In my lifetime, I feel like this has happened at SA a handful of times with heavy rainfall in late fall/winter months. I wasn’t keeping statistics and the EID doesn’t go back all that far, so I can’t back up my memory with any data.
It seems like a reasonable action to set a policy in place that racing will be suspended and training will be limited if the rainfall exceeds X inches in a time period.
Of course, that type of policy alone does diddly squat to temper public opinion in the age of social media and sensational journalism. There is always going to be a portion of the general public who is never okay with working animals and animals assuming risk. The majority of the public does not care, yet could be swayed either direction if the story is particularly sensational. People love outrage.
So in my opinion, the Stronach Group did exactly what they needed to do. They had to make a statement, and they did. It’s not unlike when an organization makes a huge public blunder and the CEO publicly steps down. People need to feel good that an action was taken, even if that action is merely symbolic. I suspect these policies will be quietly reverse when the spotlight is off Santa Anita. It completely stinks that the horses and horsemen pay the immediate price, though.
Horse racing is a public sport. It is funded with taxpayer dollars. There was a statistic in the news recently that the PA racing agencies receive more tax money than the state health department, and I imagine those stats are similar in other states with extensive pari-mutuel wagering. For the most part, the general public is completely oblivious to this. But by golly, if “the internet” ever gets wind of stats like that, they are going to have a field day. It’s dangerous times for horse racing…
