FRANK STRONACH REQUESTS MORE RACE DAYS FOR SANTA ANITA AND GOLDEN GATE FIELDS
The Pasadena Star-News has obtained a two-page letter sent to the CHRB by MI Developments chairman Frank Stronach claiming that both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields need more racing days. Furthermore, he wants to be able to choose those days on his own.
"We must be allowed to run those race days when we think we can get the most customers," said Stronach. "If we can come to an arrangement whereby we are permitted to race 140 days per year at each of our two California race tracks and have an exotic wagering platform, we would be willing to invest more money in California horse racing."
Read more at the Pasadena Star-News
Tags: CHRB, Frank Stronach, golden gate fields, mi developments, Pasadena Star-News, Paulick Report, santa anita
July 28th, 2010 at 7:22 am
And the band played on……….and on…….and on…..
Round and round and round we go. Where it stops nobody knows.
The top secret business plan was only partially revealed because of MI Development’s insistence on confidentiality. Does anyone think the Devil’s in the details? LOL
The best part is that Portland Meadows found out that they were getting a new surface in an article about California.
Here’s the excerpt:
“It’s pretty revolutionary and it hasn’t been done on any racetrack before,” he said.
MI Developments’ officials plan to test the system at the Portland Meadows racetrack in Oregon, he said.
Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_15608288#ixzz0uyjFYdM5
The CHRB will save us. Yea Right. Don’t Laugh. Ok go ahead and laugh. LOL
July 28th, 2010 at 7:27 am
Hollywood Park won’t close in 2011 or in the foreseeable future. The southern California economy simply won’t support the massive development it proposes—especially in the blighted Inglewood area. Look at Bay Meadows—owned by the same company—which was demolished two years ago yet the rubble still hasn’t been removed!
Years ago Stronach promised to invest a lot of money in modernizing the Santa Anita backstretch. He has yet to deliver on that promise., and many others.
To trust Stronach is to walk blindfolded on a high wire.
July 28th, 2010 at 7:52 am
Reminiscent of General Custer, Stronach and his Deputy are arrogantly stating’”we’ve got em where we want em, now!” And they might have! Unfortunately, racing commissions function well when everything goes well. Political appointees generally look for a way out an it ain’t always pretty. With Cal racing under a “death knell” let’s hope that the commissioners read their job application; listen to their lawyers and work with the “lame duck” Governor and make General Custer shed the smoke, mirrors and gimmickry and follow a script of common sense until the City of Arcadia or the State declares SA “eminent domain” and saves that industry!
July 28th, 2010 at 9:00 am
I generally believe that the track owners should be allowed to run their businesses as they see fit but I don’t think more dates for SA and GG is a good idea. CA can barely fill most races and the quality of the races themselves is certanly declining. I think now is the time to explore a less is more approach in CA. Sorry Frank.
July 28th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Mr. Clean wrote:
I generally believe that the track owners should be allowed to run their businesses
as they see fit but I don’t think more dates for SA and GG is a good idea.
_____________
At this point, instead of ridiculing MID the CHRB
should be demanding answers from The Bay Meadows Land Company.
Q: Are you in the horse racing business or the land development business ?
A: ________
July 28th, 2010 at 9:31 am
#5
The answer is simple: Land development! The BMLC is in the business of picking up ripe properties like BM and HOL, obtaining all permits and zoning changes, then selling the packaged product to large developers. In Bay Meadows’ case, it was the largest political contributor to the San Mateo mayoral and city council elections, so the pump was primed. Then, it made a spectacular presentation on its grand office, residential and commercial proposal which convinced the city council that it’s annual tax contributions from the property would soar into the multi-millions.
That was three years ago. The track and barns were dismantled; all that remains on the racetrack site today is a huge pile of debris. The city of San Mateo—which was receiving about $250,000 a year in taxes when racing was conducted there—now receives only a fraction of that. My understanding is that many of the politicians there have either been voted out of office or are on their way out. So, who are the big losers? Horsemen, race fans, and the taxpayers of the city.
Liebau misled and manipulated the public and the CHRB about BMLC’s plan for Bay Meadows. He’s doing the same song and dance with Hollywood Park. God save California from Stronach and Liebau’s underhanded and self-serving promises.
July 28th, 2010 at 9:58 am
1. Frank should have Hollywood Parks dates-right now. BMLC has made their intentions clear and have no right to those dates now while a player who has invested money in ongoing venture(s) wants those dates. Close HP down-now.
2. As long as he does not interfere with other players-Del Mar and Pomona, let him run when he wants.
Personally, I can’t wait to bet on the quadfecta-not.
July 28th, 2010 at 10:06 am
REMEMBER, IT’S JUST THIS SIMPLE——————————————————-
1 - WHATEVER FRANK WANTS, FRANK WILL GET!!!
2 -THE CHRB WILL SOON BE HIS PUPPET!!!!!
3- BRACKPOOL AND THREE OTHER CHRB MEMBERS JUST MIGHT BE OFF THE BOARD IN OCT/NOV BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT YET BEEN CONFIRMED
4- IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE FRANK’S VISION IS REALITY!!!
5 - THERE ARE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVES!!!!
JERRY
July 28th, 2010 at 10:43 am
JERRY IS RIGHT AND HAS BEEN RIGHT ALL ALONG
July 28th, 2010 at 11:44 am
as a business man, i too beleive in free enterprise.
and for track owners to invest more money, the chrb needs to work with who ever is the owner of
Santa Anita and Golden Gate, to help their business model.
