Santa Anita Park is a
thoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racetrack in
Arcadia, CaliforniaArcadia is a U.S. city in Los Angeles County, California that is located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is the site of the Santa Anita Park racetrack and home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. ...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the autumn and in winter. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the
Santa Anita DerbyThe Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
and the
Santa Anita HandicapThe Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up , and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season...
. As of March 5, 2009, Santa Anita's parent company (Magna Entertainment Corp.) filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
History
Santa Anita Park was opened on December 25, 1934 and is the oldest racetrack in
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California, or SoCal, is defined as the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population centers around three major metropolitan areas, each of which have over 3 million people; the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area with over 12 million inhabitants, the San Bernardino-Riverside...
. It was designed in the
art decoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
style by architect Gordon B. Kaufman. Originally part of "
Rancho Santa AnitaRancho Santa Anita was a land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given to Hugo Reid. The land grant was formally recognized by Governor Pio Pico in 1845. The land grant now covers all or portions of the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and San Marino...
", owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor-Domo, Claudio Lopez, named after a family member "Anita Cota". The ranch was later acquired by rancher,
Hugo ReidHugo Reid was a resident of Los Angeles, California who wrote a series of newspaper letters that described the culture, language, and modern circumstances of the local Gabrieliño Indians and criticized their treatment under the Franciscan mission system.-Life:Born in 1809 or 1810 in Cardross,...
, a Scotsman. Later, it would be owned by Gold prospector
Lucky BaldwinElias Jackson "Lucky" Baldwin was a prominent California businessman and investor of the second half of the 19th century.-Biography:...
. He initially founded a racetrack on the present site in what is today, Arcadia, outside of the city of
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
in the 1800s but it later closed. In 1933, California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks. In the San Francisco area, a group headed by
Dr. Charles H "Doc" StrubDr. Charles Henry Strub was an American dentist and entrepreneur who built and owned Santa Anita Park racetrack in Arcadia, California and was president and partner of the San Francisco Seals baseball club of the Pacific Coast League.Charles Strub was born in Hollister, California as the only the...
was having trouble locating a site. In the Los Angeles area a group headed by movie producer
Hal RoachHarold Eugene "Hal" Roach, Sr. was an American film and television producer and director from the 1910s to the 1990s.- Early life and career :Hal Roach was born in Elmira, New York...
was in need of further funds. These two groups combined and the newly-formed Los Angeles Turf Club reopened the track on Christmas Day in 1934. In February 1935, the first
Santa Anita HandicapThe Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up , and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season...
was run. The race's $100,000 purse, the largest of any race ever in the United States until that time, produced its nickname the Big 'Cap.
Under the leadership of Doc Strub, Santa Anita initiated many innovations that are standard in today's thoroughbred horse racing such as the use of starting gates and photo finishes for every race. It is interesting to note that the implementation of photo finishes at Santa Anita actually recorded an increase in dead heats. Santa Anita was so succesful that in its first year under Doc Strub's leadership, it paid its investors a 100% dividend on their investment.
In 1940,
SeabiscuitSeabiscuit was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many US citizens during the Great Depression...
won the Santa Anita Handicap in his last start. Two years later, in 1942, racing at Santa Anita was suspended due to the Second World War. From 1942 to 1944, Santa Anita was used as a
Japanese American internmentJapanese American internment refers to the forcible relocation and internment in 1942 of approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese residing in the United States to housing facilities called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The internment of...
center. After the track reopened in 1945, it went through the postwar years with prosperity. A downhill turf course, which added a distinctly European flair to racing at Santa Anita, was added in 1953.
A record 61,123 people showed up for the 1958 Santa Anita Derby, making the attendance that day a record crowd. They'd come to watch
Silky SullivanSilky Sullivan was an American thoroughbred race horse best known for his come-from-behind racing style...
come from 28 lengths off the pace and win—going away.
