Chamber member Santa Anita Park was awarded nearly three more months of racing dates Thursday by the California Horse Racing Board.
The additional dates for 2014 and 2015 in the wake of the closing of Hollywood Park will mean Santa Anita will expand its primary winter meet that begins on Dec. 26 through the Independence Day holiday and end on July 5, 2014, according to The Los Angeles Times. The meet ended this year in mid-April.
The CHRB also renewed Santa Anita’s extended fall meet dates from Sept. 25 – Nov. 2 in 2014 to give the track the best chance to win an unprecedented third consecutive hosting of the Breeder’s Cup, which returns this year for the second consecutive year Nov. 1-2. The board also allowed for the option of an extended fall meet in 2015 if the Breeders’ Cup would want to return. But for now, Santa Anita’s 2015 fall meet dates would be Sept. 26 – Oct. 25.
In addition to several months of additional revenue-generating dates for racing at Santa Anita, including being open for live racing during all three dates of the Triple Crown races elsewhere, there is hope that the City of Arcadia could reap additional tax revenue. But so far the projections are only about $20,000 in incremental revenue since the City only benefits from wagers made in person at the track where bettors already place bets there for races held at Hollywood Park. Unless there is a significant percentage increase in track attendance, the City’s annual taxes of about $760,000 may not increase by much.
