Scott Hettrick
Fifty-four years ago a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February 1960. It quickly became world famous and remains one of the most popular tourist attactions to this day, with new stars regularly added. A groundbreaking ceremony and activities for the Arcadia Historical Society‘s new Thoroughbred Racing Walk of Champions will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, in the heart of Downtown Arcadia on First Avenue, north of Huntington Drive close to Wheeler Avenue.
The project, initially featuring 67 square bronze plaques that memorialize noteworthy horses, jockeys, trainers, owners, and other race industry notables, has already generated national news in the Chicago Tribune, the Miami Herald, the HRTV network, and a litany of stories in horse racing industry trade magazines and web sites including Blood-Horse., Horse Racing Nation, Cal Racing, ThoroughbredInfo.com, and Thoroughbred Report / The Handicapper’s Edge.
Locally, Los Angeles Daily News and Pasadena Star-News correspondent Art Wilson praised the project in an editorial this week. Columnist Lauragene Swenson included an article about the project in the Star-News‘ Aug. 31 edition of the Weekly Star/Highlander (see article below). And the City of Arcadia has had several articles about it in City newsletters, water bill notices and special mailings. The City, which has supported the Society’s ongoing History Lives Here series of historical markers since the dedication of the first one in 2007, also agreed to the installation of the Society’s Walk of Champions plaques in the sidewalks along both sides of Huntington Drive from Santa Anita Avenue to The Derby restaurant just east of Second Avenue. The plaques also line a short section of First Avenue north of Huntington and will eventually go all the way to the new Gold Line train station and transit plaza where the next History Lives Here marker from the Society will be placed to detail Lucky Baldwin’s original train station at the same location directly across from his Oakwood Hotel. Among the most prominent subjects of the plaques are jockeys such as Willie Shoemaker (corner of First and Huntington), owners and influencers such as Lucky Baldwin (at entrance of Denny’s restaurant) and horses such as Seabiscuit (near First and Huntington).
Just as it was the
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce that initiated the Walk of Fame in that town, which took seven years to become a reality, it was then-Arcadia Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Beth Costanza who has been working for years with former Arcadia Mayor Gail Marshall to get their horse race version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame off the ground (er, in the ground, in this case). After a couple of unsuccessful attempts over the past couple of decades, in 2012 Marshall and now-retired Costanza resurrected the pursuit of their long-dreamed project. This time they were invited to join the Arcadia Historical Society, which formed a committee to focus on the project, with Society board member and horse racing afficionado Sandy Snider becoming an integral additional component of the committee. With the Society’s reputation and track record for generating most of its own funding and resources for projects like the historical markers, the City Council this time quickly approved the concept of the project if it could be funded. With Snider’s help and with the Society’s 501 (c)(3) non-profit status for tax-deductible donations, Marshall and Costanza were able to raise the substantial necessary funding, though it was still a formidable challenge. Santa Anita Park became the lynchpin for the project with the first and biggest donation.
The result is another terrific grassroots community initiative by a small group of people that brings still further prestige and another unique attribute to Arcadia in general and Downtown Arcadia in particular. For the latter, it will serve as a spark for the fledgling business district’s efforts to capitalize on the 2016 opening of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail line and station at First Avenue and Santa Clara Street to attract riders in to a planned revitalization of the Downtown area as a thriving retail and entertainment walking area. It also brings much-needed attention, a celebratory spotlight, and historical perspective to horse racing in general and, by extension, Santa Anita Park, which will provide additional reasons for out-of-town visitors to Santa Anita and Breeders’ Cup events to stay and Shop Arcadia.
The dedication ceremony on Sept. 27 (the actual ceremony will begin no earlier than 6:15 p.m.) will include live appearances by legendary retired Hall of Fame jockeys Eddie Delahoussaye and Laffit Pincay Jr., with the entire event from 5 p.m. until approximately 7:30 or 8 p.m. featuring live music, free popcorn, bottled water, a vintage car display, and souvenirs. Guided and self-guided walking tours of the plaques will be offered, and merchants in the area will offer special discounts and stickers with the words, I (heart) Downtown Arcadia.
Three cheers for the passion and persistence of Gail Marshall and Beth Costanza, the skills and tenacious diligence of Sandy Snider, and the support and resources of the Arcadia Historical Society, which now adds the Throughbred Racing Walk of Champions to decades of achievements that include saving and relocating the Santa Anita Depot and Hugo Reid Statue, creating the city’s first historical museum that led to spearheading what has become the current Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage, and the series of History Lives Here historical markers that dot the community.
— By Scott Hettrick