Hope in the face of uncertainty as Santa Anita opens meet

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita begins its slightly delayed winter-spring meeting Saturday with an 11-race program that includes seven stakes. There are three Grade 1 races and two Grade 2 races on the first day of live racing in Southern California since Dec. 15 and the first day of turf races on the circuit since Dec. 1.

Opening day was scheduled for Thursday but was postponed last weekend due to concern regarding midweek rain. From Monday to Thursday morning, 3.5 inches fell at Santa Anita, according to track consultant Dennis Moore. The weather will be watched as closely as the top horses in Southern California in coming months and will play a vital role in the business results of the meeting.

Participants in all aspects of the sport – from jockeys, owners, and trainers to breeders and backstretch workers – are hoping the six-month Santa Anita meeting, which runs through June 23, will offer a much-needed period of stability for Southern California racing amidst concerning headwinds, notably a decline in the horse population in Southern California and competition from other circuits for race-ready horses.

The winter-spring meeting is typically one of the most highly anticipated seasons of the year in American racing, a time when the West Coast 3-year-olds are being prepared for the Triple Crown.

But in the last year, equine safety has been the dominant subject at Santa Anita, not only among insiders in the sport, but through widespread attention from local and international media. A series of equine fatalities last February and early March, some of which occurred at a time when Southern California endured higher-than-normal rain, led to the cancellation of 13 days of racing in March while the main track underwent inspection and renovation.

In the last nine months, there have been numerous changes in California racing, with reverberations across the nation. The administration of some medications have been eliminated and others are permitted at lower doses. There are more veterinarians observing horses during morning training hours. Horses scheduled for workouts are subjected to a review of their exercise patterns and race records by track officials, while horses entered to race have their medical, veterinarian, and racing records reviewed by a five-person panel of stewards and veterinarians, who retain the right to deny an entry on grounds of concern.

For trainers attempting to preserve stable size and maintain clients, those are the new normal procedures.

For Santa Anita management, additional protocols have been put in place by the California Horse Racing Board, particularly for situations of inclement weather. Training will no longer be permitted on sealed racetracks. A significant rainstorm will lead to a discussion by maintenance officials, front-office officials, jockeys, and racing board representatives to determine whether racing should proceed. For that to occur, all participants must agree conditions are safe.

Track officials said in a statement last weekend that racing was canceled on Thursday and Friday out of abundance of caution. Two days of racing were lost at the Del Mar autumn meeting in November under similar circumstances.

A wet January or February in the Los Angeles area could lead to more cancellations, some well in advance of racing, others possibly at the last minute.

Understandably, track officials are hoping the policy changes will lead to safe racing and put focus on the sport in coming months and less on issues racing has faced in the last year.

“With all the hard work of the horsemen, and every participant in what is Santa Anita, we hope it will pay dividends,” said Aidan Butler, the acting chief of California operations for The Stronach Group, the track’s parent company.

“We’re looking for a safe and successful meet.”

Saturday’s program, which begins at 11 a.m., combines the five stakes scheduled for Thursday with the two races originally scheduled for Saturday, leading to a day with seven stakes, including three Grade 1’s worth $300,000 – the Runhappy Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs, the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs, and the American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/4 miles on turf. Aside from the seven stakes, there are four races for maidens, including three for claimers.

Even with a solid lineup for races on Saturday, there are formidable issues facing California in coming months, notably competition from other tracks. There are approximately 1,500 horses at Santa Anita, down from 1,700 in March. Some trainers are sending runners to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for that track’s lucrative meeting that opens Jan. 24. Oaklawn does not have a turf course and a departure of scores of dirt runners from California will deplete several divisions of competition, groups that are already limited in numbers.

Santa Anita was instructed by the racing board in November to eliminate 12 days of racing from the winter-spring meeting in cases of wet weather (i.e., Thursday and Friday) or to preserve field sizes. Butler said the track will run some seven- and eight-race programs in coming weeks. After Sunday, there will be four days of racing next week – Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, Jan. 3-5, but only three days of racing the following week, Jan. 10-12.

For the most part, the track has scheduled four-day racing weeks in coming months. The support of owners and trainers will determine whether that is possible.