the South Ticket Gate and the 1938 Saddling Barn, and to install a simulcast facility in the center of the historic grandstand.[9] In April 2008, a plan was approved to use large parts of the existing track parking lot to construct a mall, the "Shops at Santa Anita".[40][41]

As of May 2011, the plans to build another mall next to Santa Anita Park were abandoned. Protests against the project by the Westfield group, owner of the adjacent Westfield Santa Anita Mall (built in 1974 on the site of the old barns and training track), and the bankruptcy of Magna International, owner of Santa Anita Park, were a factor in the decision.[42]

TV personalities

TVG, which acquired Horse Racing TV (HRTV) in 2015, is a 24-hour television based multimedia network dedicated to horse racing which features racing action from many of the sport's greatest racetracks around the world. TVG broadcasts live from Santa Anita Park.[43]

Talents from HRTV are now employed by TVG Network or XBTV (Xpressbet TV). Santa Anita talent now host the simulcast feed.

Expert American television personality commentators employed by HRTV:

  • Kurt Hoover (1988–2012)
  • Jon White (1993–2015) White writes a weekly column that is accessible at xpressbet.com and hrtv.com as well as an oddsmaker for Santa Anita Park.
  • Becky Witzman (2004–2006)
  • Carolyn Conley (1996–2002)
  • John DeSantis (1996–2002)
  • Jay Privman (1996–2002)
  • Laffit Pincay III (2002–2015)
  • Bill Seward (1988–2002) Seward was voted "Top Sports Update Anchor" by the Los Angeles Daily News and can be seen on the TVG network, hosting thoroughbred horse racing coverage.[44]
  • Michelle Yu (2012–2016)

Santa Anita Simulcast Hosts

  • Megan Devine (2016-2018)[45]

Megan has appeared as an on-air analyst at TVG, Turfway Park, Ellis Park, Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) and was fired from Santa Anita Park in November 2018.

Racing

Graded events

The following Graded events were held at Santa Anita Park in 2022 with inaugural runnings in parenthesis.

Grade I

Grade II

Grade III

Other events

The Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita

 
Start of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2008

In 2023, Santa Anita will host the Breeders' Cup for a record 11th time. Highlights of the previous events include:[48]

Event venue

Santa Anita Park is also an event venue, most notably for popular food festival 626 Night Market.[49] Since 2013, the event draws up to 100,000 attendees per 3-day weekend, four times a year during the summer. More than 250 vendors sell food, merchandise, crafts and art. There is also a stage with live music, an Art Walk, cosplay contest and b-boy dance competitions.

