Thursday Thoughts with Jason Beem for Dec. 26, 2024

December 26th, 2024

A good Thursday morning to you all! Hope everyone had or is having a great holiday and that you were able to spend some time with loved ones. Or like me, sit in your house and paint and clean. Just as fun!

I’m heading to Gulfstream Park for the day to take in some live racing as a fan, something I don’t get to do enough of and can’t wait for.

Today is also opening day at Santa Anita Park, which in my opinion, is the best opening day of any track. I think the history and tradition are a big part of that. The fact that it follows up the one day a year that we don’t have any live racing here in the United States also adds to the excitement. Plus it’s just a fun meet in general, so I’m always excited when it kicks off.

Pali Kitten and Smash it go neck and neck in the Speakeasy at Santa Anita. (Photo by Benoit Photography)

Being a West Coast kid, Santa Anita was always our big track.

I remember for years working at Portland Meadows and our biggest simulcast handle was always Southern California, even during the summer when Saratoga was running. There’s a provinciality that a lot of horseplayers have and Southern Cal was always the big leagues for us. Even growing up going to Longacres, it was always noteworthy when one of “our” jocks or trainers would make the move to Southern California. So many players and fans always took such pride that Gary Stevens came from the Northwest and ended up finding success in Southern California.

I’ve never actually been to Santa Anita for their opening day card, but I’ve twice been to the races there around New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. I will never forget walking into the track on New Year's Eve for the first time in my life. We had gone down to Los Angeles for the Rose Bowl because our beloved Washington State Cougars had finally made it to the “Granddaddy of them all.” But the day before the game, my dad wanted to take me to Santa Anita.

If you’ve never been there, I don’t think you can be prepared for the first time you see the view of the track and the mountains behind it. We walked up the steps and saw that big expanse. My dad looked at me and then looked at the mountains and said “Now this is a racetrack.” I try and go back to that spot every time I go to Santa Anita just to spend a moment thinking about him being at one of his favorite places, with me.

(Photo by Benoit Photography)

I know California has had its share of difficulties the past few years and the shuttering of racing in Northern California adds another dimension to that struggle. But I will always pull for California racing because I think it’s worth pulling for. It has such a great history and some wonderful people who work and race down there. And they have an amazing community of horseplayers as well.

So here’s to opening day at Santa Anita Park and hoping that tradition goes on for many, many more years!