The 1960s brought about a major renovation of Santa Anita Park, including a much-expanded grandstand as well as major seating additions. In 1968,
Del Mar RacetrackDel Mar Racetrack is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the seaside city of Del Mar, California, 20 miles north of San Diego. Operated by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, it is known for the slogan: "Where The Turf Meets The Surf." It was built by a...
relinquished its dates for a fall meeting. A group of horsemen including
Clement HirschClement Lang Hirsch was an American businessman and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner who co-founded Oak Tree Racing Association....
intervened and established the not-for-profit
Oak Tree Racing AssociationThe Oak Tree Racing Association is an American not-for-profit corporation that exists to conduct live thoroughbred horse racing in Southern California.-History:...
. Oak Tree had no facilities of its own and rented Santa Anita Park for its first autumn meeting in 1969. the Oak Tree Association has since become the operator of the autumn meet at Santa Anita Park. This meet usually runs from the end of September until early November. Many key stakes races are held during the Oak Tree Meeting, including many preps to the
Breeders' CupThe Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location changes each year...
races. Oak Tree has been given the privilege of holding the
Breeders' CupThe Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location changes each year...
itself on three occasions, in 1986, 1993, 2003, and 2008, and is scheduled to host it again in 2009.
Prosperity continued at Santa Anita throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. In 1984, Santa Anita was the site of
equestrian events at the 1984 OlympicsThe Equestrian Events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics included Show Jumping, Dressage and Eventing. All three disciplines had both individual and team competitions.-Medal summary:-Medal table:...
. The following year, the track set an attendance record of 85,527 people on Santa Anita Handicap Day.The Santa Anita meeting still often draws massive crowds. 56,810 people were at the park for Santa Anita Derby Day 2007.
The Seabiscuit statue was hand tooled by Frank Buchler, a German immigrant the owner of Washington Ornamental Iron Company Los Angeles. Washington Ornamental Iron Company built all the facilities.
In 1997, Santa Anita Park was acquired by Meditrust when it purchased the Santa Anita Companies, a paired share
Real Estate Investment TrustA Real Estate Investment Trust or REIT is a tax designation for a corporation investing in real estate that reduces or eliminates corporate income taxes. In return, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their income, which may be taxable, into the hands of the investors...
. Following the elimination of the special tax treatment accorded Pair Share REITS, Meditrust sold the track to Magna Entertainment Corp. Magna still owns Santa Anita Park. In 2006,
Gulfstream ParkGulfstream Park Racing & Casino is a racetrack and county-approved racino in Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the United States. During its annual meet, which spans January through April, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in America....
and Santa Anita cohosted the
Sunshine MillionsThe Sunshine Millions is a series of American races for thoroughbred horses held in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California or at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The brainchild of prominent horseman Frank Stronach, half of the eight Sunshine Millions races are run at one...
, a day of competition with $3.6 million in stakes races between horses bred in the
State of FloridaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
and those bred in the
State of CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
.
In 2006, there was a proposal to close Santa Anita Park and use its location as the site of a new retail/entertainment complex. This proposal was eventually defeated when the adjacent Westfield Santa Anita Mall (built in 1974 on the site of the old barns and training track) began its expansion, and due to the continuing popularity of the racetrack. In April 2008, a plan was approved to use large parts of the existing track parking lot to construct another mall. The "Shops at Santa Anita" will open in 2010.
Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, Santa Anita has traditionally been associated with the film and television industries. The racetrack sequences in the
Marx BrothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
classic
A Day at the RacesA Day at the Races is the seventh movie starring the three Marx Brothers, with Margaret Dumont, Allan Jones and Maureen O'Sullivan. Like their previous MGM feature A Night at the Opera, this film was a major hit.-Synopsis:...
were filmed there, and many stars, including
Bing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American popular singer and actor whose career stretched over more than half a century from 1926 until his death....
,
Spencer TracySpencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 74 films from 1930 to 1967. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Tracy among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking 9th on the list...
,
Errol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian film actor, known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Background and early life:...
,
Alex TrebekGeorge Alexander "Alex" Trebek is a Canadian-American television personality and game show host. He has been the host of the game show Jeopardy! since 1984. He has hosted numerous game/quiz shows and has appeared in television series, usually as himself...
, and MGM mogul,
Louis B. MayerLouis Burt Mayer was a Russian-born American film producer. He is generally cited as the creator of the "star system" within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in its golden years. Known always as Louis B...