Arcadia High School holds its annual graduation ceremony at Santa Anita Park during the month of June and holds alumni reunions during September and October.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Last of 'Lucky' Baldwin's Great Barony Subdivided". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1942-06-27. Retrieved 2020-07-01.
  2. ^ "California Racing Gets Fatal Blow". The New York Times. 1909-02-05. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  3. ^ "Penalties in the New York Bills". Daily Racing Form. 1908-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-26 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  4. ^ "Santa Anita Park". Arcadia Historical Society. 2021-03-21. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  5. ^ . santaanitaparkracing.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2011.
  6. ^ "Santa Anita Park". laconservancy.org.
  7. ^ Dyer, Braven. . SPORT Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Santa Anita During World War II". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  9. ^ a b c "Plan your next trip with the National Trust - National Trust for Historic Preservation". Preservationnation.org. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  10. ^ Alleman, Richard (2013). Hollywood: The Movie Lover's Guide: The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie L.A. Crown/Archetype. Page 471. ISBN 9780804137775.
  11. ^ "Oak Tree Headed for Hollywood After All", The Blood-Horse, August 19, 2010.
  12. ^ Stewart, Larry (7 May 2013). "Santa Anita's horse racing Fall Meet is not Oak Tree anymore". Dailybreeze.com. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  13. ^ Volume 1. Part 1. pp. 117-20.
  14. ^ Dickinson, J. W. (2006). Remembering Orlando: Tales from Elvis to Disney. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press.
  15. ^ . Sunshinemillions.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  16. ^ Andersen, Steve. "Santa Anita: Zenyatta statue unveiled prior to running of stakes in her honor". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  17. ^ "Trevor Denman, The Voice of Santa Anita Since 1983, Announces Retirement from 'The Great Race Place'" (Press release). Arcadia, Calif.: Santa Anita Park. December 4, 2015. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  18. ^ "Michael Wrona Named Santa Anita Track Announcer" (Press release). Arcadia, CA: Santa Anita Park. 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-03-24.
  19. ^ LaMarra, Tom (May 9, 2013). "Hollywood Park to Close in December". Bloodhorse.com. The BloodHorse. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
  20. ^ "Santa Anita cancels horse racing indefinitely after 21st fatality in the less than 3 months". ABC News. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Santa Anita Park suspends racing indefinitely after 21st horse dies". Fox News. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  22. ^ Ben Bergman, "Racing Continues at Santa Anita Park Amid Mounting Pressure to Suspend Competition After Spate of Horse Deaths", KQED, 5 April 2019.
  23. ^ Henry, Jason (March 4, 2019). "20th horse died at Santa Anita racetrack over the weekend. What now?". pasadenastarnews.com. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  24. ^ "Santa Anita Facing Rash of Racehorse Deaths". iheart.com. February 27, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  25. ^ Goldberg, Rob (2019). "Princess LLili B Becomes 22nd Horse to Die at Santa Anita Racetrack Since December. 26". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  26. ^ "Santa Anita racetrack won't close after 2 more horses die, 29 overall since December," CBS News, 10 June 2019.
  27. ^ "33rd horse dies at Santa Anita Park since December," KABC-TV, 6 October 2019.
  28. ^ Libby Cathey, "Another racehorse dies at Santa Anita Park, raising death toll to 35 since December," ABCNews, 26 October 2019.
  29. ^ "15-1 longshot Mongolian Groom fatally injured in Breeders’ Cup Classic," Associated Press, 3 November 2019.
  30. ^ "30th horse dies at Santa Anita; trainer banned". ESPN. AP. June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
  31. ^ "Santa Anita Park begins winter-spring season amid protest," ABC 7 29 December 2019.
  32. ^ a b c Linke, Konrad. "Santa Anita (detention facility)" Densho Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  33. ^ Bell, Alison (November 8, 2009). "Santa Anita racetrack played a role in WWII internment". Los Angeles Times.
  34. ^ "Santa Anita Adding New Turf Course Chute Which Will Enable Track To Offer Varied Distances In Addition To Iconic Hillside Offerings" (Press release). Arcadia, CA: Santa Anita Park. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  35. ^ Henry, Jason (26 August 2020). "Santa Anita expands turf track as it prepares for new season". pasadenastarnews.com. Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  36. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  37. ^ , Santa Anita racetrack, 2000.
  38. ^ "Live Horse Racing – Bet on Horse Racing at Santa Anita Park". Santa Anita Park. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  39. ^ . National Park Service. August 18, 2006. Archived from the original on September 6, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  40. ^ "Acadia OKs Caruso Mall Near Racetrack" 2008-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times, April 18, 2007.
  41. ^ . Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  42. ^ "Efforts to build mall near Santa Anita officially over". Bizjournals.com. May 23, 2011.
  43. ^ "TVG acquires lone television competitor HRTV - Daily Racing Form". Drf.com. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  44. ^ [1][dead link]
  45. ^ "Racing! Michael Wrona fired at Santa Anita". Los Angeles Times. 28 November 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  46. ^ "Santa Anita Honors Legendary Trainer Frankel, San Gorgonio Becomes Gr. II Robert J. Frankel" 2010-12-30 at the Wayback Machine, Santa Anita Park, December 27, 2010.
  47. ^ "Santa Anita Names Stakes After Frankel", The Blood-Horse, December 27, 2010.
  48. ^ "Event By Year". Breederscup.com. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  49. ^ "San Gabriel Valley's 626 Night Market returns this weekend". Los Angeles Times. 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2020-01-31.

