Santa Anita Track to Switch BACK to Dirt

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Still not saying anything...

Santa Anita is about to become the first California racetrack to abandon the 2006-mandated synthetic surface experiment and return to dirt.

Frank Stronach, chairman of MI Developments that owns the track, made the announcement Aug. 18 an evening meeting of horsemen and racing followers he had called at the Surfside Race Place satellite wagering facility adjacent to the Del Mar track.

A Santa Anita surface that was originally Cushion Track, then a hybrid of that with Pro Ride, then Pro Ride—but failed to drain properly in winter rains under any brand or name—will be replaced soon after the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting ends on Oct. 31. A new dirt surface, estimated by Stronach to cost between $5-6 million, will be installed by the traditional start of the winter/spring meeting on Dec. 26.

"We were mandated to put in synthetics…I never did like it…(but) we learned from it and I hope we never do something like it again," Stronach said in an 18-minute address, followed by a short question-and-answer session, before an estimated 250 horsemen and observers.

So not only was the synthetic track a multi-million dollar failure, but it also cost Santa Anita the Oak Tree meet this year. Oak Tree is going to Hollywood Park for their fall meet.