ARCADIA, Calif. - Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of the Stronach Group, the parent company of Santa Anita, said on Sunday that he plans to spend time in California in an effort to determine how to improve business at Santa Anita.

In a phone interview, Ritvo said he plans to arrive at Santa Anita this weekend.

“I want to spend more time out there like I should be,” he said. “I want to observe. There are no silver bullets and I can see what we can do to make things better.

“We’re going to come in and evaluate and see what’s been working and what needs help.

ARCADIA, Calif. - The Memorial Day racing week begins at Santa Anita on Thursday with a carryover of $253,350 in the single ticket pool of the $2 pick six.

The single ticket pool has not been hit since May 4.

Sunday, there were five winning tickets in the pick six worth $90,668. Consolation tickets with five winners were worth $438.

Interest in Sunday’s pick six was heightened by two carryovers from Saturday - $109,280 in the main pick six pool and $179,622 in the single ticket jackpot pool. Bettors added a robust $644,033 to the pool on Sunday.

ARCADIA, Calif. - Leading trainer Peter Miller was fined $1,500 for scratching Got Even from Sunday’s eighth race at Santa Anita for not wanting to race the 8-year-old gelding.

Miller said on Sunday morning that Got Even was withdrawn because “I didn’t like the spot.” He added, “I don’t like his energy level.”

Miller repeatedly emphasized that Got Even was not ill, and strongly criticized the rules for late scratches, saying California does not allow trainers the flexibility of withdrawing horses.

ARCADIA, Calif. - There are two carryovers for Sunday’s program at Santa Anita – $109,280 in the main pick six pool and $179,622 in the single ticket jackpot pool.

Going into Saturday’s final race, only 7-5 favorite Atomic Rule was covered in the main pick six pool. Atomic Rule could only finish fourth in the one-mile turf race for $28,000 to $32,000 claimers.

The pool of new money in Sunday’s pick six could surpass $500,000.

WASHINGTON – An international slate of speakers on Friday at the Pan Am Conference stressed the importance of out-of-competition testing and a strong culture in combating doping, not just in racing but in other sports as well.

WASHINGTON – Belinda Stronach, who was elevated by her father, Frank Stronach, to chairman and president of The Stronach Group last year, said she is “really optimistic” about the future of both the company and the racing industry during a keynote address delivered at the end of the Pan Am Conference held on Thursday and Friday.

Legislation that would expand gambling in Illinois and includes a provision for racetracks to operate slot machines passed the Illinois Senate on Thursday.

Senate Bill 7 was passed on a 33-24 vote, marking the second time this spring that senators have approved gambling-expansion legislation. The earlier bill was tied directly to several other important pieces of legislation in what was being called a “grand bargain” designed to produce a long-awaited budget from a gridlocked state government, but SB7 has no such explicit links.

WASHINGTON – A proposal by former racetrack executive Allen Gutterman to ask racetracks to add a surcharge to their reserved seating tickets on popular race days to raise money for the care of retired racehorses is generating discussion among the racing industry, according to attendees of the Pan American Conference.

WASHINGTON – Betting across international borders suffers from a lack of data and relevancy to horseplayers in foreign markets, racing officials said on Thursday at the Pan American Conference during a panel examining horseplayers’ issues.

WASHINGTON – A Republican congressman representing central Kentucky who has taken the lead in backing a bill that would nationalize racing rules said on Thursday that the bill’s advancement will hinge on gaining a consensus in the racing industry to back the legislation.