SANTA ANITA PARK
285 West Huntington Drive
Arcadia, California 91007
Telephone: (626) 574-RACE
Horse Racing Track (opened 1934)
Seats 26,000
About Santa Anita Park
The originator of big-time thoroughbred racing in Southern California, Santa Anita Park's history actually began in 1907 at Rancho Santa Anita. Dr. Charles Strub purchased a portion of the Rancho in 1933 and built the racetrack for an economical $800,000. It opened on December 25, 1934, to a crowd of 30,777. Later that season, the Santa Anita Handicap became the first race to offer a prize purse of $100,000. The all-time attendance record of 85,527 was recorded on March 3, 1985, for the Big 'Cap race.
The Turf Club, Clubhouse and grandstand still in use today were designed by Los Angeles architect Gordon Kaufmann, who incorporated Art Deco touches which provide charm to the facility even today. Major renovations were undertaken in 1964 and in 2000, when the stunning FrontRunner restaurant and the enormous, 2,120 sq.ft. infield videoboard were installed as part of a $45 million upgrade.
Santa Anita has been more than a race place, however. In 1984, the facility was modified to host the equestrian competition for the 1984 Olympic Games and drew outstanding crowds of up to 32,904. A total of 232,372 attended the competitions.
Racing at Santa Anita includes the annual program from the day after Christmas through mid-April and the fall Oak Tree meeting (beginning in 1969), held mostly during the month of October. Live racing is held on Wednesdays through Sundays and holiday Mondays. The Breeders' Cup program has been held at Santa Anita (during the Oak Tree meeting) 7 times: 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2103. They will host it again October 31-November 1, 2014.
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Quick Facts
•The basics:
The 320-acre facility offers a main track of one mile on dirt with a 7/8ths-of-a-mile turf course and a six-furlong training track also on the site. There is main grandstand seating for 26,000.
•Location and parking:
Santa Anita Park is located in Arcadia, California. It can be accessed via the Foothill (210) Freeway from the Santa Anita or Baldwin avenue exits.
•Management:
The venue is owned and operated (since 1998) by Magna Entertainment Corp. Inquiries concerning facility use can be directed to Director of Community Service & Special Events Pete Siberell at (626) 574-6373 or by fax to (626) 574-5074.
•Technical information:
The main track is one mile in circumference and 85 feet down the stretch. The popular turf course is 7/8ths of a mile in length. There are accommodations on-site for nearly 2,000 horses in 61 barns as well as a state-of-the-art equine care facility.
Spectator amenities center around the 1,100-foot-long main grandstand. General admission, box seats, Club House Loge seats and the Turf Club are all available. A wide variety of food service options are available, especially in the famed Turf Club on the Dining Terrace, in the Americana Room or the giant Chandelier Room (with space for 1,500!). In 2000, the sumptuous FrontRunner Restaurant was opened with 400 feet of glass walling overlooking the track and tiered seating for 532 in a tropical-themed setting (with, of course, a personal television for each table). Fans can also watch and wager from Sirona's, Santa Anita's new sports bar overlooking the Paddock Gardens, featuring over 50 televisions and live entertainment. The facility offers 19,650 parking spaces, Champions!, a unique gift and apparel shop and, of course, multiple pari-mutuel betting windows.
There is plenty of additional space on the giant infield, with picnic tables and a children's play area.
A full-service press facility is located at the top of the Grandstand and there is a complete broadcast production facility in-house to produce daily race summaries for radio and television.