, have owned horses that raced there.
At Santa Anita Park's European-style paddock there are
statueA statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s of jockeys
George WoolfGeorge Monroe Woolf was a Canadian-born thoroughbred race horse jockey and the namesake of the annual jockey's award given by the United States Jockeys' Guild....
,
Johnny LongdenJohn Eric Longden was an American Hall of Fame jockey. He was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England but his father wanted to build a better life for his family so in 1909 emigrated to Canada, settling in Taber, Alberta. By 1912 Longden Sr. had saved enough money to send for his wife and young son...
, Bill Shoemaker and
Laffit Pincay, Jr.Laffit Alejandro Pincay, Jr. is a retired jockey who was based primarily in the United States.-Career:...
plus a memorial
bustA bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
of announcer
Joe HernandezJoe Hernandez was the voice of Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, from the time the track opened on Christmas Day 1934 until he fainted at the microphone on January 27, 1972. During that time he called an incredible 15,587 races in a row...
and one of trainer
Charlie WhittinghamCharles E. Whittingham was an American thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history....
with his dog, Toby. There is also a lifesize bronze of
SeabiscuitSeabiscuit was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope to many US citizens during the Great Depression...
in the walking ring at Seabiscuit Court. Buried near the paddock is
Emperor of NorfolkEmperor of Norfolk was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. Because he was big with huge hindquarters and because of his stellar racing record, he was called the “California Wonder.”-Going to California:...
, the best horse Lucky Baldwin ever owned, along with three other great Baldwin horses: Volante, Silver Cloud, and Rey El Santa Anita, all four of them winners of the prestigious
American DerbyThe American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at the city's old Washington Park race track and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed and the track demolished....
.
Since 1950, Santa Anita Park has annually presented the
George Woolf Memorial Jockey AwardThe George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.The award was created...
to a rider who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa, with a coastline on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. To the north lie Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa.Modern...
n native
Trevor DenmanTrevor Denman is an American sportscaster and public-address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing.Denman was born in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa...
has served as the track announcer at Santa Anita since 1983. Denman is noted for his calls beginning with "And awaaay they go..."
Physical attributes
Santa Anita has a one-mile (1,609 m) synthetic "cushion" main track which rings a turf course measuring 9/10 of a mile, or 7 furlongs plus 132 feet (1,448 m). In addition, it has an unusual hillside turf course which crosses the dirt and is used mainly to run turf races at a distance of "about" 6½ furlongs (exact distance 64½ feet less than same). This type of track is one of the few of its kind in America.
To comply with a State of California mandate, Santa Anita replaced its dirt racing surface with a new synthetic surface called Cushion Track, a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber, granulated rubber and a wax coating. The new Cushion Track opened for training on Sept 4, 2007 and hosted its first live race on Sept 26, 2007. The track lost 11 racing dates in 2008 due to a drainage problem with the new material, but intensive maintenance and the addition of a liquid binder greatly improved the artificial surface. Subsequently, management made the decision to replace Cushion Track with a new artificial racing surface manufactured by Pro-Ride, an
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n-based company. This surface will be available for the 2008 Oak Tree meeting, and Breeder's Cup event.
Santa Anita occupies 320 acres. It has a 1,100-foot-long grandstand, which is a historic landmark that seats 26,000 guests. The grandstand is done in an
Art DecoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
style and is the original facade from the 1930s.
The track infield area, which resembles a park with picnic tables and large trees, can accommodate 50,000 or more guests. The Park also contains 61 barns, which house more than 2,000 horses, and an equine hospital.
TV Personalites
- Kurt Hoover (1988-present)
- Jon White (1993-present)
- Becky Witzman (2004-2006)
- Carolyn Conley (1996-2002)
- Johnny D. (1996-2002)
- Jay Privman (1996-2002)
- Bill Seward
Bill Seward is an award-winning member of the staff at KNBC-TV, anchoring the Channel 4 News, with additional appearances on MSNBC, CNBC and “Early Today” on NBC....
