American Experience

In the middle of the Great Depression, horse racing emerged as one of America's favorite sports. Exhausted by the everyday struggle to get by, people were looking for diversion, and many found it at the racetrack. Movie newsreels and radio broadcasts extended racing's appeal nationwide.

Santa Anita Park welcomed over 30,000 people to its grand opening on Christmas Day 1934. Fourteen miles from downtown Los Angeles, it had the backing of the Hollywood crowd. Stars and starlets were often seen in attendance and its astounding hundred-thousand-dollar handicap race upped its razzmatazz. The ultimate stars, of course, had four legs.

A Day at the Races (348k)
Travel back to the Thirties and tour the turf at Santa Anita Park.
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