Honest Question About Oak Tree

[Java Gold@TFT]

These are questions out of shear ignorance as to how Oak Tree is different from the Spring Santa Anita meet or the Hollywood meet.

What really is the difference?

Is Oak Tree just renting the track?
If so, who actually owns the track? (I had enough with the recent NYRA debacle).
Do they use the same stewards?
Do they use the same track maintenence crew?
In light of the possible change in takeout does Oak Tree have to have the same takeout as the other So Cal tracks?
Is it like NYRA having 3 tracks under one jurisdiction and the CHRB is really the governing body no matter what?
In the case of someone like Ziade being ruled off the grounds at Calder but able to run elswhere - would Oak Tree have to honor a banishment from SA's Spring meet?

Again, these are honest questions because I have no idea.
If someone had a link that wasn't influenced by lawyers i would be happy to read it on my own.

I'm just trying to get a grasp on who runs what - Santa Anita Spring, Hollywood, Delmar, Fairplex and Oak Tree. I never thought I would think that it was more complicated than NYRA.

Thanks

[Java Gold@TFT]

P.S. I read a lot of things in the last few days and didn't see that the takeout increase was mandatory - Am I wrong about that? In NY I belive the harness tracks and Finger Lakes can set their takeouts different than NYRA does. But maybe I'm wrong about that too.

[DJofSD]

I believe it is an independent group that leases SAX for the Oak Tree meeting.

MEC still owns it but for how long is another matter.

Yes, the CHRB still is the racing authority governing the races. They use whatever stewards are licensed in the state and I would assume they're pretty much the same group as always.

I don't know the rules for honoring actions from other racing authorities. I know that when it comes to jockies all other juristictions honor each others actions a majority of the time. The only exception I can remember is P. Val.

[Dick Schmidt]

"I'm just trying to get a grasp on who runs what - Santa Anita Spring, Hollywood, Delmar, Fairplex and Oak Tree."

Except for Oak Tree and Fairplex, all of the above are privately owned companies. Fairplex is a part of the Los Angeles County Fair and has been run since LA was mostly farm country. Oak Tree is run by a non-profit group (Oak Tree Racing Assn.) and all profits go to providing ambulances (both horse and human) at all the other meets in California. Good people.

Dick

No one has ever bet enough on a winning horse.

- Richard Sasuly