Opening day of the first new Santa Anita Park Autumn Meet has been proclaimed Arcadia Day at the Great Race Place. All Arcadians attending on Friday, Sept. 30, will be granted free Club House admission throughout the afternoon with proof of residency. An “Arcadia Day” booth will be available to welcome and facilitate Arcadia residents and will be located just outside the Club House Admission Gate. Various Arcadia groups will be showcased in the winners’ area throughout the race day. Gates will open at 11 a.m., and first race post time is 1 p.m.
“We look forward to having live racing back here on Sept. 30,” said Santa Anita President George Haines. “Our neighbors are very important to us. We hope to renew acquaintances and make some new friends as well. “A number of city officials are expected to join us and they too are excited about the prospect of seeing a great many of their constituents at the races on opening day,” Haines added.
“We sincerely thank Santa Anita for welcoming all of our residents back to the track in such a generous way on opening day,” said Arcadia Mayor, Gary Kovacic. “Going back to 1934, Santa Anita Park has been a cornerstone of our city and we can’t overstate the benefits it brings to the community at large. The economic impact of having live racing here is tremendous, from the business generated by those attending the races to the jobs that they help to create. On behalf of everyone here in Arcadia, we can’t wait for the Autumn Meet to begin.”
Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet will follow four dark days on the Southern California racing calendar, as the Los Angeles County Fair Meet at Fairplex Park will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 25.
“The Thoroughbred industry is experiencing many changes in California and we want our fans to know that we intend to provide them with a world-class product and that we intend to be more competitive than ever,” said Haines. “We also want our fans to know that we look forward to welcoming them back and that we intend to make their visits to Santa Anita more enjoyable than ever. ‘Arcadia Day’ is a good step in that direction.”
Santa Anita will also be offering fans and horsemen a brand new state-of-the-art natural dirt main track, which was completed on July 26. For more information on opening day and the 2011 Santa Anita Autumn Meet, fans are encouraged to visit www.santaanita.com or to call (626) 574-RACE.
— By Scott Hettrick