GOLDEN GLIMPSES #171

June 22, 1999

By ED GOLDEN

Horses were breaking down like cheap plastic toys at the start of Del Mar’s season last year. Seven horses died due to injuries suffered during a race in the first nine days of the meet.

Hopefully, that won’t happen this year when the track of sun and fun opens on July 22 for its 60th campaign, a 42-day endurance run that concludes on Sept. 8.

"The track surface has been worked on and they’ve spent over $500,000 on it," said Del Mar racing secretary Tom Knust.

"Last year, our track superintendent, Steve Wood, was only able to get onto the track for something like eight days to get it ready before the meet started. This year, he’s working the track right now and he’ll have probably six weeks to prepare it before the meet starts."

An old-fashioned Fair is held annually on the grounds at Del Mar, and last year, conflicting logistics prevented Wood from giving the racing surface the tender, loving care it required, in advance of the constant pounding it would endure from hundreds of horses working and racing over it.

"We were limited last year because of where the Fair placed the stage (for some of its shows)," Knust said. "This year, we were able to persuade them to move the stage a little bit to allow the harrows to get through (on the track). It was just a matter of working with the Fair to try and get it to cooperate."

"The track will be a lot better going into the meet than it was last year. A lot of time the track will take a few days to tighten up, and some horsemen come in later than normal because they want (the benefit of) traffic on the track first (before they run their horses over it)."

Thanks to the passage late last year of SB27, horsemen will enjoy the highest purses ever at Del Mar.

"The allowance races will be about the same as Santa Anita’s winter meet," Knust estimated. "But the claiming races, the maiden claiming races and the maiden allowance races will be slightly higher than Santa Anita, so we’re looking at the strongest purse schedule in the history of Del Mar."

As to full fields, for which bettors and racing secretaries clamor, Knust says, "You never have enough horses. If you can average 8 1/2 horses per race, then you want to have nine or 9 1/2. If we have better allowance horses and stakes horses, we’ll have a better overall program than last year. Then we’ll be in good shape."

THE HOMESTRETCH: More News You Can Bet On: As mentioned in last week’s column, top Santa Anita executive Cliff Goodrich is amicably leaving the Arcadia track at the end of June, after a 20-year hitch. "Mr. (Frank) Stronach and I jointly agree that it would be in both of our best interests to seek a successor to my position," Goodrich said in a statement released by the track. "I have felt the need for some time to move on to other ventures, and with the change of ownership ensuring Santa Anita’s continuing as a racing venue, this seems like the appropriate time for me to make that transition." Lonny Powell, president and general manager at Hollywood Park’s Turf Paradise track in Phoenix, has been named president and CEO of the Los Angeles Turf Club, replacing Goodrich. Powell will assume his duties around July 20. Bricks and mortar aren’t the only things being moved at Santa Anita. Heads continue to roll as Knust and Director of Racing Tom Robbins--their jobs consolidated into one post--were replaced by Mike Harlow, who had been director of racing and racing secretary at Turf Paradise. Advice to the rest of the crew at Santa Anita: Don’t send out your laundry. Meanwhile, the renovation beat goes on at the Arcadia track. Here’s what is scheduled to take place through June 27: Fabrication, delivery and erection of steel for elevator towers of the paddock gardens; service elevator work and continuation of foundation work on the main line terrace; fire sprinkler design for the main line; fine grading and relocation of utilities in the winners’ circle on the grandstand apron; fire sprinkler and foundation work and installation of handicapped lifts in the grandstand; fabrication, delivery and erection of steel; mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment delivery and installation in the grandstand’s new kitchen; fabrication, delivery and erection of steel floor deck in the grandstand’s new restaurant; and restroom upgrades, relocation of utilities and fire sprinkler work in the mezzanine. And much more is on the work schedule before Oak Tree holds its meet in October . . . Mike Willman, whose non-stop work ethic would draw envy from James Brown, returns as co-host of the Del Mar inter track wagering television show this season. Willman, who hosted the show in 1988, lists gigs for FOX Sports Net, Prime Ticket, ESPN, K-Cal Channel 9 in Los Angeles and the popular weekend radio show Thoroughbred Los Angeles on his extensive resume. Willman’s racing knowledge and his trusted relationships with the game’s participants enable him to walk a fine line between booster and broadcast journalist, no easy task. He does his homework and comes prepared . . . The stall at Santa Anita bearing Silver Charm’s name is no longer home to the 1997 Kentucky Derby winner. Trainer Bob Baffert announced on June 14 that the gray son of Silver Buck had been retired. It was just two days after Silver Charm finished a distant and disinterested fourth to Victory Gallop in the Stephen F. Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Silver Charm, as is wont with some older horses, simply lost his passion to compete. To use a boxing term, he was about to become "an opponent." Meanwhile, Silver Charm’s stall, closest to Baffert’s tack room, is not vacant. The new tenant is a horse named American Spirit.

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