Seeking to spur entries, Santa Anita initiates temporary purse boost

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita announced on Friday that purses will increase $10,000 for all non-stakes races for a six-week period beginning April 26, a hike funded through existing excess funds in the purse account and monies from the track’s parent company, The Stronach Group.

The announcement came hours after track executives said that racing on five Thursdays would be eliminated because of a horse shortage – April 25 and the first four Thursdays next month – May 2, 9, 16, and 23. There was no racing scheduled for Thursday, May 30, on the original racing calendar.

The purse increase will be a massive boost for lower- and middle-class runners, such as maiden claimers and claimers. For example, the purse of a $25,000 claiming race for maidens will jump from $22,000 to $32,000.

A maiden special weight race will be worth $65,000, having previously been worth $55,000.

The increase will not affect stakes races, officials said. The purse increase was announced after discussions earlier this week between track officials and the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the official representative of horsemen in the state.

“This benefits all of our horses,” racing secretary Steve Lym said. “We wanted to benefit the people that have stayed and raced.

“We’ve been though some hard times and some significant challenges. This is a way to give back.”

Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, said on Friday morning that the viability of racing on the final three Thursdays of the meeting – June 6, 13 and 20, will be assessed at a later date. The season concludes on June 23.

“As we progress, we’ll see where we’re at,” Ritvo said in an interview. “We’ve lost some of our horse population.”

In recent weeks, several stables have shipped horses to Kentucky for the lucrative spring meeting at Keeneland, which is currently underway, and in anticipation of the Churchill Downs meeting that begins on April 27.

Santa Anita canceled 13 days of racing in March after a series of equine fatalities in late March and early April. In early March, the main track underwent an inspection and renovation.

When racing resumed on March 29, the track put in place a series of protocols including a reduction in some medications, and greater oversight of which horses are allowed to train and race.

Since the meeting began on Dec. 26, the track has averaged 7.47 runners per race through Sunday. From March 29 through Sunday, the average was 7.84 runners. For a similar period from Dec. 26, 2017 to April 19, 2018, the track averaged 7.99 runners per race.

But in recent days, entries have been disappointing. There were 47 runners on an eight-race card last Sunday. This Sunday’s eight-race program will have a maximum of 50 starters, pending scratches. On both days, the track hoped to run nine races.

“It’s important to all of California horsemen for Santa Anita to close this meet on a strong note,” TOC chairman Nick Alexander said in a statement released by the track.

“We appreciate the purse supplements to be funded directly by The Stronach Group and welcome the opportunity to match those funds from the TOC purse account. This will result in over $1 million of additional purse money for horsemen at Santa Anita in the next six weeks.

“Our hope is this is the first step in returning to the traditional four-day-a-week racing program at Santa Anita for our horsemen and our racing fans.”