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With precision like timing and teamwork, Santa Anita Park has completed installation of its all-new Bermuda turf course, which will be ready for use with the onset of the track’s 2016 Autumn Meet on Sept. 30.
Including the Camino Real hillside component, Santa Anita’s unique turf course encompasses approximately nine acres of surface area, which has now been amended and covered. The Bermuda-Bandera turf mixture was grown in La Quinta, Calif., approximately 120 miles to the east, near Palm Springs.
“This has been a major undertaking and we’re very pleased with how the entire project has progressed,” said Joe Morris, Senior Vice President, West Coast Operations for The Stronach Group. “The hillside portion of the course was completed about three weeks ago and the oval was finished late yesterday. This particular turf has proven very resilient in our immediate area and right now, with the warm temperatures we’ve been experiencing, conditions are optimal for fast growth.
“The hillside has already begun to root, so that’s great news. About 40 percent of our races are run on grass, so this project is obviously a huge priority for us, our customers and horsemen.
“We’ve been told that we’d be able to run on it in 45 days, but with the installation completed on time, we’ll have 90 days before we have horses competing on it. We’re excited about opening day on Sept. 30 and we’re looking forward to welcoming the best horses in the world here for the Breeders’ Cup in November (4 & 5).”
Santa Anita’s current 40-day Spring Meet, which began May 5, will conclude a week from Sunday, July 10.
About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets.The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.
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