Santa Anita's main track reopens for training after deluge

Santa Anita's new all-natural dirt main track reopened for training Thursday

morning, following record rainfall of 13 1/2 inches since this past Friday, with

1 1/2 inches falling late Monday afternoon. A total of 23 horses recorded

workouts on Thursday.

"We've been out here since 1 o'clock this morning," said Ted Malloy, who

oversaw the installation of the new track. "We've got the orange cones up 15

feet off the rail, and this racetrack is fantastic this morning.

"We've been very cautious through all of this rain, and we want to thank the

horsemen for being so patient. Although the training track was open, we had to

keep everyone off the main track until we got through this. I think the payoff

is in the condition of the track this morning.

"We'll take the cones down tomorrow (Friday) and people can work down on the rail if

they choose. The weather forecast is good for the next few days and we'll work

with the surface to air it out as best we can right up until opening day on

Sunday."

With mudslides in the nearby foothills and surface flooding in the city of

Arcadia, California, on Monday, Malloy said there was legitimate concern as to

whether or not the new track would be capable of withstanding such a pounding.

"We got hit very hard shortly after 4 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday)," Malloy said. "Huntington Drive was flooded on the south end of the parking lot and

at that point, there was nothing we could do except to wait it out and hope that

the storm would move out, which it did early last night.

"We first opened for training on December 6, and we got off to a great start,

but beginning last Friday, we had to make adjustments and just try to be as

conservative as we could possibly be.

"This was one heck of a baptism, but I'm glad we got it when we did, as

opposed to a few days later."

Track Superintendent Richard Tedesco has made the "Great Race Place" his

second home since the storms hit.

"Tomorrow we'll be open to train rail to rail," Tedesco said of Friday's

training hours. "I live in Manhattan Beach, but I've been staying at a hotel

here for over a week so I could be close to the track. When I get home tonight,

my dog will probably attack me."

Santa Anita will open for its 74th winter/spring season on Sunday, with a

special first post time of noon (PST). The $250,000 Malibu S. (G1) and the

$250,000 La Brea S. (G1) highlight a nine-race program. For more racing

information, visit www.santaanita.com or

call (626) 574-RACE.