Santa Anita is going back to dirt

[sighthound]

Breaking news this evening - SA is going back to dirt.   www.thoroughbredtimes.com

Update:  someone posted this on another website:
http://www.insidesocal.com/horseracing/

Sources: Santa Anita going back to dirt
By Art Wilson on August 18, 2010 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | ShareThis

My sources all tell me that Frank Stronach will inform horsemen during a meeting at Del Mar tonight that he will install a traditional dirt track at Santa Anita immediately following the Oak Tree meet and it will be finished in time for the track\'s winter-spring meet that begins on Dec. 26.

Stronach also reportedly will tell horsemen that he\'d like to have Oak Tree as a tenant for three additional years after this one, but that is contingent on a few things happening in his favor. One industry souce told me he still expects Oak Tree to be run at Del Mar beginning in 2011.

Earlier reports that Oak Tree would switch to Hollywood Park this year in order for work to begin immediately on the new track are untrue. Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau told me earlier today that there are no plans in the works for Oak Tree to race at the Inglewood track in 2010.

Stronach reportedly has already gotten permission from Arcadia officials to have work crews in line 24 hours per day to install the new dirt track in time for the regular Santa Anita meet. There is a high level of confidence that the work could be completed between the time Oak Tree closes on Sunday, Oct. 31 and the opening of Santa Anita\'s winter-spring meet.

Another source said if the project was delayed in any way, a contingency plan could involve racing the first days of the meet at Hollywood Park.

We\'ll know more tonight after Stronach\'s meeting with the horsemen, which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Del Mar\'s Surfside Raceplace.

[Lost Cause]

sighthound Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Breaking news this evening - SA is going back to
> dirt.   www.thoroughbredtimes.com
>
> Update:  someone posted this on another website:
> http://www.insidesocal.com/horseracing/
>
> Sources: Santa Anita going back to dirt
> By Art Wilson on August 18, 2010 11:55 AM |
> Permalink | Comments (4) | ShareThis
>
> My sources all tell me that Frank Stronach will
> inform horsemen during a meeting at Del Mar
> tonight that he will install a traditional dirt
> track at Santa Anita immediately following the Oak
> Tree meet and it will be finished in time for the
> track\'s winter-spring meet that begins on Dec.
> 26.
>
> Stronach also reportedly will tell horsemen that
> he\'d like to have Oak Tree as a tenant for three
> additional years after this one, but that is
> contingent on a few things happening in his favor.
> One industry souce told me he still expects Oak
> Tree to be run at Del Mar beginning in 2011.
>
> Earlier reports that Oak Tree would switch to
> Hollywood Park this year in order for work to
> begin immediately on the new track are untrue.
> Hollywood Park president Jack Liebau told me
> earlier today that there are no plans in the works
> for Oak Tree to race at the Inglewood track in
> 2010.
>
> Stronach reportedly has already gotten permission
> from Arcadia officials to have work crews in line
> 24 hours per day to install the new dirt track in
> time for the regular Santa Anita meet. There is a
> high level of confidence that the work could be
> completed between the time Oak Tree closes on
> Sunday, Oct. 31 and the opening of Santa Anita\'s
> winter-spring meet.
>
> Another source said if the project was delayed in
> any way, a contingency plan could involve racing
> the first days of the meet at Hollywood Park.
>
> We\'ll know more tonight after Stronach\'s meeting
> with the horsemen, which is scheduled to begin at
> 6:30 p.m. at Del Mar\'s Surfside Raceplace.

Wasn\'t there a state mandate that all CA tracks, other than fairs, had to have synth tracks.  I thought that was why Bay Meadows closed down.

[Dana666]

Awesome! Best news I\'ve heard in a long time. Wish they were doing it before Oak Tree. Might be too late for me but at least they\'re moving in the right direction. If only Del Mar would follow the lead. Let\'s make this synthetic experiment just a bad memory once and for all.

[P-Dub]

Lost Cause Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> Wasn\'t there a state mandate that all CA tracks,
> other than fairs, had to have synth tracks.  I
> thought that was why Bay Meadows closed down.


Bay Meadows was more of a real estate decision, if I remember correctly. They wanted to build commercial and condos on the site.

Can\'t have enough Starbuck\'s shops in your neighborhood.

[Lost Cause]

\"Can\'t have enough Starbuck\'s shops in your neighborhood.\"

They needed a Starbucks in the Jocks room back in those days..It looked like only Baze was able to stay awake during the races..

But what about the mandate?  Is that not in effect anymore?

[TGJB]

When I was in Dubai with Super Frolic a few years ago the first Starbucks was in the airport, the second less than a mile after leaving it.

[nyc1347]

put it on TVG of you guys can.. they are talking about this mess.  Im really hoping they switch back to dirt!