Is Hollywood Park Closing?

**odtw524** · 10-25-10, 12:26 AM

Well I know SA is currently getting rid of their synthetic track and converting it back to dirt...So i assume that is the reason why its there!!

**andywend** · 10-25-10, 03:12 AM

odtw,
There was some sort of disagreement between the Oak Tree Racing Association and Frank Stronach (chairman of Magna Entertainment Corporation who owns Santa Anita).

The disagreement could not be hammered out so Hollywood Park stepped in and offered to host the Oak Tree race meet. Santa Anita then decided to tear up their synthetic track and go back to regular dirt.

As far as Hollywood Park closing, there has been talk about it but as for now there are no concrete plans to close the facility.

**unusialsusp5** · 10-25-10, 07:59 AM

the rumor is that hollywood will close and los alamitos will be converted to handle t-breds in the future. santa anita will be back to dirt on 12/26.

**BBROBOZO** · 10-25-10, 08:26 AM

unusialsusp5

Thanks for the info .

**pdx107** · 10-25-10, 09:30 AM

Interesting to hear, I hadnt heard that Hollywood may close

**odtw524** · 10-25-10, 11:17 AM

Yeah thanks for clearing that up I as well didnt know Hollywood Park may close!

**gtkid911** · 10-25-10, 12:01 PM

Hollywood has been on the brink of closing and developing into a condos or something like that, but if Oak Tree is there every year, it would be an incentive to keep it alive. IMO California racing would be better having only 2 SoCal tracks where Hollywood would get weeded out and Del Mar and Santa Anita took more racing dates.

**odtw524** · 10-25-10, 12:06 PM

well I like the Santa Anita and Delmar race track so Im not apposed to them closing Hollywood Park

**callmejrk1** · 10-25-10, 01:39 PM

real dirt for real racing

**robmpink** · 10-29-10, 08:02 PM

How come Santa Anita is getting rid of the synthetic? Isn't that the reason why Bay Meadows closed, becuase they didn't switch to synthetic?

**thezbar** · 10-29-10, 08:47 PM

Originally posted by robmpink

How come Santa Anita is getting rid of the synthetic? Isn't that the reason why Bay Meadows closed, becuase they didn't switch to synthetic?

Synthetic tracks were suppose to be safer for horses thus the California Racing Board made them take out the dirt tracks several years ago. Well as it turns out horses are having different types of injuries with the synthetics. The majority of the horseman prefer a dirt surface. In addition bettors are exiting California betting pools because there tends to be more random results with the races being run over these rubber like surfaces.. Add to the mix Santa Anita has had drainage problems that needed to be repaired. They were losing racing days and thus money when it rained heavily in Southern California. Management simple decided to make the popular choice back to a dirt surface.{ With the Cal Racing Boards blessing}. Bay Meadows closed because the land is worth more as real estate than a race track. The land management company that owns the property never developed it because of the economy owes. Bay Meadows closing was planned before synthetic tracks had to be installed. They were granted some extra time with their dirt surface before closing as the surface change expense didn't make sense for their owners. Synthetics was just the final nail in the coffin. Bay Meadows had been rumored to close for many years. Just as Hollywood as been for quite a while now.