The track in Arcadia, California, was preparing to stage eight races when the cancellation was announced about 30 minutes before the first race. Record-setting runs in 2017, '21 help Del Mar racetrack pick up money-soaked international event for the third time in eight years The track was closed March 27 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. We're in talks with the health department to see what we can do to continue racing, Aidan Butler, acting executive director of California racing operations for The Stronach Group, told The Associated Press by phone. The series of events that culminated in the closure started Wednesday morning when an environmental health specialist from the health department deemed that the track should be shut down. Several animal activists condemned the board for allowing live racing to go on during a public comment period on the call. WebThe Negative Right to Shelter. The track is still awaiting final guidelines from health officials before releasing all the details. Last month, Kentucky Derby-winning trainers Bob Baffert and Doug ONeill joined a rally to urge the county Board of Supervisors to allow live racing again. Click Here to sign up for a free subscription. The stoppage of live racing doesn't affect training hours, which will continue, Butler said. The CHRB telegraphed what was to come in a few hours Friday morning when it sent out a news release saying: In this time of an extraordinary health crisis and pandemic, the [CHRB] is relying on state, county and local health authorities to determine whether horse racing is deemed essential for exemption from shelter-in-place orders issued by those authorities.. At Santa Anita Park, there are over 1,700 horses stabled who require daily care. The track A message from the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) to the horsemen read, We are hoping this will be a short interruption, as we continue to discuss with the County on the resumption of races we will continue with our regular training schedule until further notice.. Sitting above the track with a resplendent panorama of the San Gabriel Mountains as the backdrop, the FrontRunner truly leaves guests on top of the world. More information on Santa Anita can be found at santaanita.com. Saddling and prerace protocols will be handled differently to increase physical distancing. Horses run in the second race at Santa Anita Park to empty stands Saturday, March 14, 2020, in Arcadia, Calif. Cliff Goodrich, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Horsemen's Foundation, said if racing stops workers would have nowhere to go and end up out in communities with the risking of infecting others.. Other tracks around the country are shutting down.". Ja Morant Has Everything. 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The track has racing Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week. The Arcadia track stopped live racing on March 27 by order of the county health department because of concern over the spread of the coronavirus. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. He also can be found at the Olympics, having just finished the Tokyo and Beijing double, marking his 11th Olympics. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. There was even the thought that the sport would benefit because gamblers had no other sport on which to bet. Horse racing may not continue per the Health Officer Order.. Christine Kim reports for Today in LA on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2019. The track has been closed to the public, with only essential personnel allowed, since March 12. The Bella Vida Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center is hosting a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic for anyone 18 and older May 1. Known as The Great Race Place, Santa Anita Park is one of the worlds preeminent racetracks and a frequent host of the Breeders Cup World Championship. I can assure you if we don't keep everybody together and safe we're going to end up with a bunch of homeless people and a bunch of animal issues.. He rejoined The Times in 2009 and left his post as deputy sports editor late in 2017. Fans will be able to access the Vessels Club and mezzanine patio and terraceplus outdoor grandstand apron areas. The letter is a heads-up to horsemen to be ready in case Santa Anita is given the go-ahead by the L.A. County Health Department to resume racing after it was ARCADIA, Calif. Santa Anita will resume live racing Friday after receiving approval from Los Angeles County health officials. Thoroughbred racing at Santa Anita Park was shut down shortly before its first post Friday by the Los Angeles County Health Department in response to the COVID They really seem to care about the impact of what's going on (at the track).". What were trying to do is sustain the ecosystem in a responsible manner. The track issued the following statement: In accordance with instructions received from Los Angeles County Health Department, Santa Anita Park will temporarily close for live racing effective immediately in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions that ended on June 15, 2021 include: Physical distancing Capacity limits on businesses County tier system Read the Governors orders N-07-21 PDF and N-08-21 PDF. Keeneland in Kentucky already canceled its upcoming spring meet. CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TDN FOR FREE! He also can be found at the Olympics, having just finished the Tokyo and Beijing double, marking his 11th Olympics. Santa Anita said there are no known cases of COVID-19 at the track, where 750 stable workers live and work to take care of over 1,700 horses on the grounds. Effective June 1, there are no restrictions for large indoor gatherings. Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare, Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts, Home Archive Top News Santa Anita Park Closed by LA County Officials Due to COVID-19. These workers are very vulnerable," he said. Suite 100 p: (800) 647-6571 We apologize for the late notice affecting today's racing program, but Santa Anita is abiding by the instructions issued this morning by the California Horse Racing Board to operate under the sanction of the local health authorities. Those wishing to purchase tickets need to sign up for the Santa Anita newsletter at santaanita.com/open for more details when they become available. Santa Anita Park has seen dozens of horses die while racing or training at the park in the last 18 months. That care is provided by the 750 backstretch team members, most who live on-site and have been operating under stringent new measures for protection aligned with the best guidance from local and international health and government authorities on COVID-19. Get your top stories delivered daily! Santa Anitas restrictions started before the stay-at-home orders went out in California. On Thursday, Butler emailed Edward Morrissey, the acting chief of the Health Services Department, to plead the case for Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields, its sister track in Northern California, to remain open. The fear is that with no racing at Santa Anita, owners could move their horses to the few remaining jurisdictions that were running and never return to California, causing a potential collapse of the industry in the state. Thoroughbred racing is continuing at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs in Florida and at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. The Stronach Group owns Santa Anita, where the deaths of horses over the last year have caused controversy and led to sweeping reforms involving medication and safety. An executive with the company that owns Santa Anita urged the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday to continue live racing despite a statewide stay-at-home order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We will continue to work with authorities to familiarize them with the protocols which have been put in place to protect the health and safety of those who work with the horses and the horses themselves. Watch aerial footage taken by WFLA of the beaches in Florida as they empty out amid the coronavirus pandemic. "Stay Home and Foster" is working to help people connect with shelters and foster animals while maintaining proper social distancing. The fact that people can still work has given them a lot of certainty in their lives. Almost two months after it was shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, live horse racing will return to Santa Anita Park in California Friday. "Stay Home and Foster" is working to help people connect with shelters and foster animals while maintaining proper social distancing. Oscar De La Torre, an advocate for backstretch workers, urged the board to keep workers and their families at the forefront. WebCOVID-19; Explore. This has been a difficult time for all, said Aidan Butler, executive director of California racing for track owner The Stronach Group. Gavin Newsom had already issued a statewide stay-at-home order, resulting in businesses shutting down or dramatically scaling back to protect against the spread of the virus. Santa Anita's stable area has about 1,700 horses and 750 workers on the grounds. You have to get them out and train them.. Santa Anita was closed to racing and fans on March 27 last year. Horses need exercise, Butler told the board during its monthly meeting held via conference call. We will continue to work with authorities to familiarize them with the protocols which have been put in place to protect the health and safety of those who work with the horses and the horses themselves, the track said in a statement. Currently, his major coverage area is horse racing, where he can be found at big races at Santa Anita, the Triple Crown series and Breeders Cup. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Santa Anita will host a short meet from Sept. 19 to Oct. 25, still without spectators due to the coronavirus. We are very different from almost every other industry. Santa Anita's winter-spring meet is scheduled to end June 21. The track is still awaiting final guidelines from health officials before There will be no general admission tickets sold and everyone has to have a ticket and a seat in order to attend the races. Gov. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Coronovirus cases in California are increasing as more testing is done. L.A. County followed through and enforced its order Friday. March 27, 2020. Arthur, whose If the download does not complete, Click Here. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Keeneland in Kentucky canceled its upcoming spring meet, and Aqueduct in New York cut short its meet after a backstretch employee who lives and works at Belmont Park tested positive for the virus. These are very fit, healthy, very good feeling athletes, and you just can't keep them in a stall. Golden Gate has not closed. The arguments made by Butler in his email to Morrissey on Thursday were similar to those made by executives of the Stronach Group, Del Mar and the Thoroughbred Owners of California to the CHRB on March 20. The health department feels for our plight, and we look forward to working with them to find a solution that is best for everyone.. We are extremely excited to welcome back our racing fans to Santa Anita, just in time for the Santa Anita Derby, said Nate Newby, Santa Anitas general manager. You can't look at all tracks the same, Butler said. Gulfstream Park Saturday's card has two other stakes races to WebSanta Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. John Cherwa is a special contributor to the Los Angeles Times. The park will have protocols in place upon its And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. No return date was announced. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders Cup. The 17 cases at Santa Anita came during six months with 750 workers living on-site and roughly 300 more who entered and exited on a daily basis, according to the All rights reserved, COVID-19 Doesn't Deter Horse Racing at US tracks, But Stands Are Quiet, Report: Illegal Procedures Didn't Cause Deaths of Santa Anita Horses, Ninth Horse Dies at Santa Anita Since Season Opened on December 26, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, Billionaire Warren Buffett Still Lives in the Same Home He Bought for $31,500 More Than 60 Years Ago, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm. From March 12-27, the track raced without spectators. Butler said food that was to be used when the track was open to the public was re-directed to stable workers and food delivery has been set up so they don't have to leave the property. Aidan Butler, acting executive director of California racing for the Stronach Group (TSG), confirmed via text that for now, training is unaffected at Santa Anita. Dr. Rick Arthur, equine medical director for the board, said continuing to race certainly isn't a medical necessity for horses. Santa Anita said there are no known cases of COVID-19 at the track, where 750 stable workers live and work to take care of over 1,700 horses on the grounds. 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