Stronach reneges on SA surface change..
 

Stronach: No surface change
By Brad Free

http://www.drf.com/news/article/111144.html

ARCADIA, Calif. - In a reversal of a January announcement that the Pro-Ride surface would be replaced at the conclusion of the winter meet, Santa Anita will keep the surface in place for the time being, Frank Stronach, the chairman of the two companies that control the track, said on Sunday.

Stronach said that to replace the main track under current conditions would be "throwing money down in an open pit" unless he were allowed to run the track with less regulation from the state. Under current business conditions, Stronach said, he is not willing to approve a track surface project estimated to cost $8 million to $10 million.

"I'm not going to put money in, if I see the whole structure does not work," Stronach said.

I don't blame him. 6 horse fields till the cows come home.

Wouldn't "throwing money down in an open pit" be business as usual for Magna?

I think you can only declare bankruptcy once every 3 years so just wait a bit.

So .... I guess they're just going to cancel everytime it rains?

I think people are starting to forget that Santa Anita's winter meet always was without a doubt the place that showcases the best racing in the winter.

I prefer Tampa these days.

wonder how much one cancellation costs them? someone had to have crunched the numbers, and realized the rare rainy day doesn't cost as much as a surface change. too bad

If I had one of the best 3 yearolds I'd ship them out of there as fast as I could. How can you train and prep in those conditions? Welcome to Oaklawn Bob Baffert will you be staying here long?

They've had to cancel multiple Saturday cards! - that's beyond crazy.

They had 6 cards that were cancelled in 74 years of dirt racing.

Two of the six were cancelled on back to back weekdays because they had 17 straight off tracks and they didn't want to fill races with all 5, 6, and 7 horse fields.

Two more of the six were were cancelled on back to back weekdays when all the top stories in the LA Times were about floods causing major havoc.

The other two cancelled days were in the 1950's. Probably both on weekdays as well.

i know, but the guy finally speaks out. he should of fought those tracks from day 1. he hates them and half the owners won't come out there. why didn't he object years ago. that law was the dumbest thing ever up until the aqueduct slot machine debacle. if horse racing can't shoot itself these states are always willing to lend a hand.....lol

I kind of agree, the CHRB mandated the synthetic surface with a shoot first ask questions later mentality. Now the track is a disaster and the state (not like they have any extra money to help out) is nowhere to be found. It's very unfair situation for the racing community out there. Plus if they went back to dirt, what's from stopping the CHRB from doing the same thing all over again and mandating some other kind of synthetic surface say 7-8 years down the road?

Steve why would he replace a surface that he changed against his will for millions? Let us be fair, they had dirt, the state made him change the surface to a unproven rubber, now they tell him changit at your expense? HUH? have a heart what is next change it back to Tapeta?

I think they should just raise takeout...temporarily of course to deal with this crisis. Isn't that how all bad legislation is bailed out?

Yet they should raise it on everyone because that is the most fair thing to do and its best for the collective good.

Seriously? The fans shouldn't be punished for something they had no control over

I'm no Civil Engineer, but it sounds like they need a sub-surface change first.


Definition: Drainage - Removal of liquid from an area by either natural or artificial means, such as by gravity or pumping.



Maybe they should hire an expert :D :


http://www.intota.com/rfp/rfp.asp?perID=724737

The surface drains , just slowly , by Sunday morning it was back to normal and horses were galloping and working on it .

They should just have the meet at Del Mar in the winter until Frank gets his act together and his medication kicks in.

That means Dick!! It's pathetic! And even more so given the mid week cards. It's over for that place in the winter.

Maybe they should race on the beach, but only at low tide.

Whatever dude , if it was dirt we still wouldnt be training on it , but we would have that sealed racetrack to look forward to running on . Everyone seems to forget why they put the the surface in in the first place , its because horses were dying at an alarming rate. Were you here when the freaking horse ambulance was hauling horses off more than once a week to be put down? No you werent and you didnt see horses legs just hanging on by skin and you didnt see riders going down and being lucky to just break a bone. So yeah it isnt perfect or maybe not even close but it is better than what we had , its better than horses dying every week and that is just in the mornings.