Santa Anita will refurbish its main track this summer to reduce the
clay content and add sand, a project that could begin in the next week
in a test plot in the seven-furlong chute, pending ongoing discussions
between the racetrack and the California Horse Racing Board.
Track president George Haines said Friday that conversations with the
racing board are focusing on the details for the renovation, which
would be done on a portion of the track not required for daily training.
Last month, the racing board completed a study of the surface,
recommending several changes, including taking steps to ensure that the
levels of sand, silt, and clay are closer to the original composition
proposed last fall before the surface was installed and used for the
first time in December, at the winter-spring meeting that concluded in
April.
One major step in the renovation, the racing board recommended, would
be the removal of the top 2 inches of material. It would be replaced
with sand, which would be blended into the rest of the surface.
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