Press Releases

With the exception of a three-day opening week and a five-day week comprising Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 10, the Autumn Meeting will feature a four-day race week, running on a Thursday through Sunday schedule.

VIRTUAL OWNERSHIP CONSUMER PROMOTION, TV COVERAGE, DEDICATED WEBSITE & ADS WILL PROMOTE CLASSIC DIVISION CHALLENGE RACES AND BREEDERS’ CUP CLASSIC

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 6, 2011) – Building on 2011 record levels of consumer awareness for its flagship asset, the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Breeders’ Cup is launching a series of marketing activities highlighting the Classic, Classic contenders and Breeders’ Cup Challenge (“Win And You’re In”) Classic division races, Breeders’ Cup announced today.

The campaign includes a racetrack-focused consumer promotion encouraging fans to “own” a share of the winners of Breeders’ Cup Classic Challenge races, expanded television coverage of those races, a dedicated web presence and social media campaign, and branding supporting the Breeders’ Cup Classic’s international prestige and its position as America’s richest race.

"This initiative to focus on the Classic is a product of our strategic planning and also an effort to build on the public attention that Zenyatta brought to last year’s event,” said Tom Ludt, Chairman of Breeders’ Cup Limited. “We want to promote the Breeders' Cup Classic to a broader audience of casual racing fans and give them tools to follow the top contenders from now through November.”

June 30, 2011 – Aurora, ON: The Stronach Group today announced that it has acquired the racing and gaming assets formerly held by MI Developments Inc. (MID) (NYSE: MIM) as part of a previously announced reorganization proposal approved by MID shareholders on March 29, 2011.

The racing and gaming assets acquired by The Stronach Group include: Santa Anita Park; Golden Gate Fields; Portland Meadows; MID’s joint venture interests in Maryland Jockey Club’s real estate and racing assets (Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park and the Bowie Training Center); Gulfstream Park and MID’s joint venture interest in an associated retail development; horseracing technology assets, including Xpressbet®, AmTote and MID’s joint venture interest in HRTV, a cable and satellite television network dedicated to the sport of horse racing; as well as various development properties previously owned by MID.

Belinda Stronach, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Stronach Group, said: “The acquisition of MID’s racing and gaming assets positions The Stronach Group at the forefront of the Thoroughbred horseracing industry. We are fully committed to ensuring the success and profitability of our strong portfolio of racing and gaming operations. We also look forward to working with the horseracing industry and all of its stakeholders to ensure the long-term success and viability of the industry.”

June 26, 2011 , Arcadia – And the winner is...Cal Phil, Santa Anita Park and all of their loyal fans!

Santa Anita Park officials confirmed Saturday evening that it will serve as the new home for the acclaimed California Philharmonic and its highly-successful Festival on the Green summer concert series beginning next year. All parties involved are working out the details which will be announced by the second concert of this season.

ARCADIA, Calif. (June 24, 2011)—Santa Anita Park, in conjunction with the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT), announced today that it will close its main track for training on July 11, as it remediates the surface with natural sand. It is anticipated the project will take approximately 10 days to complete and will be available for training throughout the upcoming Del Mar race meeting and well in advance of Santa Anita’s 2011Autumn Meeting, which will open in late September.

During the course of the project, the inner training track will be available to horsemen from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., seven days a week.

Arcadia, CA, June 9 -- HRTV (R) has received twelve 2011 Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Award nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences of the Ohio Valley.

The 47th Annual Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards encompass Kentucky, and the Awards ceremony is slated for Saturday, July 30 at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, KY.

HRTV's award-winning monthly documentary show, "Inside Information," received 10 nominations in six different categories, including the only three nominations in the "Sports - One-Time Special" designation.

ARCADIA, Calif. (April 17, 2011) – Juniper Pass, finishing strongest of all on the extreme outside, bested Imponente Purse by a mere bob of a head Sunday to ultimately conclude the mile-and-three-quarter turf journey of Santa Anita’s historic Grade II, $150,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap that consumed 2:47.74.

With Celtic New Year another one-half length back in the driving finish, it was one of the closest results in the rich 72-year-history of the marathon that annually completes Santa Anita’s racing season.

An on-track crowd of 18,018 thrilled to the blanket finish. It was the tightest in the distance fixture since Red Bishop nudged Special Price by a like margin in 1995, which came two years after Kotashaan’s memorable nose victory over Bien Bien.