Santa Anita training track to open on limited basis Saturday

The Tapeta Footings synthetic surface on the infield training track at Santa Anita, installed in recent months at a cost of approximately $8 million, will open on a limited basis on Saturday for horses entered to race on Sunday and Monday, track officials said on Friday.

Activity will be limited to jogging on Saturday, officials said.

The new surface will have limited use for the first two weeks to allow horses to become accustomed to the surface, according to Dennis Moore, a surface consultant who has played an integral part in the installation of the new course since early November.

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“We want them to get a feel for it, and let the horses get adjusted before they start working on it,” he said.

Moore said on Friday that maintenance crews have a small number of tasks to finalize, such as working on the rail of the training track as well as the infield tunnel that connects the backstretch to the training track.

By mid-March, trainers will have full use of the course for workouts and less strenuous exercises such as galloping, jogging, or ponying runners.

Horses will not be permitted to have shoes with turn-downs or toe grabs, Moore said.

Initially, the training track was scheduled to be open by mid-January, but delays occurred related to weather and the availability of construction crews, officials said in February.

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