Three-Day Race Week Schedule to Continue at Santa Anita

Although Santa Anita Park experienced growth in race entries this week, topped by 114 horses and four also-eligibles entered for its 12-race Santa Anita Handicap (G1)-highlighted card March 7, there are no immediate plans for a resumption of a four-day racing schedule. The Southern California track's latest condition book, which goes through April 5, continues under a three-day schedule, running Friday through Sunday.

To maintain adequate field size, Santa Anita scaled back its race days earlier this winter, a move officials hope is temporary. The Southern California racing circuit has operated with a depleted horse population over the past year since a spike in fatalities at Santa Anita last winter that was followed by extensive safety and veterinary protocols. The population is further stretched at this time of year by some of the region's horsemen sending strings of dirt horses to compete for richer purses at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas.

Aidan Butler, the acting executing director of California operations for The Stronach Group, which operates Santa Anita, said the track is down "a few hundred" horses on its backstretch. It can stable up to 1,900.

"We're going to concentrate now on getting as good a three-day a week racing we can and I'm hoping we can get the population to start to stabilize and come back up, then we are going to get back to four," he said. "But for now three seems the prudent decision."

Prior to the March 6 program at Santa Anita, the track had averaged just over 7.2 starters from 278 races at the meet. Last winter over the same time frame, prior to its closing for much of March for race surface evaluation, it averaged almost 7.4 starters from 369 races. The previous year had an average of almost 8.1 starters from Dec. 26, 2017—March 5, 2018, from 350 races.

In cooperation with California horsemen groups, late last month Santa Anita announced a pair of initiatives aimed at rewarding current owners and drawing more horses to the region. One program is a loyalty bonus, providing a 10% earnings boost for one race to eligible horses and offering reimbursement of two veterinary exams for each entered horse.

"It was also a bit of a (tip) of the cap from the track to all the people that have been super loyal since we've been here," Butler said.

The other initiative, announced with the Thoroughbred Owners of California, begins in April and continues through the end of the meet June 21, providing a 50% earnings bonus to horses making their first starts in California after arriving from out of state, plus a $3,000 starting bonus. This program was patterned after one Del Mar implemented with favorable results.

Eoin Harty, president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, said in an interview last week that the steps were nice to "entice owners back here."

Although the reduced race week in place has likely maintained field size, it has come with costs.

Jockey Rafael Bejarano said the three-day schedule played a part in his intention this April to shift from California to Kentucky as his principal riding base. Keeneland and Churchill Downs, the two major tracks there, race more often. Keeneland runs five days a week, while Churchill Downs largely races four days a week in the spring.

Others affected include those employed by the track, such as mutuel clerks and those in hospitality, many of which work on a per-day or hourly basis. Some staff at Santa Anita also have employment agreements that require them to work a certain number of days to receive benefits such as health insurance.

"It was the same case last year when we had to shut down for a little while," Butler said. "We helped out and made up the difference there. We're going to look to see what we can do and see what we can do to help again, as well.  Again, without them, we aren't Santa Anita."