Bibliography

External links

santa, anita, park, thoroughbred, racetrack, arcadia, california, united, states, offers, some, prominent, horse, racing, events, united, states, during, early, fall, winter, spring, track, home, numerous, prestigious, races, including, both, santa, anita, der. Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia California United States It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall winter and in spring The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders Cup in 1986 1993 2003 2008 2009 2012 2013 2014 2016 2019 and 2023 Since 2011 the Stronach Group are the current owners Santa Anita ParkSanta Anita Park logoLocation285 W Huntington Arcadia CA 91007 United StatesCoordinates34 08 26 N 118 02 40 W 34 140635 N 118 044354 W 34 140635 118 044354 Coordinates 34 08 26 N 118 02 40 W 34 140635 N 118 044354 W 34 140635 118 044354Owned byStronach GroupDate openedDecember 25 1934Course typeThoroughbred flat racingNotable racesSanta Anita Handicap G1 Santa Anita Derby G1 Sunshine Millions DayOfficial website Contents 1 History 1 1 The original Santa Anita Park 1 2 The new Santa Anita Park 1 3 Horse fatalities of 2019 1 4 Santa Anita Assembly Center 2 Course attributes 3 Endangerment and reprieve 4 TV personalities 5 Racing 5 1 Graded events 5 2 Other events 5 3 The Breeders Cup at Santa Anita 6 Event venue 7 See also 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External linksHistory EditThe original Santa Anita Park Edit Santa Anita Park was originally part of Rancho Santa Anita which was owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor Domo Claudio Lopez and named after a family member Anita Cota The ranch was later acquired by rancher Hugo Reid a Scotsman The property s most widely known owner would be multimillionaire Lucky Baldwin a successful businessman in San Francisco who greatly enhanced his wealth through an investment in the famous Comstock Lode Baldwin became a successful breeder and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses and in 1904 would build a racetrack adjacent to the present site in what is today the city of Arcadia outside of the city of Los Angeles 1 On February 4 1909 the California State Legislature passed an anti racetrack gambling bill known as the Walker Otis Law 2 Similar in its goal to New York State s 1908 Hart Agnew Law 3 the California law resulted in the permanent closing of the Baldwin racetrack In 1912 the racing facility burned to the ground 4 The new Santa Anita Park Edit In 1933 California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks In the San Francisco area a group headed by Dr Charles H Doc Strub was having trouble locating a site In the Los Angeles area a group headed by movie producer Hal Roach was in need of further funds These two groups combined and the newly formed Los Angeles Turf Club opened the present day track on Christmas Day in 1934 making it the first formally established racetrack in California 5 Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed its various buildings in a combination of Colonial Revival and a type of Art Deco known as Streamline Moderne painted primarily in Santa Anita s signature colors of Persian Green and Chiffon Yellow 6 In February 1935 the first Santa Anita Handicap was run The race s 100 000 purse largest of any race ever in the United States until that time produced its nickname the Big Cap Art deco entrance to Santa Anita s grandstands In its heyday the track s races attracted such stars Betty Grable Lana Turner Edgar Bergen Jane Russell Cary Grant Clark Gable Esther Williams and other stars Bing Crosby Joe E Brown Al Jolson and Harry Warner were all stockholders 7 The unique downhill turf course includes a section where horses have to momentarily cross the dirt track In 1940 Seabiscuit won the Santa Anita Handicap in his last start In 1942 racing at Santa Anita was suspended due to the Second World War Santa Anita was used as an assembly center for Japanese Americans excluded from the West Coast 8 See below For several months in 1942 over 18 000 people lived in horse stables and military style barracks constructed on the site including actor George Takei then a young boy After the track reopened in 1945 8 it went through the postwar years with prosperity A downhill turf course which added a distinctly European flair to racing at Santa Anita was added in 1953 Due to its proximity to Los Angeles Santa Anita has traditionally been associated with the film and television industries The racetrack sequences in the Marx