Board approves venue change

The California Horse Racing Board voted, 6-0, Tuesday to clear the way for Santa Anita to move races to Hollywood Park if necessary, but Ron Charles, the president of the Arcadia track, said he doesn’t think that’s going to happen.

The racing board’s vote, which was conducted via a special teleconference hookup, approved an amendment to the horse racing license of the Los Angeles Turf Club, which operates Santa Anita.

This came a day after the track had canceled racing for a third straight day because of heavy rains and the ongoing drainage problem with the new synthetic Cushion Track. However, racing is scheduled to resume Thursday on the Cushion Track, weather permitting.

After Tuesday’s vote, Charles said: “Right now we don’t anticipate having to use this amendment to our application. We believe we’re going to be coming forward with a contingency strategy to get us through the rest of the meeting.”

Charles said he couldn’t discuss details of that strategy, but he did reiterate that one option would be replacing the Cushion Track with a traditional dirt track. And he again said the number of lost race days during installation would be minimal.

Charles said he probably would have an announcement Thursday detailing the track’s plan after he meets with trainers, owners and other horsemen.

Richard Shapiro, the CHRB chairman, said if Santa Anita wants to go back to a dirt track, it would take a waiver of a mandate approved by the board in 2006 that required California’s five major thoroughbred tracks to install synthetic surfaces.

Shapiro said if Santa Anita requests a waiver, it will be voted on Jan. 17, the day after the board’s next regularly scheduled meeting in Arcadia. He said the mandate as well as other issues involving synthetic tracks will be discussed during the meeting Jan. 16, but a vote, for procedural reasons, would have to wait until the following morning.

If a waiver is granted, Santa Anita could install a new dirt track for use through the end of the winter meet April 20.

Asked if Santa Anita might apply for a second waiver to leave the dirt track in place for a longer period of time, Charles said: “If it is well received by all parties, that is a possibility. We wouldn’t want to rule anything out.”

Shapiro said the racing board would listen to such a request. He added that the state legislature initially sought to make the mandate a law but the board sought only to make it a rule.

“We wanted the flexibility to make adjustments,” he said.

Leaving a dirt track in place at Santa Anita for another year would eliminate uncertainties surrounding a new synthetic track heading into the Breeders’ Cup, scheduled for Oct. 24-25 during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita.

Breeders’ Cup President Greg Avioli said: “We have been in constant contact with Chilli Chillingworth [director of the Oak Tree Racing Assn.] and other officials there and have every confidence this will be resolved quickly and will have no negative impact on this year’s Breeders’ Cup.”

Jack Liebau, president of Hollywood Park, said he e-mailed Charles to offer his facility at cost if it were needed.

“We realize how important it is for racing to continue,” he said.

Trainer Bob Baffert was asked about replacing the Cushion Track with dirt.

“I’d love it if they found the right kind of soil,” he said. “But I’m not totally opposed to synthetic. Something had to be done. I’m just thinking maybe it would have been better to try out the synthetic surface on training tracks and see how that goes.

“I think the synthetic is great for training on. My complaint is it’s just too inconsistent for racing on.”

Magna Entertainment Corp., which among other things owns and operates 10 racetracks, including Santa Anita, announced that Charles has been promoted to chief operating officer of the company. Charles said in his new position he will be focusing on racing in Maryland, Florida, Texas and California, as well as Internet wagering and HRTV, the horse racing network owned in partnership with Churchill Downs Inc.

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larry.stewart@latimes.com