Hoofing It to Santa Anita Workouts

Now that the racing season is in full swing at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia (285 W. Huntington Drive, (818) 574-7223), the public is welcome to watch early morning workouts. For families with the fortitude to get up and out at an early hour, the rewards are plenty on a clear, crisp winter day. From 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., even on non-racing days, visitors can watch the day’s entries being put through their paces. An announcer is on hand to call out names of horses and keep less racing-savvy viewers apprised of what is happening on the track.

Enter the grounds at Gate 3, at Holly and Huntington, or Gate 8, off Baldwin Avenue. Parking and entry are free. On Saturdays and Sundays, there are also free tram rides to the stables beginning at 8 a.m.

Visitors may stand at the railing to watch the workout or take a table at Clockers Corner for an excellent view of the goings-on. Full breakfasts are served Wednesday through Sunday, continental breakfasts on Mondays and Tuesdays. There are heaters to ward off the early morning chill.

Visitors must clear out at 9:30 a.m. so that park officials can make ready for the track’s official opening at 10:30 a.m. With the first post at 12:30 p.m., families who haven’t had their fill of fillies can spend a few hours at the nearby Los Angeles County Arboretum before heading back to the race track.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Stamp Expo 87--What better way to get your children interested in stamp collecting than to take them to a show where dozens of dealers are displaying their finest stamps. At this weekend’s show at the Holiday Inn in Anaheim (1850 S. Harbor Blvd., 818/997-6496), there will be specialists in all areas: Disney, space shuttle, U.S. history, foreign. Many dealers offer inexpensive packets for beginning collectors. One booth will be selling albums and supplies to get started. In the lobby, the U.S. Post Office will set up its traveling philatelic exhibit. Admission is $2 for adults. Kids under 12 are free. The expo is open today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Rose Parade Floats--Today is the last chance to see the fading glory of last Thursday’s floral extravaganza. These fragile beauties will remain parked along east Pasadena streets (Washington Boulevard between Sierra Madre Boulevard and Woodlyn and Sierra Madre Boulevards between La Paloma and Sierra Madre Villa) until 4 p.m. today. Viewing is free.

OUTDOORS

Griffith Park Pony Rides--Horses of a decidedly non-racing temperament are the order of the day at the park’s pony ring. The queuing is more time-consuming than the ride itself, especially if you’ve got older children who opt for the fast ponies. The trick is to buy several tickets at once and keep the momentum going. Tickets are $1 and entitle the rider to two trips around the circle. Two may be more than enough for a tentative 2-year-old on a pokey pony. The inside ring is usually filled with parents toting cameras--video and otherwise. The rides are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday). The ring is located on Crystal Springs Drive, near the park’s Los Feliz Boulevard entrance. Call (213) 664-3266 for more information.

UPCOMING

Creative Drama Classes at the Workman and Temple Homestead--With the rich ambiance of the homestead as a backdrop and source of inspiration, kids in these workshops will act out imaginary scenarios about life in early California. These workshops will be given on six consecutive Saturday mornings beginning Jan. 17 at the City of Industry landmark.

Six to 9-year-olds will focus on the gangster and flapper era, imagining what it would be like to bob your hair for the first time, or take a ride in a Model T. Nine to 11-year-olds will go back even further in time to explore the Westward Ho movement.

These one-hour classes are led by Jennifer Mohr Johnson, Homestead’s director of education, who will use artifacts and documents as well as a quick tour of the landmark to bring life to the era. “It’s not role playing,” says Mohr. “The kids play themselves but they imagine themselves to be in different situations.”

The classes meet Jan. 17, 24 and 31, Feb. 7, 14 and 21, with the Gangsters and Flappers class held from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., the Westward Ho! class from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on those days. The cost is $18 for the six sessions.

Parents may tour the six-acre historic site while class is in session or wait to explore it with their children after class. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Homestead is located at 15415 E. Don Julian Road, City of Industry, (818) 968-8492.