Racing resumed at Santa Anita Park Friday — without spectators — for the first time in nearly two months, with the blessing of the county Department of Public Health.
The Arcadia racetrack had been closed for racing since March 27 in accordance with orders from the health department in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. The track announced Wednesday that it had been cleared by the county to resume racing.
All jockeys and employees are fitted with masks and color-coded bracelets, parts of the health and safety protocols being observed in accordance with the Los Angeles County health department.
Other protocols include daily health screenings including temperature checks, mandatory “social distancing” while on the property, increased sanitation procedures, the creation of a “restricted zone” housing jockeys, valets and other essential personnel who must have a negative COVID-19 test to access, and pre-race protocol to increase physical distancing, according to Santa Anita officials.
Early last month, representatives pleaded with health officials to allow live racing to resume.
“Simply put, by ceasing live racing operations, we are jeopardizing the income stream for backstretch employees (racehorse caregivers) and the financial resources required to provide them and the horses they love with the care they both deserve,” Belinda Stronach, head of The Stronach Group which owns Santa Anita Park, stated in an open letter April 2.
Aidan Butler, executive director of California racing operations for The Stronach Group, said the organization wanted to thank its stakeholders, including the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Trainers, the Jockeys Guild, its team at Santa Anita Park and fans for their patience during the pandemic.
“This has been a difficult time for all. Now we are focused on getting back to work in a safe and secure manner,” Butler said, noting that the organization was “very grateful for the open and continuous communication with both the Health Department and (county) Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office.”
She’s So Special, a 7-2 favorite and the only filly in the 10-horse field, won the opening race on the nine-race card, a 5 1/2-furlong allowance race for 3-year-olds on the turf course.
“It’s great to finally be back,” She’s So Special’s jockey Flavien Prat said. “It’s been a rough time, but I’m glad we are back in business.”
Prat also rode Oh Marvelous Me to the victory in the sixth race, a 6-furlong claiming race on the dirt track for 3-year-olds and up. Prat leads the meeting with 47 victories.
Prat was aboard Country House when he won the 2019 Kentucky Derby via the disqualification of Maximum Security.
Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, who rode American Pharoah to the Triple Crown in 2015, rode Ellie Arroway to the victory in the fifth race, an allowance optional claiming race for fillies and mares 3 years old and up.
Mike Smith, the 54-year-old Hall of Famer who rode Justify to the 2018 Triple Crown, rode Ka’nah to the victory in the ninth race, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on the dirt track.
Racing is also being held at four other major tracks — Los Alamitos Race Course in Orange County, Golden Gate Fields in Northern California, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, and Gulfstream Park in South Florida.
Santa Anita has been under a microscope since 37 horses died in racing or training incidents during the 2018-19 season, causing many animal rights activists to call for an end to the sport in California.
Another 14 have died this season, most recently Tailback, a 4-year-old gelding, who fractured his right front leg during training Sunday and was euthanized after an examination determined it was an unrecoverable injury.
A months-long investigation by state regulators in 2019 found no evidence of illegal medications or procedures, but determined most of the horses had “pre-existing pathology,” according to a report by the California Horse Racing Board.