pete siberell | Horse Racing Free Tips

In what has been an incredibly challenging year for all segments of society, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., has been quick to assist a number of schools, local service organizations and others in need of open space for a wide variety of needs, including fund raising, small animal veterinary care, driver training, fire evacuation, E-Waste collection and much more.

One recent example of Santa Anita's community service came this past September, when the track assisted the American Red Cross and the city of Arcadia by serving as an evacuation site for the Bobcat Fire which was raging in the nearby San Gabriel Mountains.

“Being a good neighbor is something we take great pride in,” said Pete Siberell, Santa Anita's longtime Director of Community Services and Special Projects. “With the on-going Covid crisis, there has been an increased need for open space and we're very fortunate to be in a position to assist a number of local entities, including schools, Arcadia Fire, Methodist Hospital, the Girl Scouts of America, small animal veterinary needs and many more.

“Horse racing is obviously our core business and although we remain open for training and look forward to our traditional Winter/Spring Meet opener on Dec. 26, we are still not allowed to admit the general public, so this has opened up our parking lots and Grandstand areas throughout the year for a variety of projects and community oriented events.”

One very significant recent development has been the on-site establishment of not-for-profit Free Animal Doctor, which began operating a small animal veterinary clinic in Santa Anita's parking lot 7 this past September.

“Free Animal Doctor (FAD) has been a great addition for us,” said Siberell. “Our backside community is populated by hundreds of animal lovers and FAD recently performed 30 low cost spay and neuter procedures, primarily for those folks that work in the Stable Area. FAD is going to be partnering soon with the Pasadena Humane Society, so their positive impact on the community at large is going to become even greater.”

In terms of fund raising activities, in the month of November alone, Santa Anita has hosted a Drive-in Movie Night for the Sierra Madre-based Gooden School (K-8), a Family Gratitude Drive Through Event for Highland Oaks (middle school) PTSA/Arcadia, a Food Distribution Event for Girl Scouts of America/Arcadia, a Crystal Ball Fundraiser Drive-Through for the (Arcadia) Methodist Hospital Foundation and a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills, sponsored by the Fellowship Monrovia Church.

Santa Anita has always served as a year-round Driver Training facility for the Arcadia Fire Department and has traditionally provided acreage for Rose Parade Band training for out-of-town universities. This past December, Pasadena City College and the Alhambra Unified School District also came to Santa Anita to help train their respective bands in advance of Pasadena's annual New Year's Day extravaganza.

This past February, Santa Anita facilitated Driver Training for the Sierra Madre Fire Department and did the same for Monrovia Fire July.

Additionally, Santa Anita assisted the LA County Sanitation Department this past August as they hosted an E-Waste collection event in the track's Infield parking lot.

For more information on Santa Anita's upcoming Winter/Spring Meet and other events, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Matt Chew, a third-generation horseman, bid goodbye to more than four decades as a trainer on Labor Day.

The 60-year-old grew up in the shadow of storied Santa Anita, where his father, Richard, earned his spurs. Grandfather William trained primarily in New York. Chew took out his trainer's license in 1982 on his 18th birthday and trained primarily in the Bay Area early in his career.

Now Matt hopes the future has something perhaps even more fulfilling than conditioning a Thoroughbred to win a race: helping those with special needs through programs he plans to develop.

One of countless everyday trainers who are the backbone of racing, not with abundant stakes winners but with mid-level campaigners, Chew never waivered in his philosophy: do what's right by the horse.

Matt and his wife of 35 years, Candace, purchased a home on 18 acres in Idaho north of Coeur d'Alene, about seven years ago. It has been a work in progress, and after the completion of the barn and indoor ring this fall, they will relocate their five OTTBs (off the track Thoroughbreds) and three Weimaraners to the new location overlooking Hayden Lake.

Matt's game plan is to have a safe haven for those with special needs who can benefit from the emotionally therapeutic environment the horses provide those with whom they're in contact. Additionally, there will be room for a few more retired racehorses to thrive.

One local episode graphically reveals such a healing process.

Matt tells the tale: “Pete Siberell (Director of Special Services and Community Projects) arranged for a group from Pasadena called Ability First that aided the developmentally disabled to come visit Santa Anita.

“Candie and I brought the park's mascot, Fred (one of the equine stand-ins for Seabiscuit in the movie of the same name) to the paddock one morning and we saw this young boy, maybe 11 or 12, looking at him real hard.

“I went over and handed him the shank. He took it and started walking with the horse, talking to him, telling him how pretty he was and what a great horse he was; he was having a conversation with him.

“Candie meanwhile looks over and sees three adults in the middle of the walking ring and their jaws are dropped; they look almost horrified. She realizes they are with the boy and begins to apologize.

“'I'm sorry,' she says. “My husband does these kinds of things. We really should have asked permission before he gave him the horse.'

“One of the women—it turned out to be the boy's mother—was sobbing. She finally told Candie that Austin (her son) doesn't talk. He was technically what they call non-verbal autistic.

“He had been through a traumatic incident several years back and since had not said a word—until that day.

“So winning races is great, of course, but witnessing something like this is beyond special.”

Candie is Santa Anita's dedicated and gifted Director of Print and Graphics. Both she and The Great Race Place have flourished under her astute guidance now going on three decades. Her most popular creation is the Wall Calendar, a traditional staple given to fans every Dec. 26.

The good news is, while Matt is retiring, Candie is not. “I will be working for Santa Anita as long as they will have me,” she says, “partially from Idaho, but at Santa Anita as much as I need to be.”

Candie also is President of the Board for CARMA (California Retirement Management Account), a program that has facilitated the successful efforts of the state to retrain and retire thousands of race horses in new homes. “I'm going to continue working at Santa Anita, but Matt will spearhead the operation in Idaho,” she said.

“He is excited about it. We have been planning this for a while, but it got moved up when it seemed the right time was sooner rather than later.

“Matt has a lot more experience with special needs kids than I do. He volunteered for a group in the Bay Area that had a riding program (Hippotherapy) for kids with cerebral palsy and that was a game changer.

“It gave him a new perspective and led us to eventually having a means of 'giving back.' Our plan is to have retired Thoroughbreds, with a program for PTSD-stricken vets to start, then explore what the community needs for other groups seeking equine-assisted therapy.

“It will require a lot of research and development, but it seems like the right thing to do.”

Amen.

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