Brothers 1937 classic A Day at the Races were filmed there and The Story of Seabiscuit with Shirley Temple was filmed on location in 1949 9 It was also featured in A Star Is Born 1937 10 Several stars including Bing Crosby Spencer Tracy Errol Flynn Alex Trebek and MGM mogul Louis B Mayer have owned horses that raced at the park The 1958 Santa Anita Derby was attended by 61 123 people making the attendance that day a record crowd citation needed They had come to watch Silky Sullivan come from 28 lengths off the pace and win going away The 1960s brought about a major renovation of Santa Anita Park including a much expanded grandstand as well as major seating additions In 1968 Del Mar Racetrack relinquished its dates for a fall meeting A group of horsemen including Clement Hirsch intervened and established the not for profit Oak Tree Racing Association Oak Tree had no facilities of its own and rented Santa Anita Park for its first autumn meeting in 1969 The Oak Tree Association became the operator of the autumn meet at Santa Anita Park This meet usually ran from the end of September until early November Many key stakes races were held during the Oak Tree Meeting including many preps to the Breeders Cup races The Oak Tree meet relocated to Hollywood Park for 2010 11 but the California Horse Racing Board awarded the fall dates to Santa Anita in its own right in 2011 This prompted a renaming of many stakes races held at the fall meeting that were formerly associated with Oak Tree For example the Norfolk Goodwood Yellow Ribbon Lady s Secret and Oak Leaf were renamed at the FrontRunner Awesome Again Rodeo Drive Zenyatta and Chandelier respectively 12 Prosperity continued at Santa Anita throughout the 1970s and the 1980s In 1984 Santa Anita was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics 13 The following year the track set an attendance record of 85 527 people on Santa Anita Handicap Day However recognizing the potential revenue boon to the State of California the California Legislature expanded off track betting bring operating betting parlors within closer driving distance of the race day tracks While the Santa Anita meeting could still draw large crowds attendance had decreased by a third Only 56 810 people were at the park for Santa Anita Derby Day 2007 to witness a Grade I event The Seabiscuit statue created by American sculptor Jame Hughlette Tex Wheeler 14 was hand tooled by Frank Buchler a German immigrant the owner of Washington Ornamental Iron Company Los Angeles Washington Ornamental Iron Company built all of Santa Anita s facilities Lily Okuru a Japanese American woman who lived on the site during its time as a War Relocation Camp poses with Seabiscuit statue 1942 In 1997 Santa Anita Park was acquired by Meditrust when it purchased the Santa Anita Companies for its unique real estate investment trust paired share corporate structure Following the elimination of the special tax treatment accorded Pair Share REITs Meditrust sold the track to Magna Entertainment Corp In 2006 Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita cohosted the Sunshine Millions 15 a day of competition with 3 6 million in stakes races between horses bred in the State of Florida and those bred in the State of California At Santa Anita standardbred racing was also conducted At Santa Anita Park s European style paddock there are statues of jockeys George Woolf Johnny Longden Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr plus a memorial bust of announcer Joe Hernandez and one of trainer Charlie Whittingham with his dog Toby There is also a lifesize bronze of Seabiscuit in the walking ring at Seabiscuit Court a similar bronze of John Henry was unveiled near the Seabiscuit statue in December 2009 Buried near the paddock is Emperor of Norfolk the best horse Lucky Baldwin ever owned along with three other great Baldwin horses Volante Silver Cloud and Rey El Santa Anita all four of them winners of the prestigious American Derby In 2012 a lifesize bronze of Zenyatta was unveiled prior to the running of the race renamed in her honor 16 Since 1950 Santa Anita Park has annually presented the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award to a rider who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct on and off the racetrack South African native Trevor Denman served as Santa Anita s full time announcer from the 1983 Oak Tree meet until his retirement from the position in 2015 17 Denman is noted for his calls beginning with And awaaay they go and his distinctive gravelly voice