Inglewood, CA (My Sportsbook) - The 2010 Oak Tree racing meet will be conducted at Hollywood Park. The announcement became official on Thursday. "It's an honor to run the Oak Tree stakes races at Hollywood Park," said Martin Panza, Hollywood Park's vice-president of racing and racing secretary. "Oak Tree has seven Grade 1's that are very prestigious and extremely significant in getting horses ready for the Breeders' Cup. We look forward to having those races run here." The Oak Tree Racing Association's 42nd season will be held from Thursday, September 30 through Sunday, October 31. The association's thoroughbred season had been held at Santa Anita Park beginning in 1969. Questions about the condition of Santa Anita's synthetic track forced Oak Tree to move its 2010 races to Hollywood Park. Santa Anita, which is owned by MI Developments, intends to change its main racing surface to dirt in time for the 2010-11 meeting. Earlier this summer MID Chairman Frank Stronach agreed to a special one-year lease contract with Oak Tree that would have allowed the non-profit organization to operate this fall as originally scheduled. MID voided the original lease with Oak Tree in May, which was scheduled to be good through 2016. Two-time champion mare Zenyatta is scheduled to have her final Breeder's Cup prep during the Oak Tree meet. The six-year-old will start in the $250,000 Lady's Secret Stakes on Saturday, October 2. The 1 1/16-mile race had been slated to be renamed in honor of the reigning Eclipse Award winner. However, the original name has been re-instituted. |
