Santa Anita Opens Main Track for Workouts

Horses worked over the main track at Santa Anita Park March 13 for the first time since racing was suspended last week. 

"We had more than 100 slated to work on the main track," said Steve Lym, Santa Anita's vice president of racing and racing secretary. "We're back to the business of training racehorses."

Lym said track consultant Dennis Moore reports the main track is now in the identical condition it was last fall, before all of the rain during the winter.

Horses worked throughout the morning on both the main track and the training track. Workouts on the training track began March 11, the same day the main track was reopened for jogging and galloping.

Jim Cassidy, president of California Thoroughbred Trainers, said he worked four on the main track, including grade 3 winner Prime Attraction. A 6-year-old son of Unbridled's Song, Prime Attraction worked five furlongs in 1:02. Cassidy also worked stakes winner Continental Divide five furlongs in 1:01.

"All of them went very nice—nothing unusual," Cassidy said. "Everybody I talked to said the track feels really nice, that there is a good bounce to it. We haven't had any rain in three or four days, and I'm sure that helps."

Prime Attraction, winner of the 2017 Native Diver Stakes (G3) at Del Mar and most recently fourth in the 2018 Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill Downs, was scheduled to run in the March 9 Santa Anita Handicap Presented by San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino (G1). Postponed because of Santa Anita's closure, the Santa Anita Handicap has been rescheduled for April 6, the same day as the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Cassidy said he would continue to point for that race with Prime Attraction.

Santa Anita is tentatively scheduled to reopen for racing March 22. The new condition book is now online, and Lym said he expected the printed version to be available later in the day March 13.

Horses are working at Santa Anita under new safety protocols, which include trainers filing a form with the racing office the day before a horse is scheduled to work. Veterinarians are examining horses determined to be "at risk," such as those that haven't started or worked recently.

"They came up to my barn yesterday and the day before and checked about six to eight horses," Cassidy said. "Two hadn't run in a while, and four I bought in Europe, so they haven't run in a while and are new on the scene."

The veterinarians approved all of Cassidy's horses to work. Cassidy frequently buys horses in Europe, with much success. D P Racing's Sophie P, trained by Cassidy and bred in Great Britain, won last year's Gamely Stakes (G1T).