Santa Anita Racing suspended (21 deaths)

[littlekona]

Spill in the 4th race down the hill at santa anita

Notice where it happened.....right where the downhill turf course crosssed over the dirt track for a bit...the turf course is rock hard while the dirt is very deep of late...the horses ankles are just to fragile and one little miss step or deeper softer dirt boom down they go....Sad

[Easy-Rider 66]

As the conjecture continues regarding safety Santa Anita Park following the meet’s 23rd equine death over the weekend, America’s highest-profile trainer, Bob Baffert, on Tuesday said he has been assured there will be racing this weekend, when a blockbuster Saturday card with both the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Santa Anita Handicap (G1) are carded.

But Baffert remains concerned about the "tens of thousands" who work in California’s racing industry.

“We want to make it as safe as possible for these horses,” the Hall of Famer said during a national media teleconference. “These horses — they’re not our livelihood. They’re our way of life. There’s lots of people back here who are employees.

“We have to make this work. I worry about the families. I have a lot of employees…They’re worried. Racing needs to do well. This last month has been a little stressful."


Looks like racing at Santa Anita this weekend according to Bob Baffert.

[Louisvillekid1]

They can’t have the breeders cup imo

[Easy-Rider 66]

They can’t have the breeders cup imo

Good point Lkid. Wonder if the venue is changed? Maybe DMR?

[funnyb25]

Breeders Cup will be interesting...I wonder if they can do 2 years in a row at Keeneland Racetrack, or just go Del Mar, Keeneland, Del Mar???

[big joe 1212]

Need to get Breeders Cup back in NY one of these years

[darrell74]

Any rumors to what's going on?
Best guess is they're running them too hard because of whatever reason

Senator Fienstein is even putting her two cents in, as if these guys at the track don't feel bad enough.
Revenue that's getting killed on this must be devastating to some.

[Thunderground]

They've gone to no lasix now, which has nothing to do with it.

I love Santa Anita, but I'm glad I skipped this season. How do the trainers and owners not get paranoid over all this? If I owned a horse there I wouldn't even want it to drink the same water.

[Easy-Rider 66]

They've gone to no lasix now, which has nothing to do with it.

I love Santa Anita, but I'm glad I skipped this season. How do the trainers and owners not get paranoid over all this? If I owned a horse there I wouldn't even want it to drink the same water.

They changed the stated new policy. Dropped the max dosage to 5cc from 10 cc and will wean the young horses to come off Lasix. But agree it's probably the track, and not the medication.

[littlekona]

Santa Anita has three Grade 1 races on Saturday.Oaks has 5 entered the Derby and Big Cap each have 6...Wow...
Odds on chalks too

[ThaWoj]

Need to get Breeders Cup back in NY one of these years

Fairgrounds would be a good alternative. Or arlington.

[Thunderground]

Santa Anita has three Grade 1 races on Saturday.Oaks has 5 entered the Derby and Big Cap each have 6...Wow...
Odds on chalks too

Too bad really. Takes all the fun out of constructing exotic wagers.

Baffert and Hollendorfer not fazed apparently. I haven't kept track of the trainers and the breakdowns. Would be interesting to see the numbers.

Good to see McKinzie run as a 4 year old.

[mcaulay777]

Santa Anita is done now. If one more horse breaks down this weekend especially Saturday with all those big races there finished. Its is a doing of there own. They had no plan once Hollywood Park closed. They did not realize how much of a effect Hollywood's closing would have. I grew up on racing and was a pro from 192-03.Really sad with all the history of all those great horses and Opening days the day after Christmas it would be this way. The downhill races should have been abolished ages ago. In fact Stronach when he first bought SA was going to put condos in but he received really bad back lash,

[Thrilla]

[cincinnatikid513]

how olds that video they raced today

[Thrilla]

March 7

[Easy-Rider 66]

Fairgrounds would be a good alternative. Or arlington.

Can't see either especially Arlington as I Believe it's a synthetic track.

[funnyb25]

[Thunderground]

Big Cap day worked out well. Hope SA is back on track. Roadster looking strong for the Derby.

[BigdaddyQH]

Santa Anita is finished unless the Stronach family finds a buyer. Mommy and Daddy are in a very messy divorce, aka the Sterlings (how did that work out Clipper Fans?) and she is running the show, for now. One of the major problems is the Democrats, who run the State, are making a rather unveiled attempt to run racing out of the State by imposing huge taxes, on top of already ridiculously high property Taxes. No one in their right minds should buy Santa Anita, or any other Track in California.

