Oak Tree Loses Fall Dates

Fall racing will return to Santa Anita Park this year, but it won’t be run by the Oak Tree Association.

The California Horse Racing Board Thursday awarded the fall dates to the Pacific Racing Association at Santa Anita instead of granting them to the Oak Tree Association. The CHRB turned down the request from Hollywood Park to host the Oak Tree meeting for the second straight year. Santa Anita Park will host the fall meeting that will start Sept. 28 and run through Nov. 6.

CHRB chairman Keith Brackpool encouraged Santa Anita to try and get dates worked out with Oak Tree in the future to “allow all the good that has come out of that great association to continue.” He added that this year’s fall dates for Santa Anita “are not precedent setting.” Del Mar Thoroughbred Club officials also have been in discussions with Oak Tree officials about holding the Oak Tree Meeting at Del Mar, but Craig Fravel, president and general manager of the DMTC, said Wednesday that environmental surveys need to be done before Del Mar could host fall racing after its traditional summer meeting.

“We’re here to do whatever is in the best interest of the sport,” Brackpool said, adding that the decision was made with the idea of once again attracting the Breeders’ Cup back to California.