Santa Anita’s Meeting Closes on a Low Note

For what is believed to be the first time, Santa Anita didn’t announce its business figures -- attendance and handle -- when the 85-day meeting ended Sunday.

It’s easy to see why. Attendance suffered, and handle wasn’t much better. Short of meet-ending totals from the track, The Times surveyed the daily totals, which Santa Anita continued to provide, and that compilation showed that attendance was the lowest in track history and betting, despite an infusion of handle via telephone and Internet, fell by an estimated 12%.

Crowds averaged about 8,500 per day, the first time in 66 seasons that the track’s attendance has dipped under the 9,000 mark. The previous low average attendance was 9,926, set in 1934-35, Santa Anita’s inaugural season. This season’s attendance dropped 14% from last year. The average last season was 11,964.

Handle from all sources averaged about $10.58 million per day. The overall average last season was a record $12 million.

A Santa Anita spokesman said that the decision not to release attendance and handle information was made by Magna Entertainment Corp., which bought the Arcadia track in December 1998. Other tracks in recent years that haven’t published full business statistics -- or haven’t sent out information at all -- have included Arlington Park, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields and Pimlico. Bay Meadows and Golden Gate are run by Magna, and Magna bought Pimlico and its sister track, Laurel Park, last year.

Roger Licht, chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, learned from a reporter Sunday that Magna had withheld Santa Anita’s meet totals.

“I think it’s terrible,” Licht said. “I’m very disturbed about it. No matter how bad of a season you’ve had, you should release the information. Magna is a public company, and I wonder whether it should be compelled to announce the totals because of that.”

Licht said that Santa Anita, which is licensed by the racing board, is obligated to furnish the meet information to the board. He said that the board, as a public body, would then announce the totals.

Chris McCarron, the Hall of Fame jockey who was named general manager at Santa Anita last month, cited the regeneration of on-track attendance as one of racing’s priorities.

“The industry has given fans plenty of reason not to come to Santa Anita,” McCarron said as he rattled off the ways fans can bet without coming to the track. “We’ve been forced to provide more convenience in order for them to participate. In doing so, we’ve given them reasons to stay away.

“We have to make the [on-track] experience happy and memorable every time someone comes here.”

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The closing-day feature, the $400,000 San Juan Capistrano Handicap, was won by Passinetti, an 11-1 shot ridden by Brice Blanc for the first time. All nine starters in the race were geldings.... Pat Valenzuela had two winners on the card to finish with 94 for the meet, highest total at Santa Anita since 112 by Kent Desormeaux in 1995. With 43 wins, Bob Baffert wrapped up his seventh consecutive training title, breaking the record of six titles in a row set by Red McDaniel from 1950 through 1955.... Bob Mieszerski of The Times won the Santa Anita meet handicapping title with 247 winners.... Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said Eye Of The Tiger is possible for the Kentucky Derby on May 3.