Well, this can’t be good!
I hope like hell they call their bluff & give those dates to Pleasanton.
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My colleague told me yesterday that the CHRB awarded Pleasanton those dates so they will be racing there through December.
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Santa Anita, as sad as it is, has had a target on it’s back for a long time. The land alone is worth a fortune. It’s one of the last open swath’s of land in suburban Los Angeles. Del Mar will be next.
I hope you’re wrong. Del Mar has many other events that use, and need, their facilities.
It’s also part of an equestrian sport corridor, that includes horse show grounds to its east that were
upgraded last year with a multi-million dollar refurbishment.
Del Mar Fairgrounds is a quasi governmental entity. No one is buying and developing that land anymore than they are developing Pendleton
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An interesting thing happened recently: the CHRB and the CTBA called Santa Anita’s bluff --and Santa Anita backed down. There will continue to be Northern California racing. What form it takes and whether it is economically viable remains to be seen. However even Santa Anita apparently recognized how dependent it is on Calbreds to fill its program and threatening Northern California racing was causing breeders to rethink their plans.
No Calbreds --no Santa Anita. Any short term gain the track would get by shoving everyone else out of the business would be more than offset by the devastation it would experience in 4 years when it can’t field a weekday card.
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correct. but it does not mean that said government needs to keep the racetrack on the site
I think Del Mar is very much here to stay for the time being but give it another 30 years; maybe not. Especially given the state that Del Mar resides in.
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