Santa Anita remains closed
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Santa Anita horse racing washed out
By Art Wilson, Staff Writer
Santa Anita Park canceled horse racing Monday for the third consecutive day after 7 1/2 inches of rain fell on its Cushion Track during a 72-hour period and left the synthetic surface unsuitable for use.
It marked the first time in Santa Anita's 71-year history that races were canceled three consecutive days.
Track president Ron Charles called the situation "unacceptable." He also acknowledged Santa Anita officials are considering ripping up Cushion Track and returning to a conventional dirt surface for the rest of the racetrack's winter-spring meeting, which is scheduled to end April 20.
Cushion Track, installed at a cost of more than $10 million, has not drained properly since construction was completed in August.
Santa Anita officials will teleconference with the California Horse Racing Board this morning in an effort to gain permission to move racing dates to Hollywood Park if needed.
CHRB chairman Richard B. Shapiro has said he would sign an emergency measure to allow Santa Anita to do so.
"The way it is right now ... we really need to find an alternative," Charles said when Monday's eight-race card was canceled at 7:30 a.m. after an additional two inches of rain fell on Santa Anita late Sunday and early Monday.
"It's hard for me to envision that we're just going to accept this track and hope we don't get rain and try to get through it. I think we need to be as proactive as possible, and that's what we're doing today and tomorrow."
Charles said Santa Anita officials would be meeting into the night Monday to come up with options and possible solutions they can bring before the state racing board this morning.
One of those options would be to rip up Cushion Track and install a traditional dirt surface for the remainder of the 85-day meeting. But that option would require closing Santa Anita for two weeks or more while the Cushion Track was removed and new dirt hauled in, according to one industry source.
"It's certainly one of the considerations, and we hope to finalize a decision by, if not tomorrow, Wednesday," Charles said.
"All of those details are why we need some more time in looking at that consideration. We just don't have those answers right now."
Frank Stronach, founder and chairman of Magna Entertainment Corp., the parent company of Santa Anita, has never been a proponent of artificial racing surfaces. But Stronach, who also owns and breeds horses, said Monday he is leaving the major decisions concerning Cushion Track in the hands of racetrack officials.
"That's up to the management there, that's up to the horsemen," Stronach said of the possibility of Santa Anita returning to a dirt surface. "You know, I tried to be positive (about synthetic tracks), I tried to be supportive ... the people there on a daily basis, they know what they have to do."
Stronach called the situation "unfortunate," saying Santa Anita chose Cushion Track because it seemed to be working at Hollywood Park.
"Sometimes you don't want to experiment with new things," Stronach said. "The idea was to duplicate it, (and) I think the people installing deviated from that. We just gotta fix it."
Asked if Cushion Track was still a viable option for Santa Anita, Stronach said: "The horsemen will sit down with the race experts and they will make the right decision."
Charles said Santa Anita's main track would be reopened for training beginning this morning and that, "barring something unforeseen," racing will resume as scheduled Thursday.
The extended forecast looks favorable through the weekend, when the four scheduled stakes races lost to the cancellations will be run along with the regularly scheduled stakes.
Before this weekend's cancellations, Santa Anita had only seen six other racing days canceled in their entirety since the racetrack opened in 1934: Jan. 16 and 18, 1952; Jan. 20-21, 1993; and Jan. 11-12, 1995. Two other cards were canceled after one race: Jan. 8, 1995 and Jan. 9, 2005.
Santa Anita was closed from 1941 through 1945 during World War II.
Hollywood Park would seem to be a viable substitute venue if and when Santa Anita shuts down to make a racing surface change. Jack Liebau, the Inglewood track's president, e-mailed Charles in recent days and offered Santa Anita the opportunity to lease Hollywood Park if needed.
Charles said he contacted Liebau early Monday.
"He's been supportive and is more than willing to work with us," Charles said.
Said Liebau: "We're in the same mode that we've been in from the very beginning and we're willing to help and do anything possible to alleviate the situation. It's not going to be easy, but it's certainly not insurmountable."
