GOLDEN GLIMPSES #142

November 24, 1998

By ED GOLDEN

There have been oblique references in recent years that racing at storied Santa Anita would come to an end in the near future.

The infusion of $386 million a year ago by prominent real estate investment trust Meditrust allayed those fears. And on Aug. 21, passage of senate bill 27, which could provide $30 million or more in tax relief for California tracks, only brightened what has been an outlook of doom and gloom.

But, according to a random sampling of Southern California horse trainers, the best news came last week. That’s when it was announced that 66-year-old Frank Stronach, head honcho of auto parts giant Magna International, Inc., had purchased Santa Anita for the bargain price of a reported $126 million.

Racing, see, is Stronach’s passion. He is a multi-faceted horseman. He races on many fronts and owns valuable broodmares and horse farms.

Stronach’s latest windfall came on Nov. 7, when his Awesome Again won the $4 million Breeders’ Cup Classic and firmly thrust his handsome face into the Horse of the Year picture.

"I’m very glad that a horseman bought Santa Anita," said 71-year-old trainer Mel Stute, as much a part of the Southern California racing scene as the Pick Six. "I believe he really loves racing, so it should help us. Frank Stronach thinks Santa Anita is the most beautiful little toy in the world. And from the price I heard ($126 million), I think he stole it, to be truthful."

Said trainer Randy Bradshaw: "You have to be positive about Stronach’s purchase because he’s in it for the long haul. He’s not in it to try and sell off the property. He’s a horseman. He knows what horsemen want and he knows what the track’s going to need. It’s a real step forward for us. I think he’s going to do some work on the frontside and the backside, spruce the place up a bit. I see only positive signs, nothing negative at all."

This from trainer Ron Ellis: "It should be exceptionally good because it seems like he wants to make Santa Anita a first-class racing facility. He acts like he loves the history of the track. I’m very optimistic. He’s trying to get input from local horsemen, owners and trainers, asking their opinions, so I’m pretty excited about it because we needed somebody to come in who’s really dedicated to the horse business. We needed somebody who’s going to try to put things right. So far, he’s done all the right things. He’s going to gather information, decipher it, sort it out and do what’s right."

Said trainer Richard Mandella, who once trained Wild Rush for Stronach: "I’d have to think Santa Anita’s protected now by a man whose investment in the business is as big as anybody’s, if not bigger. His purchase protects the longevity of Santa Anita. And judging by the success of his own company, he’s very good at running a business. The combination of being a success in business and with horses should make it great for the public and horsemen alike.

"My hope is that he is made welcome by the horsemen, given positive vibes and lives out his dream of owning a great race track. I hope the horsemen don’t pick him apart--why this, why that? They should get behind him and root for him. That’s what everybody needs to do."

Trainer Vladimir Cerin made the verdict unanimous.

"This is great for racing," Cerin said. "I heard a quote that Stronach had made, saying that if Santa Anita ever closed down, it would be the end of racing. So for him to invest in Santa Anita is nothing but positive. Nothing better could have happened to racing, as far as I’m concerned.

"Meditrust has no interest in racing. Frank Stronach probably owns the biggest broodmare band and may have the most thoroughbreds in America. Now he’s got a place to race them. He is not going to let Santa Anita close down. I don’t know how the other trainers feel, but I feel this is the salvation of racing that we were looking for. When he says closing Santa Anita would be the end of racing and then he buys Santa Anita, I feel safe."

CRYSTAL HEARTED--Blinkers made the difference in powerful front-running turf victory. Repeat in store.

SAGACITY--Another impressive daughter of Bertrando, she won her debut by an authoritative seven lengths. This one has a bright future.

THE HOMESTRETCH: Mandella lost two heavyweights with the retirement of Gentlemen and crack distaff sprinter Advancing Star, but the trainer hopes Malek and Puerto Madero can pick up the slack. "I hope they can fill their shoes," said Mandella, "but that’s a big job. Malek won the (1997) Santa Anita Handicap and Puerto Madero was second to Skip Away twice." Mandella’s top young prospect is Bright Valor, a 2-year-old son of 1984 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Wild Again. "He’s not being pointed to anything specific," Mandella said. "I’m not in any hurry with him." . . . Hollywood Park will offer fans a consumer-friendly environment to play races from other states when full-card simulcasting is introduced in January. Several areas of the grandstand, clubhouse and Turf Club are being redesigned to accommodate full-card simulcasting, thanks to the passage of SB 27, which takes effect on Jan. 1 and permits California to import full cards from other states. The $600,000 renovation project will include an additional 500 televisions to enhance an in-house system consisting of more than 4,000 monitors . . . Attention NTRA: the Packers-Steelers Monday Night Football game was the No. 1 rated sports event in Los Angeles during the week of Nov. 5-11 with a 16.6 rating and a 27 market share, according to the Nielsen ratings. Coming in 10th and last in the top 10 was the Breeders’ Cup at 3.5 and 11. One rating point equals 50,092 TV homes in LA; a share is the percentage of all TV sets in use at that time . . . Gary Stevens, who earlier this year said he would ride regularly in New York before he changed his mind and remained in California, now says he is considering a move to England, in March of 1999 or maybe in 2000, whatever . . . Jose Santos, four-time national money leader and 1988 Eclipse Award winner, is the 1999 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award winner in a nationwide vote among his peers in the Jockeys’ Guild. The 37-year-old native of Concepcion, Chile, is the 50th winner of the award that memorializes the riding legend who was killed in a 1946 racing accident at Santa Anita. Among this year’s also-rans: Anthony Black, Frank Gonsalves, Ray Sibille and Russell Baze. Baze and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer are kings of their domains in Northern California. Hollendorfer has won 17 straight training titles at Bay Meadows, while Baze has won 20 consecutive riding crowns. Think about that for a minute.

  ***

Send e-mail to Ed Golden