Site for 2000 Breeders’ Cup Still Up in Air

A report that the 2000 Breeders’ Cup would be hosted by the Oak Tree Racing Assn. at Santa Anita has been called premature by a Breeders’ Cup spokesman and not true by an Oak Tree executive.

Both Jim Gluckson of the Breeders’ Cup and Sherwood Chillingworth of Oak Tree discounted the story in the Daily Racing Form.

“We would very much like to have the Breeders’ Cup,” Chillingworth said. “But all I can say about it now is that we’re cautiously optimistic. This is not a done deal, and no contract has been signed. Our board hasn’t met and neither has the Breeders’ Cup’s.”

Gluckson said that a Breeders’ Cup board meeting is scheduled March 3.

Oak Tree, which runs an annual fall meet on a lease arrangement with Santa Anita, has had the Breeders’ Cup in 1986 and 1993. The races were in California last in 1997 at Hollywood Park. This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be run at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., on Nov. 6.