Santa Anita: Adding five-day weeks, Free Fridays

by Paulick Report Staff | 03.11.2011 | 3:06pm

Press Release

Santa Anita Park has announced that it will embark upon an expanded five-day race week beginning Wednesday, March 23, and that it will reinstitute it’s popular “Free Fridays” promotion beginning March 25. In addition to March 25, all patrons will receive free General Admission on April 1, 8 and 15. Santa Anita’s 74th winter/spring meeting will conclude on April 17.

“We made the decision to expand to a five-day race week the final four weeks of the meet and we think it makes sense to offer ‘Free Fridays’ as well,” said Santa Anita President George Haines. “This promotion was very well received the past couple of years and it’s a great way for people to get their weekend started.

“In addition to free General Admission, we’re going to offer free box seats on those remaining Fridays as well, while they last. Along with that, we’ll be offering $2 beers, soft drinks and hot dogs and we expect this is going to be very well received. Fridays should be a lot of fun and it’s a great way for us to say ‘thank you’ to our loyal customers and to hopefully expose newcomers to this great sport.”

First post time on all remaining weekdays will be at 1 p.m., first post on weekends is 12:30 p.m., with the exception of Santa Anita Derby Day, Saturday, April 9.

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http://www.theknightskyracing.blogspot.com The_Knight_Sky

Mr. Haines wishes:
>> and to hopefully expose newcomers to this great sport.”
____________________________

Q: How long are these newcomers going to last at the windows?
Stan

knight sky, we can only hope they won’t be as abig a loser as you are and maybe they’ll like this game unlike you
http://www.theknightskyracing.blogspot.com The_Knight_Sky

#2 Stan -
It is important to California Racing’s survival that this question is answered:

Q: How long are these newcomers going to last at the windows?

$2 hot dogs won’t cut the mustard.
Life at Fifty

Thanks for ruining Ca racing.

BOYCOTT
http://yahoo roger

Friday Carryover Day Santa Anita
———————————–
$5.3 million from which $2.8 million out of state
————————————
Gulfstream Park- $6.4 million from which $5.7 million out of state
Mike R

I could be wrong, but I believe that the beers, hot dogs, and sodas on Free Fridays last year were $1–This year they are $2–must be inflation. Free box seats(a limited number)”while they last”–man some yes men will say anything for a salary. Comparing Ron Charles with George Haines is like comparing Zenyatta with a $5,000 claimer. I am confident this is exactly what management wanted.
http://yahoo roger

Mike R-
Concur with that analogy.
http://www.theknightskyracing.blogspot.com The_Knight_Sky

The very next day The Meadowlands Marketing Department will present $1 Night. That’s right one, as in Uno!

Saturday, March 26, 2011
Enjoy $1 concession items – hot dog, small soda, small coffee & bagels
Live Racing Program $1

Feel free to call me names.
Like “lucky loser”. :D
Distaffer

What ever they give away will not compensate for THE HORSES BREAKING DOWN ON THEIR RACING SURFACE!!!
The injury and fatality rate at Santa Anita is deplorable. Horses going down almost daily, and NOBODY HAS THE GUTS TO REPORT THE FACTS.
I wouldn’t want to go racing at Santa Anita, and certainly not bring children to watch. As a seasoned Horsewoman, it is still incredibly upsetting to see a horse break down racing.
http://ranchotemescal.com tc

what horses do they expect to run? they should be going to a 3 day week…and yes…fix the surface
Distaffer

ANOTHER TWO BROKE DOWN AT SANTA ANITA TODAY. 6TH RACE AND 10TH RACE.
HELLO, IS ANYBODY LISTENING??

WELL OVER 20 BREAKDOWNS DURING RACING THIS MEET.
ziels

I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to 5 day racing with the expected 5 horse fields. There is nothing like that feeling of cheering a 2/5 favorite home!
Nancy Taylor

Looks like Santa Anita is batting a thousand this year with the following records; 1-All time high takeout. 2-Worst racing surface ever with a projected record number of fatalities forthcoming. 3-Worst product ever. (puny field size)
And the decision makers response to the angry customers? INCREASE the number of racing days per week and somehow get the corpses at the CHRB to agree to move Oak Tree back to Arcadia, enabling the slaughter to continue and the TOC/TTC can make a few extra dollars in blood money.