Santa Anita Turf Undergoes Annual Renovation

The turf course at Santa Anita Park, the most widely used grass course in the country for Thoroughbred racing, has undergone its annual renovation that includes approximately 10 acres (435,600 feet) of new sod to be laid atop the expansive racing surface.

During Santa Anita's recently concluded winter-spring season, which began Dec. 28 and ended June 15, the acclaimed turf course hosted 359 races (50.9% of all races) that had a combined 2,831 starters.

"No other U.S. track with a single turf course stages a meet of this length while depending on turf as heavily as we do," said Jason Egan, Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. "That level of reliance speaks to the exceptional professionalism of our turf maintenance team in keeping the surface in race-ready condition."

Santa Anita's main Camino Real Turf Course is an about seven-furlong oval that measures 4,683 feet at the inside rail. Linked to the main course is Santa Anita's unique hillside turf course. It measures about 6 1/2 furlongs (4,297 feet) from the top of the hill to the finish line. In 2020, Santa Anita also added a turf chute to the main turf oval that allows for grass races to also be contested at both six furlongs and 6 1/2 furlongs.

Leading the turf course renovation once again is Track Superintendent Jesse Martinez. Following closing day, Martinez and his team got right to work stripping the existing course in its entirety. The new sod, composed again of Bandera Bermuda hybrid grass, was installed last week.

"Our intensive use of a single turf course is only possible because of our turf crew's ability to keep it consistent, safe, and race-ready, day after day," Egan said.

Live racing will resume at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 25 with the start of its Autumn Meet. The six-week stand runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. There will be live racing every Friday through Sunday plus a special holiday Monday card on Oct. 12. For more information, please visit santaanita.com.