Former Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach arrested on sexual assault charges

TORONTO — Austrian-Canadian auto parts billionaire and former Santa Anita Park owner Frank Stronach was arrested on sexual assault charges spanning decades, police said.

The 91-year-old was charged Friday with five crimes including rape, indecent assault on a female, sexual assault and forcible confinement, Peel Regional Police said. He was released with conditions and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, Ontario, at a later date, the police statement said.

Peel Regional Police Constable Tyler Bell said there is more than one accuser but declined to say how many.

“Obviously, this is a high-profile case. Our special victims unit is bound to protect the victims and in doing so that’s why were are being vague,” Bell said. “There is more than one victim but we won’t confirm that number yet.”

Police allege the sexual assaults occurred from the 1980s to as recent as 2023. Bell said they are appealing for people to come forward if they have information or have been victims.

Stronach, a three-time Eclipse Award-winning thoroughbred owner, bought Santa Anita Park in Arcadia for $127 million from the Meditrust Cos. in 1998. He later founded The Stronach Group, a horse racing, entertainment and pari-mutuel wagering technology company, with his daughter Belinda in 2011, but resigned two years later to run for office in his native Austria.

Stronach no longer plays a role in The Stronach Group, which still includes Santa Anita among the horse racing tracks it owns. He filed a lawsuit in 2018 against his daughter and family members alleging mismanagement. The suit was settled in 2020, with Stronach and his wife gaining ownership of a stallion and breeding business. Belinda Stronach, who rebranded The Stronach Group as 1/ST, retained full control of all horse racing, gaming, real estate and related assets.

In a statement released late Friday, The Stronach Group said: “The Stronach Group is aware of the serious charges that have been brought against Frank Stronach. Frank Stronach has not held a formal role or been involved with company operations in any capacity for several years. This matter is now before the courts and will be dealt with in the appropriate forum. The company has nothing further to add.”

Stronach didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. He has hired prominent Canadian defense lawyer Brian Greenspan.

“Mr. Stronach categorically denies the allegations of impropriety which have been brought against him,” Greenspan said in an e-mail. “He looks forward to the opportunity to fully respond to the charges and to maintain his legacy both as a philanthropist and as an icon of the Canadian business community.”