Charles also said track officials have been in contact with Del Mar executives in the event horsemen need a venue to work their horses should Santa Anita be closed.
By Art Wilson, Staff Writer
Santa Anita Park canceled horse racing Monday for the third consecutive day after 7 1/2 inches of rain fell on its Cushion Track during a 72-hour period and left the synthetic surface unsuitable for use.
It marked the first time in Santa Anita's 71-year history that races were canceled three consecutive days.
Track president Ron Charles called the situation "unacceptable." He also acknowledged Santa Anita officials are considering ripping up Cushion Track and returning to a conventional dirt surface for the rest of the racetrack's winter-spring meeting, which is scheduled to end April 20.
Cushion Track, installed at a cost of more than $10 million, has not drained properly since construction was completed in August.
Santa Anita officials will teleconference with the California Horse Racing Board this morning in an effort to gain permission to move racing dates to Hollywood Park if needed.
CHRB chairman Richard B. Shapiro has said he would sign an emergency measure to allow Santa Anita to do so.
"The way it is right now ... we really need to find an alternative," Charles said when Monday's eight-race card was canceled at 7:30 a.m. after an additional two inches of rain fell on Santa Anita late Sunday and early Monday.
"It's hard for me to envision that we're just going to accept this track and hope we don't get rain and try to get through it. I think we need to be as proactive as possible, and that's what we're doing today and tomorrow."
Charles said Santa Anita officials would be meeting into the night Monday to come up with options and possible solutions they can bring before the state racing board this morning.
One of those options would be to rip up Cushion Track and install a traditional dirt surface for the remainder of the 85-day meeting. But that option would require closing Santa Anita for two weeks or more while the Cushion Track was removed and new dirt hauled in, according to one industry source.
"It's certainly one of the considerations, and we hope to finalize a decision by, if not tomorrow, Wednesday," Charles said.
"All of those details are why we need some more time in looking at that consideration. We just don't have those answers right now."
Frank Stronach, founder and chairman of Magna Entertainment Corp., the parent company of Santa Anita, has never been a proponent of artificial racing surfaces. But Stronach, who also owns and breeds horses, said Monday he is leaving the major decisions concerning Cushion Track in the hands of racetrack officials.
"That's up to the management there, that's up to the horsemen," Stronach said of the possibility of Santa Anita returning to a dirt surface. "You know, I tried to be positive (about synthetic tracks), I tried to be supportive ... the people there on a daily basis, they know what they have to do."
Stronach called the situation "unfortunate," saying Santa Anita chose Cushion Track because it seemed to be working at Hollywood Park.
"Sometimes you don't want to experiment with new things," Stronach said. "The idea was to duplicate it, (and) I think the people installing deviated from that. We just gotta fix it."
Asked if Cushion Track was still a viable option for Santa Anita, Stronach said: "The horsemen will sit down with the race experts and they will make the right decision."
Charles said Santa Anita's main track would be reopened for training beginning this morning and that, "barring something unforeseen," racing will resume as scheduled Thursday.
The extended forecast looks favorable through the weekend, when the four scheduled stakes races lost to the cancellations will be run along with the regularly scheduled stakes.
Before this weekend's cancellations, Santa Anita had only seen six other racing days canceled in their entirety since the racetrack opened in 1934: Jan. 16 and 18, 1952; Jan. 20-21, 1993; and Jan. 11-12, 1995. Two other cards were canceled after one race: Jan. 8, 1995 and Jan. 9, 2005.
Santa Anita was closed from 1941 through 1945 during World War II.
Hollywood Park would seem to be a viable substitute venue if and when Santa Anita shuts down to make a racing surface change. Jack Liebau, the Inglewood track's president, e-mailed Charles in recent days and offered Santa Anita the opportunity to lease Hollywood Park if needed.
Charles said he contacted Liebau early Monday.
"He's been supportive and is more than willing to work with us," Charles said.
