Smoke From Wildfire Stifles Training At Santa Anita

The smoke from a wildfire in the mountains beyond Santa Anita Park has begun to impact activities for horsemen and horses based there, according to a report Friday from the Daily Racing Form.

The wildfire, which has burned since Sept. 6 and devoured more than 23,000 acres, has prompted an evacuation warning for areas around the track, including Arcadia, Monrovia, and Sierra Madre. Evacuation warnings precede evacuation orders.

Air quality was seriously reduced and sunlight was reduced in many parts of the state late this week. Several trainers told Form writer Steve Andersen that the air quality was so bad they would be limited to walking or jogging horses until it clears. The racing season in Southern California is on a break between the end of Del Mar earlier this week and the start of the fall meet at Santa Anita Sept. 19.

Conditions are expected to remain the same through Saturday.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form

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Santa Anita’s Free Online Showvivor Contest Returns During Autumn Meet

With $5,000 in total prize money at stake, Santa Anita's popular “Showvivor” free online betting contest is set to return for the track's 18-day Autumn Meet, which opens on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Showvivor requires players to select one horse in one race each day they play, and that horse must finish no worse than third in order for the player to remain “alive.” A top prize of $2,500 will be awarded to the longest “show streak” achieved throughout the course of the meet, which will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 25.

Showvivor participants will not be eliminated if their selection finishes off the board. Instead, they will be able to begin a new streak the next racing day—with the eventual top prize going to the player with the longest streak.

Including the longest “show streak,” contestants will have five separate ways to win beginning Sept. 19:

SHOW STREAK: The player with the longest “show” or no worse than third place finish streak at the end of the meet will win the Grand Prize of $2,500. Players are advised to note that if they fail to make an online selection on a given day, their streak is still alive but they

will not receive credit for days missed.

WIN STREAK: This carries a $1,000 prize and is intended to reward players who have selected the most consecutive first place finishers. If a player fails to make a selection on a given day, his or her streak may continue, but the player will not receive credit for any days missed.

TOTAL WINS: At the end of the meet, the top player with the most total wins will take a $500 cash prize.

TOTAL PLACES: This also carries a cash prize of $500 and rewards the player that selects the most total “places” or second place finishes.

WIN PAYOUT: At the end of the meet, the player who has tabbed the highest single day win payout will be awarded a $500 cash prize.

Players are encouraged to sign up as early as possible at santaanita.com/showvivor, although registration will be available after Sept. 19. As in years past, daily online selections must be made no later than 10 minutes prior to first post time, which will be at 12:30 p.m. each racing day.

For additional information on Showvivor and Santa Anita's 2020 Autumn Meeting, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Santa Anita, Golden Gate To Partner On ‘Golden Hour Late Pick 4’ With 15 Percent Takeout

Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields have announced they will partner on a brand new low takeout “Golden Hour Late Pick 4,” effective Saturday, Sept. 19, the opening day of Santa Anita's 18-day Autumn Meet.

The wager, which features a one dollar minimum and a low takeout of 15 percent, will be comprised of the last two races at both Santa Anita and Golden Gate each racing day and will complement the successful “Golden Hour Late Double,” which was instituted by the two tracks this past winter.

The “Golden Hour Late Pick 4” will begin with Santa Anita's second to last race for Leg One, then go to Golden Gate for Leg Two, back to Santa Anita for Leg Three end up each day at Golden Gate with Leg Four, which will be the last race on their program.

“We've had a very encouraging response to the 'Golden Hour Double' and believe our customers will respond well to this new low takeout wager,” said Santa Anita's Aidan Butler, Executive Director, CA Racing Operations, for The Stronach Group. “We've heard feedback from many of our players asking for this type of bet—one that provides a player friendly new wager with a one dollar minimum, capitalizing on the larger competitive fields at the end of the card.

“This is a fun new addition to our betting menu and will drive extra attention to both of our California tracks as the racing action across the country is winding down each day.”

First post time each racing day during Santa Anita's Autumn Meet will be at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Santa Anita To Provide Home For Non-Profit ‘Free Animal Doctor’

With an estimated 25 percent of America's pet owners unable to afford necessary veterinary care for approximately 24 million dogs and cats, Santa Anita Park will now provide a home for the non-profit Free Animal Doctor, which provides free veterinary surgeries for at-risk animals. Santa Anita management will also be working with Free Animal Doctor to extend its services to the track's backside community and other community groups in need, at no or low cost.

“There is a need for this type of small animal veterinary assistance locally and nationwide,” said Santa Anita's Aidan Butler, Acting Executive Director, CA Racing Operations for The Stronach Group. “We are well positioned to provide the assistance needed for the Free Animal Doctor clinic to administer necessary care for these precious animals, and we're honored to do so. We've let them know we are here to help in any way that we can.”

Free Animal Doctor (FAD), utilizes Crowdfunding to raise monies for specific pets and provides detailed itemized cost accounting which is directed by each animal's attending veterinarian.

“This serves to self-authenticate the cost of each surgery,” said FAD co-founder Sam Bernardo, who hopes to have FAD's veterinary “bus” fully operational in Santa Anita's parking Lot 7 by Sept. 15. “Once the money is raised for each individual animal's procedure, no additional money is accepted.”

Although a wide variety of surgeries will be performed, spaying and neutering will comprise the majority of the procedures taking place at Santa Anita. This important work also helps to assist community shelters from being overwhelmed by dogs and cats that do not have homes.

Bernardo, who is a practicing attorney, founded FAD four years ago with Ryan Boyd, who works in the local real estate industry.

“Our 'bus' is actually a 43-foot long mobile surgical hospital on a bus frame,” said Bernardo. “The facility was originally designed and used by the Spay, Neuter Action Program of San Diego. They donated it to us and we are so thankful that Santa Anita is providing us a home with independent sources of electricity and water, which are vital for surgical procedures.

“We've been operating for four years now and 80 percent of the animals that we've displayed on our website have gotten the required funding. With average costs ranging from $800 to $3,000, thirty percent of families that own these pets cannot afford the surgeries.”

Those interested are encouraged to visit FAD's website at www.freeanimaldoctor.org, where a photo and detailed description of each at-risk pet is provided.

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