EXHIBIT 23.7     
                             
                          Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
                           30 Rockefeller Plaza 
                           New York, N.Y. 10020 
                         Telephone (212) 632-6000                     New York
                         Facsimile (212) 632-6060                               

                                                            
                                                         September 25, 1997     
   
To the Board of Directors:     
   
  We hereby consent to the reference to the presentation of our Firm, dated
April 13, 1997, to the Board of Trustees of Meditrust under the caption "The
Mergers--Financial Analysis of Financial Advisor to Meditrust and MAC" in the
Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus of Meditrust, Meditrust Acquisition Company
and The Santa Anita Companies, which Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus is part
of the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of The Santa Anita Companies. In
giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are experts with respect
to any part of such Registration Statement within the meaning of the term
"expert" as used in, or that we come within the category of persons whose
consent is required under Section 7 of, the Securities Act of 1933 or the rules
and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.     
                                             
                                          Very truly yours,     
                                             
                                          LAZARD FRERES & CO. LLC     
                                                    
                                                 /s/ J. Ira Harris     
                                                 
                                              By _________________________     
                                               
                                            J. Ira Harris, Managing Director