Santa Anita's main track re-opens, 'couldn’t be any better'

Santa Anita Park’s one-mile main track reopened for limited training Monday morning as horses jogged and galloped from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. PT, with three interruptions for regularly scheduled renovations.

Additionally, Santa Anita’s six-furlong inner training track reopened for timed workouts, as 133 horses received official clockings for breezes at distances from two furlongs to six furlongs.

“Everything went well this morning,” said Santa Anita track consultant Dennis Moore, who has headed efforts into examining and refining the one-mile surface since training and racing were suspended early last week. “The main track is good. All of the test data support what we experienced this morning and that is, it’s where it should be.”

As to when the one mile main track will reopen for workouts, Moore indicated that if all continues to go well with limited training, a return to timed breezes could come in the next day or two.           

As for Monday's’s workout activity on the inner training track, the clockings were modest in nature as three horses breezed two furlongs, the fastest being clocked at 26 seconds flat; 36.40 was the fastest of nine works at three furlongs; 48.40 was the fastest of 61 horses at four furlongs (half mile); one minute flat was the top time out of 54 works for five furlongs and 1:14.60 was the quickest of six works at six furlongs.

“I worked six horses on the training track and it’s great,” said veteran trainer Vladimir Cerin. “I’ve had 10 horses out on the main track and it really couldn’t be any better. It’s so kind, you can’t hear the horses going by and all of my riders say they’re (the horses) getting a good hold of the surface. We could work horses on it right now, no question.”

Monday's’s workouts were the first conducted under Santa Anita’s new training protocols, which require that all trainers intending to get timed workouts for their horses get permission for same 24 hours in advance. This has been instituted to allow time to review each horse’s racing and training history, and if necessary, physically examine horses in advance of these timed workouts. Additionally, each horse was observed going to and from the racetrack by a team of two track veterinarians. 

While a return to live racing is expected in the near future, Moore and track officials will continue to evaluate the main track during and following morning training before any official decision with regard to a return to racing is made.