Santa Anita's new dirt track opens for training Monday

Santa Anita Park will welcome horses to its new, all-natural dirt main track

on Monday as "The Great Race Place" will reopen for training in advance of its

traditional opener on December 26.

Santa Anita's main track was comprised of synthetic material from September

of 2007 through October 11, when construction began on the new surface.

"We're elated to be able to welcome everyone back," Santa Anita President

George Haines said. "We're ready to get back to business. We expect the stable

area to begin filling up over the weekend and we'll have horses back on the main

track on Monday morning.

"We're not only offering our fans and horsemen a new track, but we're also

going to be offering huge purses, which will be for everyone's benefit. We

expect that our purses are going to be 25 percent higher than they were a year

ago and this should result in larger, more competitive fields which will provide

better wagering opportunities."

Haines also said that although recent rains resulted in a few weather-related

delays, the main track project has remained on schedule.

"We'll begin grooming the surface Wednesday and we'll take the next five days

to work with the material. With any project of this magnitude, there's going to

be some settling of the dirt and we'll need to work with and monitor that.

"I think everyone understands that, as the track will change some in the

first week or so. We've asked the horsemen to take their time and jog their

horses and let them get comfortable with it initially. It's important that we

open for training on Monday and that we have three weeks before opening day to

make any adjustments, if necessary."

As a result of live racing being transferred to Hollywood Park this fall,

live racing at Santa Anita has been idle since April, the longest such extended

period of time since 1968, which has created a tangible sense of anticipation. .

"Our Group Sales and all advance ticket sales are way up, compared to last

year," Haines said. "Our fans are anxious to come back and so are the horsemen.

Santa Anita is regarded as America's premier winter racing venue and it's a

very, very special place to many people. We can't wait welcome everyone back on

December 26 and it's going to be exciting to see the horses back on the track on

Monday."

Santa Anita's new main track, which consists of 90 percent sand and 10

percent clay, will be maintained by Track Superintendent Richard Tedesco. The

track's base and upper layers will have a depth of 15 to 17 inches.

Clockers' Corner, the track's popular breakfast area at the top of the

stretch, also will be open to the public beginning on Monday, from 4:30 a.m. to

10 a.m. (PST). Admission to and parking at Clockers' Corner is free of charge

and fans will be treated to a wide variety of breakfast favorites.

Santa Anita's popular Seabiscuit Stable Area Tram Tours, which emanate at

Clockers' Corner, will be available beginning December 11, and will be offered

free of charge each weekend morning at both 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m.

For advance ticket sales and reservations, fans are encouraged to visit

santaanitaevents.wagticketing.com. For more information on opening day and

upcoming racing action, please visit

santaanita.com.