Santa Anita will not race Friday; no decision yet for weekend

Poor air quality brought on by wildfires around Los Angeles County forced Santa Anita to call off its Friday races. A decision on this weekend’s cards, including Saturday’s 11-race California Cup program, will be made Friday.

Horsemen were informed of the schedule change in a text message early Thursday afternoon.

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"Friday's racing program has been postponed until next Thursday ... due to the forecast of poor air quality for the San Gabriel Valley," the text said. "The races will be run with the horses previously entered in the post-position order originally drawn."

One executive emphasized the track is not in any danger from the fires themselves.

“While Santa Anita continues to remain well outside of any active fire area, the smoke from the wildfires is affecting all of Los Angeles County,” track general manager Nate Newby said in a Thursday afternoon news release. “We also want to respect the impact that this tragedy has had on many of our community, including our horsemen and women and our own Santa Anita team who have been devastated by these fires. By proactively moving the races, it gives our horsemen and women, horseplayers, fans and our team the opportunity to plan accordingly.”

Track officials said workouts would not be allowed Friday morning.

"A decision will be made Friday by 4:30 a.m. (PST) on what activities (such as) jogging (and) galloping will be allowed when the track opens," the text message said. "The air-quality index will be reviewed throughout the morning, and training may be adjusted if needed."

Santa Anita limited training Thursday as authorities continue to monitor nearby wildfires.

"Everything seems to be holding with less wind," the Santa Anita fire marshal said in a text message Wednesday night. "Little smoke but can't do much about that."

The racing office said in a text message Thursday morning that training was limited to joggers and gallopers because of air quality. Later Thursday, the track further restricted training to joggers only because the air-quality index moved above 175. California Horse Racing Board policy calls for prohibiting any training more strenuous than jogging. That policy also calls for canceling live racing when the AQI is above 175.

"The smoke is denser today because we don't have the wind to move it and now we're getting all the smoke from the other fires sitting in the valley below," the Santa Anita fire marshal said in a Thursday text. "So it might look worse but still good for now."

Racing is scheduled for Friday at Santa Anita, and Saturday is California Cup day at Santa Anita. The 11 races on the card include five stakes for state-bred horses.

One of the four major wildfires fanned by fierce wind in Southern California moved within six miles of Santa Anita on Wednesday, but a statement from track officials Wednesday evening said it appeared the racecourse was out of harm’s way.

Training was canceled on Wednesday, and the wind caused minor damage to barn roofs.

On Wednesday morning, Santa Anita began distributing N-95 masks to all backstretch and front-side personnel as well as protective eyewear because of the smoke from the Eaton fire. Although Santa Anita turned out to be a relatively safe distance from the fire, the track has offered assistance to trainers who wished to voluntarily evacuate their horses to another CHRB facitlity.