Santa Anita Postpones Opening Day Due to Bobcat Fire Impacting Air Quality

The opening day of Santa Anita’s autumn season will be pushed back a week until Friday, Sept. 25, due to the impact of Bobcat Fire on the air quality and surrounding community.  

“Ourlocal community has been deeply impacted by the Bobcat Fire burning for morethan a week in the mountains behind us,” said Aidan Butler, executive director ofCalifornia operations for The Stronach Group. “The current weather pattern haskept the smoke in the valley and the air quality is quite poor right now. TheRed Cross is using Santa Anita as the evacuation zone for people – includingmany of our horsemen – whose homes are less than two miles from here. Asexcited as we are to welcome back live racing, we are first and foremostcommitted to safety. This is the responsible decision to make at this time sopeople can plan accordingly.” 

SteveLym, Santa Anita’s vice president of racing & racing secretary, said, “The smoke has impacted some trainingschedules, so postponing until next weekend will allow everyone a chance to beready to go.  We are planning on filling extra races throughout the meetto give our horsemen the opportunity to run their horses.”

Openingweek will now feature a blockbuster schedule of outstanding stakes action,offering over $2 million in purse money. The stakes schedule includes sevenraces which are “Win and You’re In” races for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup WorldChampionships. The stakes races originally slotted for this weekend will be runas follows: the Chillingworth on Friday, Sept. 25, the Speakeasy on Saturday,Sept. 26 and the Tokyo City Cup on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Entriesfor opening day will be drawn on Sunday, Sept. 20, as scheduled. First postwill be at 12:30 p.m.

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