[banter]

Other problems would have to be addressed if Santa Anita were to become the permanent site of the BC.

Foremost problem: surface, surface, surface. As a fan, if I cannot trust SAX's track surface to support regular racing, why would I trust it to support championship racing? And should the surface suddenly and miraculously become dependable, I would still be frustrated knowing that many of my favorite dirt horses would not show up. Why should they? Result charts demonstrate that running on Santa Anita’s synthetic track practically guarantees a dirt horse’s defeat. And if a regular fan like me sees the track surface as a problem, I should imagine that horsemen see it as an even greater problem. I think a lot of fans who love the speed and brilliance of dirt racing will decide to stay home instead of making a long trip to watch turf horses and Euro runners.

Another problem: Even if SAX’s synthetic surface were to be replaced with a dirt track (which possibility does not appear on the near horizon), BC fans could well become fed up with being herded annually to the same destination. Sure, Santa Anita is beautiful, but any place can get old after a couple of visits. Plus, southern California is far away for most of us, and it’s a high dollar trip. Travelers cannot get there without a significant outlay of cash for transportation, meals, and lodging. So, those who don't get bored with the site might well become tired, especially in this economy, of spending money and time to go there. “Been there; done that,” they’ll say.