As far as the track is concerned, it was the total and complete incompetence of the Stronach Family that caused this disaster to begin with. Like most big corporations that go through these kind of takeover fights, they tried to fix things as cheaply as they could. It did not work. They will run the Breeders Cup there this year. They will NOT have any more downhill turf races. After this year, they will dump the track. Whether or not it remains a Race Track or goes the way of Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, and others remains to be seen. The first hint may be if Los Al puts in a turf course.

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Another horse died.

24 deaths now.

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Another one bites the dust.

25 dead now.

[funnyb25]

Another one bites the dust.

25 dead now.

#SaveTheHorses

[StackinGreen]

Santa Anita is finished unless the Stronach family finds a buyer. Mommy and Daddy are in a very messy divorce, aka the Sterlings (how did that work out Clipper Fans?) and she is running the show, for now. One of the major problems is the Democrats, who run the State, are making a rather unveiled attempt to run racing out of the State by imposing huge taxes, on top of already ridiculously high property Taxes. No one in their right minds should buy Santa Anita, or any other Track in California.

As far as the track is concerned, it was the total and complete incompetence of the Stronach Family that caused this disaster to begin with. Like most big corporations that go through these kind of takeover fights, they tried to fix things as cheaply as they could. It did not work. They will run the Breeders Cup there this year. They will NOT have any more downhill turf races. After this year, they will dump the track. Whether or not it remains a Race Track or goes the way of Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, and others remains to be seen. The first hint may be if Los Al puts in a turf course.

I've seen a lot of Big Daddy bold posts before, but this one is dire. Like a lot of his bets.

[SBR Tony]

Santa Anita is finished unless the Stronach family finds a buyer. Mommy and Daddy are in a very messy divorce, aka the Sterlings (how did that work out Clipper Fans?) and she is running the show, for now. One of the major problems is the Democrats, who run the State, are making a rather unveiled attempt to run racing out of the State by imposing huge taxes, on top of already ridiculously high property Taxes. No one in their right minds should buy Santa Anita, or any other Track in California.

As far as the track is concerned, it was the total and complete incompetence of the Stronach Family that caused this disaster to begin with. Like most big corporations that go through these kind of takeover fights, they tried to fix things as cheaply as they could. It did not work. They will run the Breeders Cup there this year. They will NOT have any more downhill turf races. After this year, they will dump the track. Whether or not it remains a Race Track or goes the way of Hollywood Park, Bay Meadows, and others remains to be seen. The first hint may be if Los Al puts in a turf course.

they should pull the breeders cup from them

[DiggityDaggityDo]

Any odds on when the next horse will die?

[funnyb25]

Another horse died today at Santa Anita. That is 3 in 9 days.

[floridagolfer]

I don't possibly see how they could go on with plans to run the BC there. In the worst-case scenario that something happens over those three days, horse racing in California would find itself in one very deep hole.

[jjgold]

Terrible


Now what?

[DiggityDaggityDo]

3 died in last 9 days.

26 dead now.

Racing continues for the remainder of the season.

[inmyownzone]

3 died in last 9 days.

26 dead now.

Racing continues for the remainder of the season.

This is insane

[StackinGreen]

I don't possibly see how they could go on with plans to run the BC there. In the worst-case scenario that something happens over those three days, horse racing in California would find itself in one very deep hole.

I've been to the SA hosted BC for 3 of the last 7 years, and it was just fine. I don't see how this could possibly matter, 5 months from now.

[TheMoneyShot]

I thought Horses are one of the strongest animals around???

Doesn't make any sense they are dropping like flies....

Has to be some form of medication being injected...

People blaming a track?

Doesn't make any sense.

[TenPointMatt]

Doping is so bad in the states. It's understandable that some tragedies will happen in such a high risk sport, but this is unacceptable.

[StackinGreen]

Notice where it happened.....right where the downhill turf course crosssed over the dirt track for a bit...the turf course is rock hard while the dirt is very deep of late...the horses ankles are just to fragile and one little miss step or deeper softer dirt boom down they go....Sad

I have no problem with changing that entirely, make it all one surface. This is an easy fix to make sure it's not the culprit.