Queensland Australia native Michael Wrona was chosen to succeed Denman in March 2016 and continued through fall 2018 Frank Mirahmadi took over after that 18 Starting in 2014 Santa Anita began adding more racing cards due to the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack hosting Hollywood Park s old spring dates from late April until June 19 In mid March 2020 due to the COVID 19 outbreak racing resumed without fans two weeks later racing was suspended until it returned on Friday May 15 2020 Horse fatalities of 2019 Edit In early March 2019 all races were cancelled following the 21st fatality of the winter season racing resumed late in the month 20 Races were postponed so that the dirt surface could be studied Seven of the 21 deaths occurred during races on the dirt oval with nine happening during training on dirt and the others occurring on the turf track 21 Thirty seven horses died at the facility in 2019 causing the above noted suspension of races and resulting in the California Racing Commission considering rule changes 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Following the death of the 30th horse in late June trainer Jerry Hollendorfer who had trained four of the horses that died was banned forever by the Stronach Group from all of its facilities 30 31 Santa Anita Assembly Center Edit Main article Santa Anita Assembly Center A panoramic view of the Santa Anita Assembly Center In February 1942 after President Franklin D Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 which authorized military commanders to exclude any or all persons from certain areas in the name of national defense the Western Defense Command began ordering Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to present themselves for evacuation from the newly created military zones Seventeen temporary assembly centers were designated to house the evicted population until construction on the more permanent and isolated internment camps was finished Most like the Santa Anita Assembly Center were converted from former uses like racing tracks or fairgrounds 32 Santa Anita was turned over to the Wartime Civilian Control Administration the government body responsible for oversight of the temporary detention facilities in March 1942 and army engineers soon after built 500 barracks on the parking lot and converted the horse stables and the area underneath the grandstand into residential apartments Japanese Americans began arriving in April most coming from the surrounding Los Angeles County and the center s population soon topped 18 000 peaking at 18 719 by August of that year Six mess halls each seating approximately 850 at a time fed some 3 000 people daily at a cost of 33 cents per person The sanitary facilities faced similar overcrowding with a ratio of 30 people to each shower after the number of showers was increased from 150 to 225 in early July Consequently those in the center spent a significant portion of their time in Santa Anita waiting in line for meals or to use the sanitary facilities 32 The Assembly Center remained open for seven months and in the meantime Japanese Americans took up jobs in camp at the camouflage net factory the hospital or various administrative departments and set up schools to ensure their children s education would not be interrupted Transfer to War Relocation Authority camps began on August 26 1942 when 901 Japanese Americans left for Poston Arizona and over the next month the remaining Japanese Americans were sent to Poston and several other camps The Santa Anita Assembly Center closed on October 27 1942 32 33 Course attributes Edit The Santa Anita track is set against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains Santa Anita has a one mile 1 609 m natural dirt main track which rings a turf course measuring 0 9 mile or 1 584 yards 1 448 m In addition it has an unusual hillside turf course which crosses the dirt and had been used mainly to run turf races at a distance of about 6 furlongs exact distance is 1 408 5 yards 1 287 9 m as well as longer races at 1 25 miles 1 5 miles and 1 mile 1 232 yards This type of track is one of the few of its kind in America In August 2020 Santa Anita broke ground on a new backstretch turf chute The new turf chute is expected to be finished in time for the 2020 2021 winter meet and will be used primarily for turf sprints at distances up to 6 furlongs Santa Anita effectively ended downhill turf sprints following an incident in the 2019 San Simeon Stakes under their plans the hillside turf course will continue to be