After all isnt it part of the CHRBs mission to help Horse Racing be a viable business. ??
In the end the Fans will determine how many days they will open and be profitable.
Let freedom ring.
July 28th, 2010 at 11:49 am
Only a simpleton would buy into Jammer’s simplistic answers.
1) Stronach creates chaos whereve he goes because he is delusional and unbalanced. Anyone who doubts this fact must not have listened to the webcast of the CHRB’s June meeting in which he exposed his megalomania. He will be brought down.
2) Puppet? Is Jammer accusing these people of receiving bribes from Stronach?
3) Speculation with no basis in fact. Its common in California for gubernatorial appointments to remain unconfirmed for months. This sad fact does not, however, portend their demise.
4) It’s only a matter of time before Frank dies.
5) There are plenty of creative alternatives. They just need to be better articulated.
Jerry Jam–why don’t you fess up to your personal invesments behind BMLC?
July 28th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Santa Anita with year round racing. THE PLACE WILL BE EMPTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frank should try it first in Florida and in Maryland. Then when it fails miserably in those places California will be spared. By the way, how is Frank’s energy drink doing? Out of business like the rest of Frank’s wild scheme’s.
July 28th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Since it is the CHRB’s duty to maximize tax revenues through racing it is obvious that SA/MID should be awarded fewer dates and DMR and FPX should be awarded more. The racing product and tax revenues have been in decline since Stronach took over. His business plan for SA is nearly identical to GP’s and while the jury is still as to whether GP is a failure or not one thing is certain. It is certainly not a success. The mall there is empty of stores and people, the grandstand is small and can hardly accomodate the modest crowds they do get
To Frank, You are not the visonary that you think you are. Perhaps in the auto parts arena you are the man but in horse racing you are beginnning to look like a huge failure, excepting Adena Springs and your horse ownership accomplishments, which are huge.
Focus on the breeding and racing Frank because you are killing CA racing!
July 28th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
I don’t know. I suppose if they get the dates and, in particular, attempt to go up against (Oak Tree at) Del Mar for good weather racing that doesn’t elicit drainage problems and splitting the spoils that remain it will provide a nice rationale to say to the City of Arcadia - sorry folks, racing at this facility is neither competitive nor viable under “free enterprise”, we have to sell out. And then MID can, indeed, go on its way - sale proceeds in hand.
July 28th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Does Stronach not pay attention to the successful meets in the United States. Less is more as the boutique meets in NJ, Saratoga, Del Mar and Keeneland proove. Pay attention to what works. Great racing events not the monotony of day after day poor quality racing.
July 28th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
The real issue in play here (and I believe MID’s underlying motivation) is to claim as many of Hollywood Park’s potential future dates as possible. In principal I have no problem with awarding many, if not all, of the dates in 2011 that Hollywood park might otherwise receive to Santa Anita. Santa Anita is a vastly superior venue in nearly every way when compared to the aging and deteriorating facilities at Hollywood Park. Recent attendance and handle figures at Hollywood Park suggest that the racing fans in Southern California are no longer attracted to the facility and clearly prefer Santa Anita.
Continuing to award dates to Hollywood Park does nothing for the longterm viability of California racing. Eventually the wrecking ball will be used to crush the buildings and bulldozers will wipe out the track itself, as was the case with Bay Meadows in Northern California. Given that Santa Anita will be the “last man standing” among major Los Angeles area tracks why not give them the dates and bolster their chances of building a profitable business?
As for allowing MID to choose which 140 dates they’d like to run (at both SA and GGF) that’s where I have a problem. The CHRB should continue to award the beginning and ending dates for the various meets in the best interest of California racing as a whole, so as to avoid situations where SA might choose to run on the same dates as Oak Tree or Del Mar, which would be detrimental to all. Within the confines of the starting and ending dates of each meet I have no problem allowing the individual track operators to decide which days/nights they want to offer live racing.
Presuming the eventual demise of Hollywood Park and the loss of the stabling area, it seems to me that the CHRB should extract some guarantee from MID to upgrade both the capacity and quality of the stabling areas at SA in exchange for additional dates.
July 28th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
With Bay Meadows gone and the demise of Hollywood Park considered by many to be imminent, it’s now time for the Northern and Southern California racing circuits to once again be integrated as it was until the early-to-mid 1960s.
Having both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields running concurrently for long periods makes absolutely no sense at a time when both circuits struggle to fill cards and those that do fill are permeated with small fields, unattractive both from a sporting perspective and for business.
A seasonal circuit (i.e. less than 12 months duration) of major racing with Santa Anita, Golden Gate and Del Mar running without opposition must be considered.
July 29th, 2010 at 5:38 am
Nice idea. No chance So Cal trainers will shut down Santa Anita for the opportunity to travel to Golden Gate and run. This isn’t the 1960’s, apartheid America no longer exists, and neither do 3 martini lunches so wake up.
July 29th, 2010 at 9:43 am
I’m awake but apparently you’re not. This isn’t the 1980s or 1990s anymore, pal. The public doesn’t want year-round racing, 10 races a day, five days a week all in one market. Perhaps you have a better idea on how to increase field size throughout California and how Magna can avoid pari-mutuel competition between their two tracks. Enlighten us.