Horse Racing-Oak Tree gets Santa Anita for 2010
Established in 1934, the Santa Anita Park, in the 2010 season, will host the Oak Tree Racing Association’s fall racing meet for the final time.
Forty two years ago, the Del Mar Horse Racing held a race meet during the fall season. The results however were dismal to say the least. As a result, Del Mar cancelled the season announcing that they would not be utilizing the fall dates that they were given and instead hold only a race meet in the summer. Not surprisingly, many a horseman and fans were greatly disappointed and opposed the decision. That 1968 decision made room for the Oak Tree Racing Association to be formed. Horsemen Clement Hirsch, Luis Rowan and veterinarian Dr. Jack Robbins, each of them a distinguished horse racing figure, founded the Oak Tree Racing Association to fill the fall season racing chasm in the state of California.
The newly established association came to the conclusion that purchasing or constructing a racetrack would be imprudent. The founders of the association met with the then president of Santa Anita Park, Robert Strub, regarding the opportunity of a racing meet in the dates Del Mar had decided to relinquish at Santa Anita Park.
It was agreed that after the end of the Del Mar Racing season and before the beginning of the Santa Anita winter-spring meet, September through October, the empty racing calendar would be occupied by the Oak Tree Racing Association meet. The year 1969, autumn, witnessed the first ever Oak Tree racing Association meet which was largely a success by most measure. The rest as they say is history. 42 years of history coming to a close by the beginning of this year’s winter.
Chairman of Magna Entertainment, the largest thoroughbred racing company in North America which controlled Santa Anita Park until it was taken over by Magna International; Frank Stonarch had earlier said that they would not lease Santa Anita Park to Oak Tree Racing for the year 2010. Although the original lease was not to be renewed until the year 2016, Magna International voided the lease as soon as it took over the racetrack. Magna Entertainment is a subsidiary of Magna International, under Stonarch’s control.
“We don’t want a tenant in our House,” Stonarch initially said adding that it was no longer financially viable, but agreed to a one year lease for this year after a fair bit of persuasion in a meeting with racing board commissioners that went on for hours and a public appeal to Stonarch by notable racing figure Mace Seigel. Stonarch however has made it abundantly clear that Oak Tree would not return to Santa Anita Park after 2010. Stonarch gave no specific details about future plans for Santa Anita Park.
Oak Tree’s Director Sherwood Chillingworth termed the special one year lease contract as “gracious” and “good for the industry and all of us.” John Barr, board member of Oak Tree, said that they no longer have any hopes of returning to Santa Anita. “I didn't think it would turn out the way it did,” Barr said. He added that Oak Tree would be looking to enter some agreement with Del Mar for the 2011 season. Del Mar president, Craig Fravel, has stated that he was “interested in doing this.”
Following Stonarch’s initial decision to no longer lease to Oak Tree even for the 2010 season, the Oak Tree Racing Association had been negotiating with Hollywood Park to hold the event for the year. Barr said that they had the lease “practically in hand” before Stonarch reversed his decision and thanked Jack Liebau, President of Hollywood Park for his cooperation and understanding.
Every year since 1969 the Oak Tree Race meet came to Santa Anita Park. At Santa Anita Park it played host to the year 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008 and 2009 Breeder’s Cup. This year’s event will get underway on September 29th and conclude on October 31st.
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