Santa Anita set to re-open Thursday after work on track

Santa Anita will reopen for training and racing tomorrow after its main track was closed for evaluation in the wake of 19 horse deaths during the winter meeting.

The track's dirt surface was peeled back 5 inches yesterday so its base could be thoroughly examined. The track has had 11½ inches of rain and unusually cold temperatures this month.

The track was closed for training on Monday and yesterday so moisture content and soil consistency below the surface could be checked.

Santa Anita officials brought in University of Kentucky track safety expert Mick Peterson to review the subsurface and surface data. He already evaluates soil samples from the track on a monthly basis.