used for distance races 34 35 To comply with a State of California mandate Santa Anita replaced its dirt racing surface with a new synthetic surface called Cushion Track a mixture of silica sand synthetic fibers elastic fiber granulated rubber and a wax coating The new Cushion Track opened for training on Sept 4 2007 and hosted its first live race on Sept 26 2007 The track lost 11 racing dates in 2008 due to a drainage problem with the new material but intensive maintenance and the addition of a liquid binder greatly improved the artificial surface Santa Anita restored the all natural dirt surface in December 2010 36 Santa Anita occupies 320 acres 1 3 km2 It has a 1 100 foot 340 m long grandstand which is a historic landmark that seats 26 000 guests The grandstand facade is rendered in an Art Deco style and is largely the original from the 1930s 37 The track infield area which resembles a park with picnic tables and large trees can accommodate 50 000 or more guests The Park also contains 61 barns which house more than 2 000 horses and an equine hospital 38 Endangerment and reprieve EditIn 2000 the racetrack was named to America s Most Endangered Historic Places list The Santa Anita Racetrack was determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 39 but continued to be threatened by developer s plans A themed entertainment complex proposal was aborted but there were new plans are in the works for the parking and support areas adjacent to the historic race track and grandstands 9 In 2006 there was a proposal to close Santa Anita Park and use its location as the site of a new retail entertainment complex The Arcadia City Council approved a plan In April 2007 to develop an 830 000 square foot commercial retail and office complex in the south parking area where the barracks that housed interned Japanese Americans during World War II are located The proposal planned to tear down the South Ticket Gate and the 1938 Saddling Barn and to install a simulcast facility in the center of the historic grandstand 9 In April 2008 a plan was approved to use large parts of the existing track parking lot to construct a mall the Shops at Santa Anita 40 41 As of May 2011 update the plans to build another mall next to Santa Anita Park were abandoned Protests against the project by the Westfield group owner of the adjacent Westfield Santa Anita Mall built in 1974 on the site of the old barns and training track and the bankruptcy of Magna International owner of Santa Anita Park were a factor in the decision 42 TV personalities EditTVG which acquired Horse Racing TV HRTV in 2015 is a 24 hour television based multimedia network dedicated to horse racing which features racing action from many of the sport s greatest racetracks around the world TVG broadcasts live from Santa Anita Park 43 Talents from HRTV are now employed by TVG Network or XBTV Xpressbet TV Santa Anita talent now host the simulcast feed Expert American television personality commentators employed by HRTV Kurt Hoover 1988 2012 Jon White 1993 2015 White writes a weekly column that is accessible at xpressbet com and hrtv com as well as an oddsmaker for Santa Anita Park Becky Witzman 2004 2006 Carolyn Conley 1996 2002 John DeSantis 1996 2002 Jay Privman 1996 2002 Laffit Pincay III 2002 2015 Bill Seward 1988 2002 Seward was voted Top Sports Update Anchor by the Los Angeles Daily News and can be seen on the TVG network hosting thoroughbred horse racing coverage 44 Michelle Yu 2012 2016 Santa Anita Simulcast Hosts Megan Devine 2016 2018 45 Megan has appeared as an on air analyst at TVG Turfway Park Ellis Park Horse Racing Radio Network HRRN and was fired from Santa Anita Park in November 2018 Racing EditGraded events Edit The following Graded events were held at Santa Anita Park in 2022 with inaugural runnings in parenthesis Grade I American Oaks 2002 American Pharoah Stakes 1970 Awesome Again Stakes 1982 Beholder Mile Stakes 1940 Frank E Kilroe Mile 1960 Gamely Stakes 1939 Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes 1938 La Brea Stakes 1974 Malibu Stakes 1952 Rodeo Drive Stakes 1977 Santa Anita Derby 1935 Santa Anita Handicap 1935 Shoemaker Mile Stakes 1938 Grade II Arcadia Stakes 1988 Buena Vista Stakes Californian Stakes Chandelier Stakes 1969 Charles Whittingham Stakes City of Hope Mile Stakes Eddie Delahoussaye Stakes Goldikova Stakes Joe Hernandez Stakes 2008 John Henry Turf Championship Stakes Las Cienegas Stakes Marathon Stakes Mathis Brothers Mile Palos Verdes Stakes 1936 Royal Heroine Stakes San Antonio Stakes San Carlos