Demonstrators Call for Racing to Resume at Santa Anita

Demonstrators, including Kentucky Derby-winning trainers Doug O'Neill and Bob Baffert, rallied in front of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors April 28 while the board was hosting a teleconference, urging a resumption of spectatorless racing in California.

Racing has been on hold at Santa Anita Park since March 27, deemed a non-essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic by order of the Los Angeles County Health Department. Racing was also suspended at Golden Gate Fields in Alameda County April 2 by its health department.

The only track racing in the state is Los Alamitos Race Course in Orange County, where a mixed meet of Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses is permitted. The other tracks can only conduct training.

The rally Tuesday was a follow-up action to the submission of hundreds of emails from horse racing supporters to the board, said organizer Oscar de la Torre, a regular advocate for backstretch workers. The names of those that contacted the board were then announced before various agenda items during their Tuesday teleconference, which covered a wide range of topics affecting the county.

De la Torre was encouraged by the board's passage of agenda item 20, "Los Angeles County Roadmap to Economic Recovery," which outlined a multi-phased approach for reopening businesses.

De la Torre and others in the industry, including The Stronach Group, have voiced their concern over the financial and social costs of the shutdown, which affects thousands of horse racing workers across the state and as many as 750 that work on the Santa Anita backstretch. Purse money and betting handle fund the horse racing industry, and supplement housing and backstretch programs, including health care.

"We're hopeful that live racing will resume at Santa Anita as part of the county's phase-one economic recovery plan," said de la Torre in an interview after the demonstration.

Among the members attending Tuesday's board teleconference was Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who met with TSG executives via video conference April 16 to discuss expanded protocols that would allow for racing to take place without spectators. 

De la Torre called the Tuesday rally a success, estimating more than 50 demonstrators attended and mentioning that two local media television outlets and a reporter from the Los Angeles Times were on hand.

Baffert canceled a scheduled media teleconference appearance with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to attend the rally with his wife, Jill. They both wore masks and gloves to comply with safety recommendations.

"There are millions of people and families that are suffering right now. We don't need any more suffering unnecessarily," Baffert said in a telephone interview. "We're doing everything right. We've been safe at Santa Anita. We've been COVID-19 free. The protocols are working there."

Santa Anita is not alone in being shut down in Los Angeles County, though the determination of which businesses can remain open, while others are closed, has left some frustrated.

Trainer Andrew Lerner uploaded a video to Twitter over the weekend that showed a sold-out crowd and a crowded parking lot at the Los Angeles Arboretum, located near Santa Anita, which has been permitted by the Los Angeles County Health Department to conduct outdoor operations.

How is the Arboretum not only open but SOLD OUT yet Santa Anita Racetrack across the street is shutdown?!?! @Kathrynbarger this makes no sense. You’re better than this! Get out of the office and actually see for yourself. You’re jeopardizing the livelihoods of thousands of us. pic.twitter.com/2yKb6mNB4K

— Andrew Lerner (@Andrew__Lerner) April 25, 2020

"I feel safer at the racetrack than I would standing in line at the Arboretum," Baffert said.

Prior to the suspension of its meeting, Santa Anita only allowed participating horsemen and essential track staff to attend racing. That is the standard protocol for spectatorless racing that is currently taking place at seven U.S. tracks, including at the TSG-owned Gulfstream Park in Florida.

Los Angeles County announced 59 deaths and 597 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday. In total, 1,000 people have died from the virus in the county, though approximately 40% of deaths have occurred in institutional centers like nursing homes.

"We have to be centered around science and data. I don't think we should be persuaded by petitions or people pressuring us to open too soon," said Janice Hahn, another Los Angeles County Supervisor, in general comments early in the Tuesday board meeting. "So far we've done really well. We need to keep that cautious, guiding framework."