OpinionAnother View
premium

How Santa Anita's heroic support to LA fires reminded us how crucial racecourses remain to all walks of life

author image
Reporter
Santa Anita's parking lot is being used for people to drop off donations for the wildfire relief effort
Santa Anita: track has shown its importance to the Los Angeles community during the devastating wildfiresCredit: Mario Tama

We've been starved of jump racing in Britain and Ireland this new year thanks to a cold snap, but the very different conditions in the US we've seen in the news put our weather woes into perspective.

The devastating wildfires raging in Los Angeles have led to dozens of deaths, reduced thousands of acres of land and buildings into ash, and turned hundreds of thousands of people's lives upside down. US racing stars are among those affected, with dual Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Mario Gutierrez losing his home.

The threat isn't over, but the flames have thankfully not reached Santa Anita racecourse. The jewel in California's racing crown has created champions for lifetimes, but in the last couple of days it has also showcased the vital role tracks can play in communities even beyond racing's perimeter.

Read the full story

Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.

Subscribe to unlock
  • Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
  • Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
  • Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
  • Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
  • Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
  • Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

Published on inAnother View

Last updated

iconCopy