Santa Anita to Begin Pro-Ride Removal Oct. 11. While track officials and horsemen make their final decisions on the composition of Santa Anita's new dirt racing surface, crews are to begin removal of the existing Pro-Ride synthetic material Oct. 11. It is estimated the new main track will be ready for training by Dec. 6, according to a statement released by Santa Anita Sept. 30.
The traditional winter/spring meeting is to begin on Dec. 26. “Our Chairman, Frank Stronach, has made it abundantly clear that Santa Anita will install a state of the art, all natural dirt surface, that our best customers feel most comfortable with and that a majority of our owners, jockeys and horsemen feel more comfortable competing on,” said George Haines, Santa Anita president .
“This has been quite a process, one of great expense. Haines said that project manager Ted Malloy, following a meeting with horsemen Sept. 28, is "close to a consensus as to what the composition of the soil is going to be. " Malloy said that safety is his number one priority. Del Mar Race Picks - North County Times/The Californian. Cdi's Channel. Free Past Performances | Handicapping.