Said Liebau: "We're in the same mode that we've been in from the very beginning and we're willing to help and do anything possible to alleviate the situation. It's not going to be easy, but it's certainly not insurmountable."
Charles also said track officials have been in contact with Del Mar executives in the event horsemen need a venue to work their horses should Santa Anita be closed.
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Santa Anita forced to weigh all its options
By Art Wilson, Staff Writer
An e-mail sent within the past week by Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau to Ron Charles, his counterpart at Santa Anita, could be the forerunner to three months of thoroughbred racing unlike anything the local industry has seen.
Liebau acknowledged Sunday, shortly before Santa Anita was forced to cancel a second consecutive racing card because of rain and ongoing drainage problems with its Cushion Track, he had contacted Charles with an offer to help.
"I sent an e-mail to Ron Charles and said that we were dismayed by the news they might be having a problem with their track and if it turned out racing could not be conducted at Santa Anita, that the Hollywood facility was open to them at cost and that all profits resulting from the operation of the Santa Anita meet at Hollywood would go to the benefit of Santa Anita," Liebau said.
"We are not in any way looking for this to be a windfall or take advantage of unfortunate circumstances. We realize how important it is for racing to continue."
Charles said he later contacted Liebau and explained that Santa Anita was still exploring its options. He then contacted the California Horse Racing Board and asked to have the Arcadia track's license amended to permit Santa Anita to run races at Hollywood Park if it becomes necessary.
A special meeting by teleconference has been called by CHRB chairman Richard B. Shapiro for Tuesday at 11 a.m. to discuss the matter.
Reached by cell phone before he boarded a plane to return home from weekend meetings at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., that dealt with the Cushion Track dilemma, Charles said he will huddle with other Santa Anita officials today in preparation for Tuesday's call with the racing board.
"Right now, there's really no quick fix, and in the next day or two we're going to be looking at everything," he said.
According to sources, "everything" could include the following options:
Santa Anita will shut down for four to six weeks and a new track will be installed while the races are shipped across town to Hollywood Park.
Four days of synthetic-track racing at Hollywood Park and one day of turf racing at Santa Anita will be part of the five-day race week.
Santa Anita will decide to shelve Cushion Track and install a completely new surface, perhaps one similar to the Tapeta Footings track that Golden Gate currently uses and is drawing rave reviews from many horsemen.
Officials at Santa Anita will ride out the storm and farm out races to Hollywood only when necessary.
According to one source, the latter option would be a disaster.
"They can't go on like this the whole meeting," the source said.
Sunday's nine-race card was canceled at 11:20 a.m., the first time consecutive programs at Santa Anita had been called off since Jan. 11-12, 1995.
Charles said the decision was unanimous among track management, jockeys and horsemen after they inspected the track.
Today's card also is in jeopardy.
"If it rains as much as they say it's going to, I'd say the decision will be made much earlier (than Sunday)," Charles said. "If we're fortunate enough not to get any rain, we'd run. We're kind of dependent on the rain right now."
Charles would not rule out Santa Anita closing for a long period to fix the drainage problem, but he said such a major decision causes more problems.
"What do we do in that four-to-six-week period? What do we put down?" he asked.
And if Santa Anita does move a significant number of racing dates across town, what about a Hollywood Park turf course that has been cut extremely short and is currently unsuitable for racing?
"Martin's (Hollywood Park racing director Martin Panza) not going to jeopardize his spring meeting by letting them run on a turf course that's not suitable," one Southland official said.
"Maybe main-track racing here for three days and turf racing at Santa Anita for a day or two," said Doug O'Neill, who has won the past three Santa Anita training titles. "It's a possible solution so we can continue to race in Southern California and redo the track.
"I think it was a real nice act by Hollywood Park to say, `Sure, if you guys wanna lease this, sure, you can do that.' It's a possible solution. The fact that Hollywood Park is open to letting them lease the facility I think is a real strong option that I would back."