MID TO OAK TREE: GO FOR PLAN B OR C
It appears that Oak Tree Racing Association will officially not be running its meet at Santa Anita this year according to a report by Larry Stewart of the Thoroughbred Times. This will be the first time since 1969 that the popular California not-for-profit will have to move its operations from the racetrack in Arcadia.
"I told Chilly [Sherwood Chillingworth] he could start working on Plan B or Plan C," said MID CEO Dennis Mills. "I guess Plan B would be going to Hollywood Park and Plan C would be going to Del Mar."
While conversations have started, no deal appears to have been made with the above mentioned tracks.
Read it at the Thoroughbred Times
Then come back to the Paulick Report and let us know what you think
Tags: Del Mar, dennis mills, Hollywood Park, larry stewart, mid, oak tree, santa anita, sherwood chillingworth, thoroughbred times
June 4th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Frank should have made his intentions clear earlier in the year when he came out. All this uncertainty is doing untold damage to California racing.
June 4th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
As much as I will miss going to Oak Tree at Santa Anita, I think Chilly ought to go ahead and make the decision to move to Hollywood, at least for this year. Let Frank and the people at MID see how few people show up at the track when there is no live racing. It is a lot farther for me to drive to Hollywood or Del Mar, so I won’t be able to go as often in the Fall, but my disappointment in MID’s actions may end up making it less appealing to go to Santa Anita for their meeting too.
June 4th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
As I said, no chance for Oak Tree to ever be at Santa Anita again, and this year will be their last chance to dip their beak (thanks to Godfather II).
June 4th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
I want to drown Stronach in his own energy drink. Seriously, if I ever lay eyes on this asshat again, he’s getting an earful. What is WRONG with these people, playing these kinds of games? It’s been obvious for many decades that corporations are bringing the world to its knees. They’re BANKRUPT. They should have been FORCED to sell. Who the hell gets to set up another corporation and make a gazililion dollars when they’re BANKRUPT? I guess it means something quite different for individuals versus sociopathic corporate entities.
I adore Santa Anita, the Oak Tree meet in particular. Hollywood Park is SUCH an awful place, and it’s doomed, too. Is Santa Anita going to be torn down as well? I mean, what are the options here, as long as a bankrupt company that can still pay its CEOs billions of dollars owns it? I’m not a business person. If there’s something I’m missing here, about how great it is, I’d love some enlightenment.
I AM COMING FOR YOU, STRONACH. And I have NOTHING to lose.
June 4th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
#@%k MIA.
Oak Tree do what you have to do. Del Mar here we come.
Frank go back to Austria.
June 4th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Frank wants to race…….but only on his terms.
The new guys in charge from MID are definitely in favor of developing all of the land and/or selling some of it too. They are definitely looking at development proposals and plans currently.
Frank knows this and thinks because of this possibly happening that when CA is confronted with no more Santa Anita, he will get whatever he wants to keep the track open and keep racing.
I just can’t see this ending good unless you like shopping and condos.
June 4th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
I’m wondering why Santa Anita hasn’t been designated an historical landmark. Seriously, if I have to become part of a human chain stopping that jackass from bulldozing the place, I’ll do it. Also, HE’S the jerk whose eyes were too big for his stomach. He’s ostensibly bankrupt. What does he want? All his money back?
June 4th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
kay, I think Santa Anita is a historical landmark so there’s only so much he can do.
The way he’s going though it could end up being a museum with a petting zoo.
June 4th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Andrew:
I looked it up (I’m not TOTALLY lazy!) and it’s been designated a landmark but as you say, he can still rape it. Looks like he can build whatever he wants but not tear down the grandstand. Seriously, I will burn down all of his mansions if he does this. Not just thinking about MY enjoyment of the place but all the people who depend on it for their livelihood, and just the bloody HISTORY. Businesspeople couldn’t care less about it. History’s just something to eradicate for a spot on the NYSE.
Although I’m thinking NOT a petting zoo, unless you can bet on the goats .
June 4th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
It’s out of our control Kay. It’s a shame California racing has come to this. Frank isn’t the only one to blame for this situation. It’s been bad leadership for decades.
