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2nd horse dies in 2 days at Santa Anita racetrack
| Photo courtesy of Terry Miller/Hey SoCal
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By City News Service
A4-year-old colt with five first-place finishes in 14 career races has died at Santa Anita Park, the track's second racehorse death in two days and third in the last six days, state horse racing officials confirmed Sunday. Barraza was injured Saturday morning during a workout at Santa Anita, requiring euthanasia, according to Mike Marten, public information officer for the California Horse Racing Board. Barraza suffered a sesamoid injury, his trainer Vladimir Cerin told Daily Racing Form. "He was a really cool horse," Cerin told the publication. The colt had won three of his four races this year, all at Santa Anita. Barraza's death came one day after the 4-yearold filly Pray for My Owner suffered a "sudden death" immediately following Friday's seventh race at the Arcadia track. On Monday, the 4-yearold filly Speedcuber was euthanized. She had been injured near the eighth pole in the seventh race two days earlier. "There had been hope for saving this filly but euthanasia became necessary," Marten told City News Service. Eight horses have died from racing or training injuries this year at Santa Anita. "We are disappointed to see another spike in racehorse deaths at Santa Anita Park this week and hope this pattern does not continue," said Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action, a group that lobbies to stamp out cruelty in American horse racing, and cites its efforts to pass the federal Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act in 2020. "Santa Anita has long been plagued by horse deaths, and we call on the track operators to reevaluate track conditions and make any necessary changes that would help prevent further injuries and deaths in 2022," Irby continued. "There's no other sport in America that sees the continuous rampant deaths of athletes that horse racing does, and tracks like Santa Anita must work harder to clean up the industry in order to maintain legitimacy, or the sport will otherwise go the way of the Ringling Bros. Circus, and greyhound racing -- the clock is ticking fast." Santa Anita officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Track officials have noted that the number of fatalities in 2022 are a sharp dropoff from 2019, when 42 horses died at the facility, sparking widespread debate about safety issues at the track and about horse-racing in general. The uproar led to procedural and veterinary oversight changes at the park. According to the CHRB, 16 horses died at the track in 2020, and 19 died last year.
Monrovia dance studio thrives during pandemic and continues to serve hundreds of students
SoCal Arts, the newest dance studio in the Monrovia area, manages to survive and provide dance education to hundreds of students as the pandemic continues to shift our world and create a “new reality.” In a new partnership with Dance Resource Center - Los Angeles, SoCal Arts will continue to introduce students to the art of ballet and dance, in the studio and across public schools. Now entering its third year, the studio is thrilled to announce its Summer Dance Season, “At the Impressionists’ Edge.” The community is invited to its Gala fundraiser on June 3 accompanied by a silent auction and a dance performance. The silent auction will support not only the school year round program, but also scholarships for male students ages 6 to 10, encouraging their inner love for dance. The full length performance series will continue on June 4 and 5 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on both days. These are immersive dance shows, utilizing projectors, lighting, and music to engage audience members with the performing artists. Opened in February 2020, SoCal Arts is a private Performing Arts training facility, specializing in a Year-Round dance education program for all ages. The core faculty is composed of experienced dancers and teachers from across the globe. SoCal Arts aims to be the leading dance school in the area offering professional training, mentorship, and live performances for children of all ages. SoCal Arts’ goal is to create a space to bring dance to Monrovia and the larger Southern California community.
| Photo courtesy of KCBalletMedia/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
David Klug named City of Pasadena economic development director
City of Pasadena Interim City Manager Cynthia Kurtz named David Klug as the economic development director last week. Klug was hired in May 2008 as senior project manager and was responsible for such special projects as the Civic Center redevelopment, including the proposed rehabilitation of the former YWCA building and the development of an affordable senior housing project. Klug also served as the liaison to the Playhouse Village Association. “I’m grateful to Ms. Kurtz for this opportunity and feel humbled and honored to be named. I’m excited about working with my colleagues, the Pasadena business community, institutions and stakeholders that will support investment, create jobs, enhance our shopping and dining districts, and foster an innovative ecosystem,” says Klug. Prior to joining the City of Pasadena, Klug served as a project manager for the City of West Covina and worked on the development of the former BKK landfill to attract the big league dreams sports complex and other major commercial retail tenants. In his spare time, Klug enjoys the outdoors, especially golfing and running. The Office of Economic Development is responsible for encouraging business investment opportunities and supporting business retention and attraction activities in Pasadena. As part of the City Manager’s Office, the Economic Development Division also works closely with the Foothill Workforce Development Board to ensure that businesses have access to qualified and employable talent.
