Report: Butler Says Stronach Racetracks Not for Sale
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Photo: Courtesy of Santa Anita Park
Racing at Santa Anita Park
The Stronach Group-owned racetracks are not for sale, Aidan Butler, COO for TSG's racing division, told the Los Angeles Times June 16. Butler's comments were in response to a June 15 Bloomberg report that said TSG was fielding interest on unspecified assets.
TSG's holdings include Santa Anita Park, which some have rumored could be sold and turned into a real estate project.
"The tracks are not for sale," Butler told the Times Wednesday. "It's super frustrating that this narrative of selling keeps coming up. It's nothing but pure speculation."
In addition to Santa Anita Park, TSG owns Golden Gate Fields, Laurel Park, and Gulfstream Park.
On the subject of the supposed negotiations reported by Bloomberg, Butler told the Times: "(TSG is) such a big company there is always some kind of deal being discussed be it a small parcel of land or something else. But it's not the tracks."
"We're putting $10 million-plus into Gulfstream to add a Tapeta course, add night racing and a new tote board and new barn area because of (the closure of) Calder," Butler added.
"We've got a huge project at Laurel. We're piling a lot of cash into making the racing surface as safe as it can be. And there is also the $400 million Maryland redevelopment project.
"Racetracks are a never-ending saga of improvement."
Butler did not respond to a phone message from BloodHorse.