June 5th, 2010 at 7:14 am
CHILL OUT.
Wow, you people are a bit over the top. You will all look foolish when the plan is delivered.
When you hear that Santa Anita has cut a deal with The Breeeders Cup for residence, that Santa Anita is going back to conventional dirt, that Santa Anita has a revenue sharing plan in place, over and above current splits, for the California horsemen, even the Oak Tree whiners will applaud.
You are blaming the wrong Austrian here. The problems you have are from Chief Arnold. If you want to “burn something down” Kay, go hit the Governors Teepee.
June 5th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Very nice Jake, except for Oak Tree applauding their extinction.
June 5th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Jake:
“The plan?” Apparently, you’re privy to information that the rest of the world doesn’t have. What are you talking about? What do you have against Oak Tree? Because the rest of the REAL part of the industry (the people who don’t just look out from their CEO thrones) love Oak Tree.
As for blaming the wrong Austrian, trust me. I blame them both. But the guy who could have sold Santa Anita and could have had the Breeder’s Cup AND Oak Tree threw a lease into the fire. And that’s the idiot who’s directly responsible for this mess. So he’s the one who will get burned down. The Governator’s time is limited anyway. Not that a new governor is going to be all that much better, but at least he or she will be able to say “California.”
June 5th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Kay-
Why would you, if you owned something, take someones offer to lease it and keep 25% of YOUR profits?
Come on.
Oak Tree’s time has come and gone.
June 5th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
ace:
But now he’s not going to get ANY revenue from the rest of the year. How does THAT make sense? I’m not arguing with you. I’m just trying to figure out what his motives really are. He’s owned Santa Anita for quite awhile. Obviously, the decision to screw Oak Tree came because of the bankruptcy. So why is it different now?
This is an actual question. I don’t get this. I’d LOVE some illumination.
June 5th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Because Oak Tree will no longer exist after this meet at Hollywood Park. They are and were nothing more than smoke and mirrors for some old boys club.
Those days do not exist anymore.
June 5th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
But that has nothing to do with Stronach and what the hell he’s going to do with a track that won’t have a fall meet. I’m getting the sense that you’re just an Oak Tree hater and you don’t really have any idea of what’s really going on with Santa Anita.
June 5th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
hahahahah
u r so far from the truth its not funny.
What don’t you understand about giving up one profit-impaired meet in order to obtain the Breeder’s Cup permanently and destroy an old enemy?
June 5th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
(I don’t know why I keep going on with this)
Okay, so what you’re saying is, the Breeder’s Cup will be the only two days of racing at Santa Anita outside of the winter/spring meet? That doesn’t make any sense.
June 5th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Last I heard, tracks don’t make any money off of hosting the BC, so why would Magna dump the entire meet for that? That’s lose-lose.
June 5th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Breeders Cup would be nuts to get in bed with Stronach.
June 5th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
All fans should boycott MID tracks for a month and let Frank and Dennis Mills know how pathetic they are.
No wagering on any MID track until after the 4th of July.
June 6th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Stronach’s recent actions have virtually assured that SA will not become the permanent host of the BC. One of the main reasons the BC was considering SA (in addition to the weather and wonderful facilities) is precisely because the Oak Tree meet was a not-for-profit entity and therefore was a willing partner amenable to a business arrangement that was very favorable to the BC. Nothing like that would ever be possible with Stronach. He wants to kill Oak Tree and seize the dates for himself. The BC isn’t part of his reasoning here.
This is just the beginning of a “game of chicken” between Stronach and the CHRB. One or the other is going to emerge from this ugly fight with nearly complete control of racing in California. As much as I dislike his ethics and tactics I’d say Stronach is the likely winner here because without Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields (both owned by Stronach) there is no racing in California.
June 7th, 2010 at 8:57 am
Personally, I hope everyone calls Frank’s bluff.
It won’t happen of course, but we can always dream …
June 7th, 2010 at 10:59 am
It seems like MID is either a tough smart company that wants to cut out Oak Tree to get the Breeders Cup for themselves or a bunch of morons that are destroying racing in California. After seeing how well big corporations have been doing in the US, General Motors, BP and Wall Street for example, I think it is 4-5 or less that they are morons.