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Arcadia, CA - From the box office to the box seats, Hollywood has had a love affair with Santa Anita Park that began when the racetrack opened in 1934 and continues today. Not only has Santa Anita been used as a location for such movies as the 1937 classic,"A Day at the Races," starring The Marx Brothers, and "The Story of Seabiscuit," but Hollywood's elite has also been present at the track as fans and horse owners.

Santa Anita Park was co-founded and built by movie mogul Hal Roach and was the haunt of early show business tycoons and movie stars. Some of those Hollywood celebrities who owned horses were Bing Crosby, George Raft, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn and Al Jolson. Prominent producers and movie executives with their own stables included Louis B. Mayer, Harry M. Warner and Darryl F. Zanuck. Santa Anita Park's box holders in its early years included such names as Frank Capra, Fred Astaire, Jack Benny, Walt Disney and Cecil B. de Mille.

Fast-forward more than 60 years and Santa Anita's popularity and tradition continues amongst Hollywood's newest generation of movie, TV and music celebrities as both fans and horse owners. During the season it's not uncommon to see some of the biggest stars of the silver screen cheering the horses on, names such as Whoopi Goldberg, Cybill Shepard, Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer or Joe Pesci. Television producers and stars who can be seen enjoying a day at the races include Steven Bochco, Laurie Metcalf, Donnie Osmond, Michael Bottualuci, Steve Harris or Wendie Malick.

Melissa Joan Hart, star of "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch," recently visited the newly opened FrontRunner Restaurant at Santa Anita Park. She had such a great time, she decided to invite over 50 of her friends for her 24th birthday party. In addition, Universal Television executives, producers, and host Roger Lodge of "Blind Date" enjoyed a day at the races to celebrate the show's success.

Today's celebrity horse owners who race their horses at Santa Anita include Mark McGrath (lead singer of Sugar Ray), Gary Barber (producer of "The Sixth Sense"), Alex Trebek (host of "Jeopardy"), Don Johnson (star of "Nash Bridges"), David E. Kelley (award-winning producer and creator of "Ally McBeal" and "The Practice"), Herb Alpert (six-time Grammy award-winning musician), Burt Bacharach (internationally acclaimed singer, composer, producer and conductor), David Milch (writer and executive producer of "NYPD Blue") and brothers Michael and Roger King of King World Productions, distributor of "Wheel of Fortune", "Jeopardy!" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Santa Anita Park is located at 285 W. Huntington Drive in Arcadia, fourteen miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. For reservations, directions or for more information please call (626) 574-7223.