Photo:

Ron Flatter – edited composite

Using words like “baseless” and “meritless” to describe the
accusations it faces, the Stronach Group said Friday it would fight a
wrongful-termination lawsuit filed this winter by Santa Anita’s former
spokesperson.

“The lawsuit filed by Mr. (Mike) Willman is baseless and
filled with false and misleading claims,” a written statement from 1/ST corporate
headquarters said.

Suit claims Santa Anita misled public during 2019 crisis.

Willman, who was fired nearly 10 months ago after 19 years
as head of Santa Anita’s media relations, filed his civil case Dec. 4 in Ls
Angeles Superior Court. It finally came to light in a Los Angeles Times
report this week.

Among other claims made through his Arcadia, Calif.,
attorney Charles Mathews, Willman said senior executives at Santa Anita tried
to mislead the media and the public about the 37 horse deaths that happened on
the track in 2019.

“Mr. Willman’s employment with Santa Anita Park terminated
in 2024, five years after the events he references in 2019, for reasons having
nothing to do with racetrack safety,” the Stronach statement said Friday. “Santa
Anita Park will vigorously defend itself against these meritless allegations
and looks forward to setting the record straight in court, where the truth will
prevail.”

In his suit, Willman admitted he used a misogynist profanity
in front of a woman who worked for him. He said he was joking but that it also gave
his bosses “a colorable excuse” to get rid of him after he tried to resist what
he considered a cover-up about the racetrack deaths.

“Santa Anita Park has been and continues to be the industry
leader in horse care and safety reforms,” the Stronach statement said. “As was
widely reported in the media, last year Santa Anita Park concluded the winter-spring
meet with a near perfect safety record of 99.7%, making it one of the safest
racing venues in North America.”

That figure took into account racing deaths but did not
factor in seven training fatalities during the same period.

Since the current meet began Dec. 26, there have been four racehorse
deaths at Santa Anita. One was in a race, two in training and one off the track,
according to statistics posted on the California Horse Racing Board website.
Two were breakdowns and two non-musculoskeletal.