Stakes San Felipe Stakes San Gabriel Stakes San Luis Rey Stakes San Marcos Stakes San Pasqual Stakes San Vicente Stakes Santa Anita Oaks 1935 Santa Anita Sprint Championship 1985 Santa Margarita Stakes 1935 Santa Maria Stakes Santa Monica Stakes Santa Ynez Stakes Summertime Oaks Triple Bend Stakes 1952 Twilight Derby Zenyatta Stakes 1993 Grade III Affirmed Stakes 1979 American Stakes 1938 Autumn Miss Stakes Chillingworth Stakes Daytona Stakes Desert Stormer Stakes Honeymoon Stakes Kona Gold Stakes L A Woman Stakes 1986 La Canada Stakes Las Cienegas Handicap Las Flores Stakes Las Virgenes Stakes Megahertz Stakes 2011 Midnight Lute Stakes Monrovia Stakes 1968 Providencia Stakes Robert B Lewis Stakes Robert J Frankel Stakes 46 47 San Juan Capistrano Stakes San Luis Rey Stakes San Simeon Stakes Santa Ana Stakes Santa Maria Handicap Santa Monica Handicap Santa Ysabel Stakes Senorita Stakes Sham Stakes Surfer Girl Stakes 2012 Sweet Life Stakes 2010 Thunder Road Stakes Tokyo City Cup Wilshire Stakes Zuma Beach Stakes 2012 Other events Edit Astra Stakes 2015 Blue Norther Stakes California Cup Derby California Cup Oaks Cinema Stakes Desert Stormer Handicap Eddie Logan Stakes Landaluce Stakes Lazaro Barrera Stakes Santa Barbara Stakes Santa Paula Stakes Senator Ken Maddy Stakes Speakeasy Stakes Thunder Road Handicap Tiznow Stakes The Breeders Cup at Santa Anita Edit Start of the Breeders Cup Juvenile in 2008 In 2023 Santa Anita will host the Breeders Cup for a record 11th time Highlights of the previous events include 48 1986 Lady s Secret wins the Distaff on her way to becoming Horse of the Year 1993 Arcangues wins the Classic in the biggest upset in the race s history 2003 Trainer Richard Mandella wins a record four races including the Classic 2008 Overseas based runners win five races including the Classic 2009 Zenyatta becomes the first and to date only mare to win the Classic 2012 Wise Dan wins the Mile on his way to a Horse of the Year title 2013 Wise Dan goes back to back 2014 Bayern upsets California Chrome and Shared Belief in the Classic 2016 Beholder wins the Distaff in a thrilling stretch battle over the previously undefeated Songbird 2016 Arrogate wins the Classic in a thriller over the heavy favorite California Chrome 2019 Storm the Court upsets the field to win the Juvenile by a neck at 45 1 Event venue EditSanta Anita Park is also an event venue most notably for popular food festival 626 Night Market 49 Since 2013 the event draws up to 100 000 attendees per 3 day weekend four times a year during the summer More than 250 vendors sell food merchandise crafts and art There is also a stage with live music an Art Walk cosplay contest and b boy dance competitions Arcadia High School holds its annual graduation ceremony at Santa Anita Park during the month of June and holds alumni reunions during September and October See also EditLuck TV series Santa Anita Ordnance Training CenterReferences Edit Last of Lucky Baldwin s Great Barony Subdivided Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives 1942 06 27 Retrieved 2020 07 01 California Racing Gets Fatal Blow The New York Times 1909 02 05 p 8 Retrieved 2021 03 21 Penalties in the New York Bills Daily Racing Form 1908 01 18 Retrieved 2018 10 26 via University of Kentucky Archives Santa Anita Park Arcadia Historical Society 2021 03 21 Retrieved 2021 03 21 Santa Anita Park Thoroughbred Race Track santaanitaparkracing com Archived from the original on February 2 2011 Santa Anita Park laconservancy org Dyer Braven The Story of Santa Anita SPORT Magazine Archived from the original on 11 March 2014 Retrieved 10 January 2012 a b Santa Anita During World War II Historical Marker Database Retrieved 27 September 2015 a b c Plan your next trip with the National Trust National Trust for Historic Preservation Preservationnation org Retrieved 3 December 2017 Alleman Richard 2013 Hollywood The Movie Lover s Guide The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie L A Crown Archetype Page 471 ISBN 9780804137775 Oak Tree Headed for Hollywood After All The Blood Horse August 19 2010 Stewart Larry 7 May 2013 Santa Anita s horse racing Fall Meet is not Oak Tree anymore Dailybreeze com Retrieved June 2 2016 1984 Summer Olympics official report Volume 1 Part 1 pp 117 20 Dickinson J W 2006 Remembering Orlando Tales from Elvis to Disney Charleston South Carolina The History Press News amp Barn Notes Sunshinemillions com Archived from the original on February 7 2003 Retrieved 3 December 2017 Andersen Steve Santa Anita Zenyatta statue unveiled prior