Santa Anita Park’s 74th winter/spring meet came to a close on Sunday with
encouraging news regarding attendance and handle. The April 9 Santa Anita Derby
(Grade 1) was the highlight of the season, as an on-track crowd of 31,523 produced
on-track handle of $4,039,020, which along with the total mutuel handle of
$15,088,988 represented the highest figures of the meet in all categories.
“The Santa Anita Derby is our biggest day of the meet and this year was no
exception,” Santa Anita President George Haines said. “We had the wettest March
we’ve had in many years, but the weather on Derby Day was great, the racing card
was strong and we had a sensational day.
“Our Chairman, Frank Stronach, is committed to invigorating the sport of
Thoroughbred racing,” Haines said. “Our big days continue to prove that Santa
Anita is a venue that can produce on-track events that people want to attend and
participate in.”
The late season surge helped enable Santa Anita to equal last year’s daily
average on-track attendance, with the average daily on-track handle slipping
slightly by three percent. Overall average daily handle was down nine percent,
reflective of a severe decline in off-track handle for the winter/spring meet.
The declining horse inventory in California impacted not only Santa Anita’s
business, but the racing schedule as well.
“Our original intent was to go to a five-day week in March and in April, but
we simply didn’t have the inventory to support that at the time,” Haines said.
“California’s horse inventory crisis is one of the key factors in Santa Anita’s
final numbers. Our field-size, which is very important to our off-track
customers, was impacted by this and thus, our handle. Our fans want full fields
and better gambling opportunities. The decline in horse population in the state
is a significant problem for all of California racing and could remain so for
the foreseeable future.”
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert figured prominently throughout the meet,
becoming the first trainer since Jimmy Jones in 1953 to win both the Santa Anita
H. (Grade 1) and Santa Anita Derby in the same meet, with Game on Dude and Midnight Interlude, respectively. Jones won the Santa
Anita H. with Mark-Ye-Well and the Santa Anita Derby with Chanlea for Calumet
Farm in 1953.
Baffert also notched his record ninth Santa Anita training title, winning 44
races, eight clear of John Sadler.
Game on Dude’s win in the Big ‘Cap made history on several fronts, as jockey
Chantal Sutherland became the first female rider to win the prestigious event in
its 74-year history. Sutherland and Baffert had to wait out a 12-minute
stewards’ inquiry before being declared official winners. Game on Dude was named
Horse of the Meet in Santa Anita’s annual Media Poll.
Jockey Joel Rosario dominated the jockeys’ race to win his first Santa Anita
riding title. Rosario overcame a 12-win lead established by Rafael Bejarano at
one point in the meet to capture his first Santa Anita title with 89 wins, eight
more than runner-up Bejarano. Rosario, a 26-year-old native of the Dominican
Republic, tied in stakes wins with Bejarano at 13 each and led in purse earnings
with more than $4.5 million.
For the second consecutive year, Ron Valenta’s La Canada Stables was the
leading owner by number of wins.
Santa Anita, which had a synthetic main track the previous three years,
installed a new all-natural dirt surface in early December.
“We continue to be committed to providing the best possible racing surface in
the sport,” Haines said. “We’ll continue to work with the horsemen in making
adjustments to the main track over the spring and summer and we’re confident
we’re going to have a safe and consistent surface for everyone to run on here in
the fall.”
Santa Anita will reopen for live racing in late September for a six-week meet
just ahead of the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships.
For more information regarding Santa Anita’s upcoming autumn meeting, fans
are encouraged to visit www.santaanita.com.