Santa Anita racetrack is being sued by its former publicity director, who claims he was fired because he “refused to lie” about “alleged mismanagement” amid a spike in horse deaths in the winter of 2019.
Mike Willman was fired in March after working for Santa Anita for 19 years. Willman’s lawsuit contends he was given a false reason, involving his use of inappropriate language to an employee. The suit says Willman resisted other executives’ “attempts to put out false narratives to deflect responsibility for the horse deaths” away from “surface issues, soils, extreme weather and management of same,” and instead blame trainers.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges track executives engaged in age discrimination and defamation of character and interfered with Willman’s ability to find new employment in the racing industry.
Defendants include Belinda Stronach, head of the Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita; Aidan Butler, CEO of 1/ST Racing and Gaming, and Amy Zimmerman, Santa Anita executive VP and executive producer. Santa Anita declined to comment on pending litigation.
Willman, a longtime racing broadcaster and horse breeder and owner as well as publicist, is being represented by the Pasadena-based Mathews Law Firm, which announced the lawsuit Wednesday.