Wildfires have devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods in recent days.
More than 12,000 homes have been destroyed by fierce fires that have left at least 11 dead.
A flare-up of the wildfire on the city’s west side resulted in the latest evacuation order, prompting Santa Anita to cancel the horse racing event scheduled for this weekend.
The track in Arcadia, near the Eaton Fire that decimated Altadena, said Friday it planned to move forward with racing Saturday, depending on air quality conditions.
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Richi and jockey Kazushi Kimura, right, win the Grade III $100,000 Las Flores Stakes horse race on January 4, 2025 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. (Photo by Benoit via AP)
However, track officials said Saturday’s races would be canceled due to further developments with the Palisades Fire.
Air quality standards at the track remain within limits set by the California Horse Racing Board and the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority, according to track officials. However, organizers were concerned about the growing impact of the fires across Los Angeles County.
ROSE BOWL HALF MARATHON AND 5K POSTPONED DUE TO FIRES
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed that the Palisades Fire was 11% contained as of Saturday morning, while the Eaton Fire was listed as 15% contained.
The 90-year-old runway in Southern California is also used to support various relief efforts.
An American flag hangs on the door of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, on Friday, January 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A charity drop-off location set up at the Rose Bowl was relocated Friday to Santa Anita’s south parking lot. Southern California Edison is using the entire north parking lot as a base to restore power to those in the affected areas. The track is working with other organizations requesting space.
Morning training will continue as planned on Saturday and Sunday. The track has its own security staff and does not use local lifeguards for normal events.
Rescheduled dates for the postponed races are expected to be announced later.
The sporting world has felt the impact of this week’s unprecedented bushfires. Malibu was one of several areas hardest hit by the Palisades Fire.
Pepperdine University, which has a main campus on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, postponed its men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader on Saturday. School officials cited the Palisades fire and travel conditions in Los Angeles.
Pepperdine University in Malibu October 18, 2023. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, Pepperdine’s Malibu campus remains free of any immediate threat posed by the fire. But access to the campus is restricted to the north side. The Pacific Coast Highway south of campus is closed.
Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount are in communication with the West Coast Conference about rescheduling. Elsewhere, the fourth-ranked USC women’s basketball team is scheduled to play a Big Ten Conference game against Penn State on Sunday night. Officials are monitoring conditions, a spokesperson confirmed.
