Santa Anita reopening to public on April 2

Santa Anita will reopen to the public April 2 after being closed to fans for more than a year. The track is still awaiting final guidelines from health officials before releasing all the details.

The reopening will be subject to current COVID-19 restrictions with a limited number of tickets sold. Due to the cavernous nature of the track, it’s expected that after the initial rush of fans returning to see live racing the first few weekends the track will be able to handle most who want to attend the races. Santa Anita did not announce capacity controls, but it’s likely to be consistent with other theme park and sporting venues, which would be about 15%-20%. At the 2019 Breeders’ Cup, Santa Anita announced a crowd of more than 67,000.

Capacity controls will loosen as the county’s threat level lowers.

Those wishing to purchase tickets need to sign up for the Santa Anita newsletter at santaanita.com/open for more details when they become available. There will be no general admission tickets sold and everyone has to have a ticket and a seat in order to attend the races.

Sports

Santa Anita avoids shutdown over inconclusive coronavirus tests

Santa Anita Park avoided a potential shutdown Friday when six inconclusive coronavirus tests were repeated and the results were negative.

June 12, 2020

The reopening comes one day before the Santa Anita Derby, the last major race for horses before qualifying for the Kentucky Derby on May 1. It’s usually one of the best-attended race days of the meeting but will be restricted this year.

“We are extremely excited to welcome back our racing fans to Santa Anita, just in time for the Santa Anita Derby,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita’s general manager. “It hasn’t been the same without the people who are so important to this sport. While the current restrictions are going to limit the size of the crowds, we are working hard to provide a memorable experience for our guests and to thank them for their support.”

Santa Anita was closed to racing and fans on March 27 last year. The track was allowed to resume racing May 15 but with no fans. Eventually a limited number of owners were allowed to attend and on March 5 the winner’s circle was reopened to owners and trainers.