(1988-2002)
Racing
Major races hosted by Santa Anita Park are:
Grade I stakes:
- Ancient Title Stakes
- Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes
- Goodwood Stakes
- Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap
The Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced over a distance of one mile . The Grade I race currently offers a purse of $300,000.Inaugurated in 1960 as...
- La Brea Stakes
The La Brea Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1974 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies, it was raced over a distance of seven furlongs on dirt until the track's new synthetic Cushion Track surface was installed in time for the...
- Las Virgenes Stakes
The Las Virgenes Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade I event run at a distance of one mile on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt, it is open to three-year-old fillies and currently offers a purse of...
- Malibu Stakes
The Malibu Stakes is a race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses of either gender held each December at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $750,000. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
- Santa Anita Handicap
The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up , and is considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season...
- Santa Anita Oaks
Santa Anita Oaks is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs on the dirt, it currently offers a purse of $300,000.Inaugurated in 1935 as a race for two-year-olds,...
- Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap
The Santa Margarita Invitational Handicapis an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Santa Maria Handicap
The Santa Maria Handicap is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Santa Monica Handicap
The Santa Monica Handicap is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late January/early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Yellow Ribbon Stakes
The Yellow Ribbon Stakes is a Grade I race for thoroughbred fillies and mares aged three-years-old and upwards. It is raced during the Oak Tree Racing Association meeting at Santa Anita Park in late September / early October. It is a major prep race for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and is...
Grade II stakes:
- Arcadia Handicap
The Arcadia Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced on turf over a distance of one mile...
- Buena Vista Handicap
The Buena Vista Handicap is an annual race for Thoroughbred horses held early in the year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to fillies and mares, age four and up, willing to race one mile on the turf, it is a Grade II event....
- El Encino Stakes
The El Encino Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to four-year-old fillies, it is raced over a distance of
1/
16 miles on the synthetic Cushion Track surface...
- La Canada Stakes
The La Cañada Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the second week of February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Lady's Secret Stakes
- Las Palmas Handicap
The Las Palmas Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California during the Oak Tree Racing Association meet each year in the fall. The race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf...
- Norfolk Stakes
- Oak Leaf Stakes
The Oak Leaf Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at the end of September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is restricted to two-year-old fillies and thus is a major prep race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies...
- Oak Tree Mile Stakes
- Oak Tree Derby
The Oak Tree Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park during the Oak Tree Racing Association meet each year. The Grade IIT event is open to three-year-old horses willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf and offers a purse of $150,000.Inaugurated in 1969 as the...
- Palos Verdes Handicap
The Palos Verdes Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade II event, it is open to horses age four and up, willing to race six furlongs on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt. It carries a purse of $150,000.In 1971,...
- Potrero Grande Handicap
- Providencia Stakes
The Providencia Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run annually during the first week of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- San Antonio Handicap
The San Antonio Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- San Carlos Handicap
The San Carlos Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at during the third week of February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- San Felipe Stakes
The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The San Felipe is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in mid-March, it is raced at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on dirt and currently...
- San Fernando Stakes
- San Gabriel Handicap
The San Gabriel Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California at the close of each year. The Grade II race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf and offers a purse of $150,000.First run in 1935, it...
- San Gorgonio Handicap
The San Gorgonio Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park early each year. A Grade IIT event, the San Gorgiono Handicap is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf...
- San Juan Capistrano Handicap
- San Luis Obispo Handicap
The San Luis Obispo Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one and one-half miles on the turf...
- San Luis Rey Handicap
The San Luis Rey Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Held during the third week of March, the Grade II event is open to horses of either gender, age four and up, willing to race one and one-half miles on the turf.Prior to 1955,...
- San Marcos Stakes
- San Pasqual Handicap
The San Pasqual Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park each year. The race is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt and offers a purse of $150,000....
- San Rafael Stakes
The San Rafael Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, California. The race is a Grade III event with a purse of $150,000 and is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile on the facility's Cushion Track synthetic dirt race track.Prior to...
- San Vicente Stakes
The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade III event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and carries a purse of $150,000....
- Santa Ana Handicap
The Santa Ana Handicap is a Thoroughbred horse race run at annually Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California during the third week of March. The race is open to fillies and mares, age four and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the turf....
