A picturesque opening day at Santa Anita with temperatures reaching the high 70s helped drive an on-track attendance of 41,446 and a record all-sources opening day handle of $26.3 million.
Weather-wise, it will be different story this holiday weekend at the The Great Race Place, which has led to some changes in the racing program including an all-dirt card on Sunday.
On Friday's nine-race program, five are scheduled for the turf including both the $100,000 Eddie Logan and $100,000 Blue Norther. The card is expected to go as scheduled. But then things start could change on Saturday. The National Weather Service forecasts a “100 percent chance of precipitation” with up to an inch of rainfall in Arcadia.
As a result, both of Saturday's turf stakes are carded early on the program to try and avoid the pending rainstorm. The opener will be the Grade 2, $250,000 Joe Hernandez on the hillside turf course with the Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel going as race three.
“For today and tomorrow, everything should go according to plan,” said Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz. “The really hard rain on Saturday isn't supposed to hit until about 6 o'clock on Saturday. And talking with our turf guy (Jessie Martinez), despite the rain we have already had, he felt everything is right where it is supposed to be.”
For Sunday, the Racing Office took no chances. The eight-race program will be run exclusively on dirt. As for the scheduled Grade 3, $100,000 Las Cienegas on the hillside turf course, it was moved to the special New Year's holiday card on Monday.
“We might see traces of rain Sunday, but it shouldn't affect how we do business,” Merz said. “And then on Monday, there is a lot of sun and wind in the forecast. We're hoping to be full steam ahead.”
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