Santa Anita Park has been closed for live racing and training effective immediately while the one-mile main track undergoes additional extensive testing, according to a press release issued at 1 a.m. Eastern time Wednesday morning by the Stronach Group.
All stakes races scheduled for this upcoming weekend, including the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap, the Grade II San Felipe and the Grade II San Carlos will be rescheduled, the release said.
“The safety, health and welfare of the horses and jockeys is our top priority,” said Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer, The Stronach Group. “While we are confident further testing will confirm the soundness of the track, the decision to close is the right thing to do at this time.”
According to the release, the Stronach Group has been in constant communication with the California Horse Racing Board and numerous key industry stakeholders who are in full agreement with the decision to suspend racing and training.
The additional testing of the track will be led by veteran trackman Dennis Moore, who returned recently to the track as a consultant. The testing will include expanding on the ground radar testing conducted earlier this week by the University of Kentucky's Dr. Mick Peterson. Measures will include utilizing an Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester, a device that mimics the impacts of a horse running at full gallop allowing engineers to see how the track holds up. These test results will be evaluated to ensure track consistency and uniformity for both training and racing.
Further, The Stronach Group will be conducting a comprehensive evaluation of all existing safety measures and current protocols, the release said.
Track management continues to try to get to the bottom of what is causing a rash of fatalities since the meet opened Dec. 26. The timing of the closure comes at a particularly bad time as Saturday's card is among the biggest of the meet and includes four graded stakes races, including the GI Santa Anita Handicap and the GII San Felipe, a major prep for the GI Kentucky Derby. The San Felipe was expected to attract two of the top 3-year-old Kentucky Derby contenders in the country in Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Improbable (City Zip). Both are trained by Bob Baffert. When reached by text, Baffert said he had not decided yet what route he would now take toward the Kentucky Derby with his two 3-year-old stars.
Since Dec. 26, there have been 21 fatalities during racing or training. Last week, Santa Anita closed the track on Monday at 9 a.m. and did not re-open it until Thursday to let experts examine the surface. Racing resumed Thursday and there were no problems until Saturday, when a horse broke down during a race. On Tuesday, a filly named Lets Light the Way (Dunkirk) broke down during training and was euthanized.
The 21 equine fatalities eclipses the total of 20 suffered in 2017 when the track raced 122 days, according to the Equine Injury Database. The 2017 figures are the latest available. Since records have been published in 2009, fatalities have ranged from a low of five in 2009 when the track had a synthetic surface, to a high of 25 in 2016.
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