Simulcast Ruling Helps Santa Anita

Thanks to a ruling by the California Horse Racing Board, Santa Anita almost certainly will not reach the $250-million on-track handle figure it so much wanted to avoid.

The ruling, which says that money bet on out-of-state simulcasts does not count as part of the on-track handle, also means that Santa Anita will have betting on two simulcast races today--the Wood Memorial from Aqueduct and the Arkansas Derby from Oaklawn Park--in addition to nine local races. There will be betting on the Lexington Stakes from Keeneland on Sunday.

This decision cuts about $650,000 from Santa Anita’s on-track handle. If the track surpasses $250 million in handle for the meeting, which concludes Sunday, it would be assessed a higher state tax.

Through Friday, Santa Anita had a handle of about $241 million for the meeting.

“It has been our intention all along to provide stakes from other tracks that are important Kentucky Derby preps,” track president Cliff Goodrich said. “We had to cut back when we were faced with on-track handle for our meeting possibly going over $250 million, which would increase our taxes and cut future purses dramatically.

“Several weeks ago we began investigating the law regarding the inclusion of simulcasts in on-track handle, and we’ve been pursuing it ever since. The CHRB sent word that Santa Anita could account for simulcast handle in the same manner as historically pursued in Northern California. Therefore, these simulcasts won’t count against the $250 million.”