SANTA ANITA TO OPEN EARLY ON DEC. 26, GATE 8 TO BE OPEN TO RACETRACK TRAFFIC ONLY

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 21, 2009)—Santa Anita Park, which will open for its 75th anniversary season on Dec. 26, will have an early first post time on opening day of 11:30 a.m., and will open its parking lots to the general public at 9 a.m.

Admission gates will open at 9:30 a.m. and Gate 8, which adjoins the Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall on Santa Anita’s southwest end, will be restricted to racetrack traffic only, with mall access available via Baldwin Ave. through mall gates south of Santa Anita Park.

Although the Arcadia Police Department will be helping to facilitate traffic flow into and around Santa Anita on opening day, it is expected that vehicular traffic will be very heavy Saturday morning on Baldwin Ave. from the 210 Freeway, south to Huntington Dr., and those wishing to shop at the Westfield Mall are strongly encouraged to avoid Gate 8.

Santa Anita will offer a 10-race program on Saturday, and fans are encouraged to arrive early and to consider using Gate 3, at Holly Ave., or Gates 5 and 6, which are accessible by taking Huntington Dr. west from Santa Anita Ave., to the racetrack.

All fans attending Santa Anita on Saturday will receive a beautiful Santa Anita wall calendar commemorating Santa Anita’s 75th anniversary, free with paid admission.

For more information on opening day and Santa Anita’s 83-day winter spring meet, fans are encouraged to visit www.santaanita.com.

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