Jenny Craig's horse facility to close
May 15, 2013 23:07:28 GMT -5
Post by Jon on May 15, 2013 23:07:28 GMT -5
Jenny Craig's horse facility to close
By Lily Leung
An acclaimed thoroughbred training center in Rancho Santa Fe owned by weight-loss guru Jenny Craig is set to close by May 31.
Rancho Paseana — a 200-plus acre facility that has prepped competitors for top races and rehabbed injured horses — is shutting down for financial reasons, Craig said.
Operation costs have become unsustainable, and Craig said she doesn’t want to drive clients away with unreasonable boarding rates.
“Frankly, I’ve been putting it off for ... years, after my husband died,” said Craig, referring to Sidney, an avid horse-racing fan.
“I felt I had to keep it open, if nothing else, in his memory,” she added. “I tried to make it work. I tried everything I could without reducing the quality of services.”
The closure of Rancho Paseana comes at a time of change for the industry, said Mike Willman, spokesman for Santa Anita Park, one of three major thoroughbred racetracks in Southern California.
Inglewood’s Hollywood Park will stop operating as a racing and training facility by year’s end. San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall, the most comparable facility to Craig’s ranch, will be temporarily closed in June for a three-month renovation.
Those who boarded horses in Rancho Santa Fe will likely have to travel farther for services. Possible venues include San Luis Rey Downs and small farms. Clifford Sise Jr., farm manager of Rancho Paseana, said the facility’s closure may mean some owners will get out of the business altogether.
“It’s a first-class facility,” said Willman, of Santa Anita Park. “It has been utilized by some top-quality horses and it’s been a valuable asset to Del Mar (Racetrack) and the entire circuit.”
Craig’s horse farm, on San Dieguito Road, has been the training grounds for some top-quality thoroughbreds, including horses owned by Craig herself. But it’s mainly known as a “layup” facility, where many thoroughbreds enjoy downtime and can be rehabbed for injuries, said Mac McBride, a spokesman for Del Mar Racetrack.
“It would be nothing but good to have more access to horse facilities nearby, but ... we will adjust to the circumstances,” McBride said.
More than half of the 270 horses once boarding at Rancho Paseana have been returned to their owners, said Sise, the farm manager. More than 60 people work at the ranch. Some are set to retire, while others are looking for jobs, he said.
The closure of Rancho Paseana does not come as a surprise to those in the racing industry.
Craig has been trying to sell the horse farm since 2010, when it was put on the market for nearly $30 million. The price tag was reduced to almost $25 million before it was pulled off the Multiple Listing Service in fall 2012.
Amenities include a three-quarter-mile dirt training track, four 30-stall barns and rehab equipment for injured horses.
Craig said she is in negotiations with at least one potential buyer, an unnamed company.
There’s always a chance the new owners could operate the property as thoroughbred training facility.
Because of its flat acreage, Rancho Paseana could be grounds for hunters/jumpers and dressage enthusiasts, according to the property listing.
Once known as Rancho del Rayo, the ranch originally belonged to former San Diego Chargers owner Gene Klein, who built it in 1985. The Craigs bought the facility in 1995.
www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/15/jenny-craig-thoroughbred-training-rancho-paseana/
By Lily Leung
An acclaimed thoroughbred training center in Rancho Santa Fe owned by weight-loss guru Jenny Craig is set to close by May 31.
Rancho Paseana — a 200-plus acre facility that has prepped competitors for top races and rehabbed injured horses — is shutting down for financial reasons, Craig said.
Operation costs have become unsustainable, and Craig said she doesn’t want to drive clients away with unreasonable boarding rates.
“Frankly, I’ve been putting it off for ... years, after my husband died,” said Craig, referring to Sidney, an avid horse-racing fan.
“I felt I had to keep it open, if nothing else, in his memory,” she added. “I tried to make it work. I tried everything I could without reducing the quality of services.”
The closure of Rancho Paseana comes at a time of change for the industry, said Mike Willman, spokesman for Santa Anita Park, one of three major thoroughbred racetracks in Southern California.
Inglewood’s Hollywood Park will stop operating as a racing and training facility by year’s end. San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall, the most comparable facility to Craig’s ranch, will be temporarily closed in June for a three-month renovation.
Those who boarded horses in Rancho Santa Fe will likely have to travel farther for services. Possible venues include San Luis Rey Downs and small farms. Clifford Sise Jr., farm manager of Rancho Paseana, said the facility’s closure may mean some owners will get out of the business altogether.
“It’s a first-class facility,” said Willman, of Santa Anita Park. “It has been utilized by some top-quality horses and it’s been a valuable asset to Del Mar (Racetrack) and the entire circuit.”
Craig’s horse farm, on San Dieguito Road, has been the training grounds for some top-quality thoroughbreds, including horses owned by Craig herself. But it’s mainly known as a “layup” facility, where many thoroughbreds enjoy downtime and can be rehabbed for injuries, said Mac McBride, a spokesman for Del Mar Racetrack.
“It would be nothing but good to have more access to horse facilities nearby, but ... we will adjust to the circumstances,” McBride said.
More than half of the 270 horses once boarding at Rancho Paseana have been returned to their owners, said Sise, the farm manager. More than 60 people work at the ranch. Some are set to retire, while others are looking for jobs, he said.
The closure of Rancho Paseana does not come as a surprise to those in the racing industry.
Craig has been trying to sell the horse farm since 2010, when it was put on the market for nearly $30 million. The price tag was reduced to almost $25 million before it was pulled off the Multiple Listing Service in fall 2012.
Amenities include a three-quarter-mile dirt training track, four 30-stall barns and rehab equipment for injured horses.
Craig said she is in negotiations with at least one potential buyer, an unnamed company.
There’s always a chance the new owners could operate the property as thoroughbred training facility.
Because of its flat acreage, Rancho Paseana could be grounds for hunters/jumpers and dressage enthusiasts, according to the property listing.
Once known as Rancho del Rayo, the ranch originally belonged to former San Diego Chargers owner Gene Klein, who built it in 1985. The Craigs bought the facility in 1995.
www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/15/jenny-craig-thoroughbred-training-rancho-paseana/