to running of stakes in her honor Daily Racing Form Retrieved June 2 2016 Trevor Denman The Voice of Santa Anita Since 1983 Announces Retirement from The Great Race Place Press release Arcadia Calif Santa Anita Park December 4 2015 Retrieved December 4 2015 Michael Wrona Named Santa Anita Track Announcer Press release Arcadia CA Santa Anita Park 2016 03 24 Retrieved 2016 03 24 LaMarra Tom May 9 2013 Hollywood Park to Close in December Bloodhorse com The BloodHorse Retrieved May 10 2013 Santa Anita cancels horse racing indefinitely after 21st fatality in the less than 3 months ABC News Retrieved 6 March 2019 Santa Anita Park suspends racing indefinitely after 21st horse dies Fox News 6 March 2019 Retrieved 6 March 2019 Ben Bergman Racing Continues at Santa Anita Park Amid Mounting Pressure to Suspend Competition After Spate of Horse Deaths KQED 5 April 2019 Henry Jason March 4 2019 20th horse died at Santa Anita racetrack over the weekend What now pasadenastarnews com Retrieved March 28 2019 Santa Anita Facing Rash of Racehorse Deaths iheart com February 27 2019 Retrieved March 28 2019 Goldberg Rob 2019 Princess LLili B Becomes 22nd Horse to Die at Santa Anita Racetrack Since December 26 bleacherreport com Retrieved March 28 2019 Santa Anita racetrack won t close after 2 more horses die 29 overall since December CBS News 10 June 2019 33rd horse dies at Santa Anita Park since December KABC TV 6 October 2019 Libby Cathey Another racehorse dies at Santa Anita Park raising death toll to 35 since December ABCNews 26 October 2019 15 1 longshot Mongolian Groom fatally injured in Breeders Cup Classic Associated Press 3 November 2019 30th horse dies at Santa Anita trainer banned ESPN AP June 22 2019 Retrieved June 22 2019 Santa Anita Park begins winter spring season amid protest ABC 7 29 December 2019 a b c Linke Konrad Santa Anita detention facility Densho Encyclopedia Retrieved 2014 07 25 Bell Alison November 8 2009 Santa Anita racetrack played a role in WWII internment Los Angeles Times Santa Anita Adding New Turf Course Chute Which Will Enable Track To Offer Varied Distances In Addition To Iconic Hillside Offerings Press release Arcadia CA Santa Anita Park 26 August 2020 Retrieved 27 August 2020 Henry Jason 26 August 2020 Santa Anita expands turf track as it prepares for new season pasadenastarnews com Pasadena Star News Retrieved 27 August 2020 SANTA ANITA MAIN TRACK REOPENS FOR TRAINING NATURAL DIRT SURFACE WITHSTANDS 13 INCHES OF RAIN Archived from the original on 2011 09 26 Retrieved 2011 07 23 National Trust for Historic Preservation Santa Anita racetrack 2000 Live Horse Racing Bet on Horse Racing at Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park Retrieved 3 December 2017 Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties 8 07 06 through 8 11 06 National Park Service August 18 2006 Archived from the original on September 6 2007 Retrieved May 6 2013 Acadia OKs Caruso Mall Near Racetrack Archived 2008 11 09 at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Times April 18 2007 Caruso Pushes to Build the Shops at Santa Anita Archived from the original on 2011 07 22 Retrieved 2011 05 14 Efforts to build mall near Santa Anita officially over Bizjournals com May 23 2011 TVG acquires lone television competitor HRTV Daily Racing Form Drf com Retrieved 3 December 2017 1 dead link Racing Michael Wrona fired at Santa Anita Los Angeles Times 28 November 2018 Retrieved 6 March 2018 Santa Anita Honors Legendary Trainer Frankel San Gorgonio Becomes Gr II Robert J Frankel Archived 2010 12 30 at the Wayback Machine Santa Anita Park December 27 2010 Santa Anita Names Stakes After Frankel The Blood Horse December 27 2010 Event By Year Breederscup com Retrieved June 2 2012 San Gabriel Valley s 626 Night Market returns this weekend Los Angeles Times 2013 06 07 Retrieved 2020 01 31 Bibliography EditBedford Julian 1989 The World Atlas of Horse Racing Hamlyn ISBN 978 0600563556 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park Official Website Oak Tree Racing Association Official Website Early history of Santa Anita Park 1907 1909 Horses finishing the California Breeders Stakes Race at Santa Anita Park 1938 at the Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive Collection 1429 UCLA Library Special Collections Charles E Young Research Library University of California Los Angeles Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Santa Anita Park amp oldid 1151696387, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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