A Guide to the Best of Southern California : EXCURSIONS : Tearing Up the Track

At least one Santa Anita tradition hasn’t a whit to do with horses. On the last day of the winter/spring season (April 22 this year), the racetrack invites patrons to dig up its flower beds; the pansies in the infield are there for the taking. Some people plan ahead and bring a shovel and box; others, caught unprepared, make do with fingers and newspapers.

The tradition, revived in the mid-1970s, is welcomed by regulars. Some men say it’s the only day of the year their wives encourage them to play the ponies.

Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia; (818) 574-7223.