According to Daily Racing Form, Frank Stronach told a gathering of horsemen Wednesday night that Santa Anita would be getting rid of its synthetic surface and installing a conventional dirt track at the conclusion of the 2010 Oak Tree meeting.

DRF reported that, during an 18-minute speech that drew some 250 industry members, Stronach said, “We are committed to building a new dirt track. We will do it now. We will gather the engineering and look for the materials. After Oak Tree is finished, we will have the track in place by the first week of December. The horses can train over it and we can run over it on Dec. 26.” Stronach is the chairman of MI Developments, which owns and operates racetracks that include Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.

At a meeting with the California Horse Racing Board in June, he had indicated the Santa Anita strip would be replaced, but with a silica-based material. During renovations to the current Pro-Ride track to get it ready for the Oak Tree meet, set for Sept. 29-Oct. 31, problems with the track were discovered, with tears in the mesh layer allowing gravel to get into the racing surface. It is expected that the issue can be addressed in order to have the track ready for Oak Tree, and work on the new dirt track, which will cost $5-6 million, will begin the day after the meeting closes.