The closing day of Santa Anita Park‘s 75th anniversary season ended with a solid crowd of 17,345 for a race day that wrapped up with the 71st running of the prestigious San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap.
It was a relatively strong finish for a season filled with a record number of rain-outs, the track owners weathering a bankruptcy amidst continuing economic woes nationally, in the state of California, and especially in the horse racing industry, and the prospect of soon having to spend millions more on the third track replacement in as many years.
Overall daily average handle for the 78-day meeting declined 11%. On-track attendance was down 6%, while on-track daily handle dipped 15%. Southern California Off Track Wagering Incorporated (SCOTWINC) average daily handle was down 8%. Out of state average daily handle was down 13%.
“It was great to finish-up like we did today,” Santa Anita President Ron Charles said in a statement. “The San Juan Capistrano was a great way for us to go out and despite the fact we faced a number of issues over the course of the meet, it went very quickly.”
Santa Anita continues to be America’s number-one winter racing venue in terms of all source handle, on-track handle and on-track attendance.
“We knew in December that we would be facing significant challenges,” added Charles. “The bad economy, especially here in California, is an obvious reason for some of the declines, but we also must acknowledge that the problems we continue to have with drainage on the main track and a reduced horse inventory definitely contributed as well.”
Santa Anita experienced periods of heavy rain in January and February and as a result, had to cancel five days of racing, including two Saturdays, one of which was Strub Stakes Day, Feb. 6.
“What hurt us just as much as the actual cancellations was the uncertainty as to whether or not we’d be able to run,” said Charles. “The main track performed very well overall. We had an extraordinarily safe meet and that is our number one priority.”
Santa Anita’s field-size was 8.2 horses per race last year and this meet it fell slightly to 7.9.
“We were pleased to be able to maintain our regular five-day week, with the exception of the weather-related cancellations, despite the fact we had fewer horses,” said Charles.
But the 75th anniversary season (not the actual 75th season since the track was closed for several years during World II), did have its share of highlights, including an opening day crowd of 35, 292 and ceremonies that featured the dedication of a historical marker by the Arcadia Historical Society and a new live-size statue of legendary horse John Henry, and the first of two appearances by then-retired and undefeated race mare Zenyatta.
On March 13 the John Shirreffs trainee won the Gr. I Santa Margarita Handicap in dramatic fashion under Mike Smith.
The Santa Anita Derby attracted an on-track crowd of 40,718 April 3, which was the third-largest crowd in North America this year to date.
The Gr. I Santa Anita Handicap on March 6 was impacted by rain, but still attracted an on-track crowd of 23,829.
Live racing will resume at Santa Anita on Sept. 29, with opening day of the Oak Tree meeting. Santa Anita will be open for simulcasting in the interim, beginning with opening day at Hollywood park on Wednesday.
— By Scott Hettrick