Santa Anita open for simulcasting one day after storm

Santa Anita reopened for simulcasting wagering on Friday, a day after a wind storm left the racetrack without electricity for much of the day and with considerable damage to the backstretch stables.

Track president George Haines said that maintenance crews were in the process of cleaning up downed trees in the track’s paddock gardens and assessing the work that needed to be done on backstretch stables.

Training was conducted on Friday after being cancelled on Thursday. The rails on part of the racetrack sustained damage during the pre-dawn storm early Thursday, and winds in the area were clocked at over 90 miles per hour.

The damage was not limited to Santa Anita. The entire area, particularly the Pasadena area to the west of the track, sustained significant damage in the form of fallen trees. More than 40 homes were red-tagged, or considered uninhabitable because of damage.