Santa Anita racetrack is among the most beautiful in the world with the San Gabriel mountains as a backdrop. The palms and glorious weather put it ahead of Goodwood and Cheltenham in my book. It's also fabled in film (the Marx brothers Day at The Races was shot here)and in the 30s-50s all the big Hollywood names used to be regulars (Sinatra, Errol Flynn, Bing Crosby and the like). It is near a town with the great name of Arcadia and these days the course has a faded kind of elegance which is is good, especially if you are backing winners.
I was actually 0-3 on the day but it was an excellent afternoon for English and French horsses who won five of the nine races.
Frankie Dettori was on board Newmarket trained Raven's Pass who at odds of 13-1 upset the local hotpot Curlin (4-5 fav) who looked like winning turning into the straight but wound up fourth. The winner had decent form but was tackling 10 furlongs for the first time and racing on a synthetic track rather than turf. I just missed out on a 10-1 chance in the previous race that looked home and hosed with a furlong to go only to be caught by Conduit (5-1) who won the St Leger at Doncaster last month.
The view from the Press box high in the stands is the best in the house with its own private elevator. Interestingly, or worryingly, only 49 people are allowed in the press area because of weight restrictions. Th e other 350 accredited media sit in a special area down below.
Normally the Breeders's Cup rotates venues but it is back at Santa Anita next year which will make it three times in six years. the last time was in 2003 when i made my debut at the track. The reasons is the guaranteed weather, an issue brought into focus last year when the meeting was held at Monmouth Park, New Jersey, in appallingly wet conditions which possibly cost the life of a very useful (on his day) colt of Aidan O'Brien's called George Washington. The 2010 Breeders' Cup by the way is back at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.
Anyway enough racing, except to say a good source of mine is tipping Efficient to win the Melbourne Cup for the second year running and if 8-1 is still available in the UK, lump on now and forget those credit crunch woes.
Dave
