Change at Santa Anita?

Santa Anita is looking into the possibility of removing its dirt surface, where the majority of the track’s 36 horse deaths since December have occurred, and going back to a synthetic surface.

That’s according to Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for The Stronach Group, which owns the track. “We haven’t ruled anything out,” she said Wednesday. The drastic measure is being explored as a way to curtail the spate of deaths at the track, which is hosting the Breeders’ Cup world championships this weekend for a record 10th time.

In 2007, Santa Anita installed a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber and granulated rubber with a wax coating after the California Horse Racing Board mandated the change for all of the state’s thoroughbred racetracks.

The surface experienced drainage problems the following year that cost the track 11 racing days and it was eventually replaced by another brand of synthetic that failed to perform adequately under the extreme temperatures in Arcadia.

Statistics showed synthetics reduced the number of equine fatalities in California.

However, trainers and bettors were among those opposing the surface change and Santa Anita returned to dirt in 2010.

Baseball: Former All-Star slugger Josh Hamilton was charged with injury to a child after his 14-year-old daughter told his ex-wife that he’d struck her. Hamilton turned himself in to the Tarrant County Jail in Fort Worth, Texas, and was released on $35,000 bond. According to a police affidavit, Hamilton’s daughter told Keller police that he went on a rampage Sept. 30th.

Colleges: Alabama coach Nick Saban said QB Tua Tagovailoa could be “a game time decision” when the second-ranked Crimson Tide faces No. 1 LSU after the team’s week off. Tagovailoa missed last week’s victory over Arkansas with a sprained right ankle but has returned to practice. Saban also said TE Miller Forristall could be out for the next six weeks. Forristall got hit in the throat in the Arkansas game and had surgery to repair an injury to his voice box.

Soccer: Liverpool ousted Arsenal in a shootout after a 5-5 draw and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the League Cup. Liverpool’s Divock Origi scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to force the shutout. In other action, Manchester United advanced with a 2-1 win over Chelsea.

Tennis: Four-time tournament champ and No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat 20-year-old Corentin Moutet of France 7-6 (2), 6-4 to advance to the third round of the Paris Masters. ... Defending champ and No. 8 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine beat No. 5 seed Simona Halep of Romania in round-robin play at the season-ending WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China. Svitolina moved to 2-0 and advanced to the semifinal round.