- Santa Barbara Handicap
The Santa Barbara Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade II event open to fillies and mares, age four and older, it is contested of turf over a distance of one and a quarter miles.Inaugurated in 1935, through...
- Santa Catalina Stakes
- Santa Ynez Stakes
The Santa Ynez Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park, USA, early each year. The race is open to fillies, age three, willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt. A Grade II event, it carries a purse of $150,000 and is considered a prep to the Kentucky Oaks.Silver...
- Strub Stakes
The Strub Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California each year.Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $300,000, it is open to horses, age four, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the synthetic surface of Santa Anita and offers...
Grade III stakes:
- Baldwin Stakes
The Baldwin Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event for three-year-old horses, it is contested on turf at a distance of about six and one-half furlongs....
- Carleton F. Burke Handicap
The Carleton F. Burke Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Raced in late October as part of the Oak Tree Racing Association series, it is open to horses age three and older and is contested on turf at a distance of one-and-one-half...
- Daytona Handicap
The Daytona Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Listed race, it was upgraded to a Grade III event for 2009....
- El Conejo Handicap
The El Conejo Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run on or about New Year's Day each year at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- La Habra Stakes
The La Habra Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California early in the year...
- Las Cienegas Handicap
The Las Cienegas Handicap is a race for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Santa Anita Park. It is open to fillies and mares, age four and up, willing to race six and a half furlongs down the downhill turf....
- Las Flores Handicap
The Las Flores Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Monrovia Handicap
The Monrovia Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California at the very last of the year or the very beginning of the year...
- Morvich Handicap
The Morvich Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late October at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California as part of the Oak Tree Racing Association meet. Open to horses three years old and up, it is a Grade III stakes raced on the downhill turf course set at a distance...
- San Simeon Handicap
The San Simeon Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade III event is open to four year olds and up willing to race six and a half furlongs on the downhill turf course....
- Santa Paula Stakes
The Santa Paula Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event open to three-year-old fillies, it is contested over a distance of six and one half furlongs on Cushion Track synthetic dirt.The Santa Paula...
- Santa Ysabel Stakes
The Santa Ysabel Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run early each year at Santa Anita Park. It is open to fillies, three years old, willing to race one and one-sixteenths of a mile on the dirt...
- Senator Ken Maddy Handicap
The Senator Ken Maddy Handicap is a race for thoroughbred horses run each year at Santa Anita Park, California, USA, during the Oak Tree Racing Association meet. The race is open to three year olds and up willing to race six and a half furlongs on the downhill turf course. A Grade III event, it...
- Sham Stakes
The Sham Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Sham Stakes is open to three-year-olds willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the dirt...
- Sir Beaufort Stakes
The Sir Beaufort Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California at the end of the year. A Grade III stakes race for three-year-old horses, it's set at a distance of 1 mile on the turf and offers a purse of $100,000.The Sir Beaufort, named for Sir Beaufort, a...
- Tokyo City Cup
The Tokyo City Cup Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the end of March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event raced on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt at a distance of 1½ miles , it is open to horses aged four and older.Run as the San Bernardino Handicap...
- Thunder Road Handicap
The Thunder Road Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is open to horses age four and older and is contested on turf at a distance of one mile . A Listed race, it was upgraded to a Grade III event for 2009...
- Tuzla Handicap
The Tuzla Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race for older fillies and mares run at the Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California at the beginning of the year...
Ungraded stakes
- Blue Norther Stakes
The Blue Norther Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually near the end of December at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California...
- Eddie Logan Stakes
The Eddie Logan Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds run at the Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California late in the year...
- La Puente Stakes
Miscellaneous information
- Superstition
Superstition is a credulous belief or notion, not based on reason, knowledge, or experience. The word is often used pejoratively to refer to folk beliefs deemed irrational. This leads to some superstitions being called "old wives' tales"...
: In Santa Anita Park's horse stalls, there is no 13th stall, since 13 is considered unluckyTriskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13; it is a superstition and related to a specific fear of Friday the 13th, called paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia.-Origins:There is a common myth that the earliest reference to thirteen being unlucky or evil is from the Babylonian Code...
. There is a 12 and a 12a, then a 14.
- In 2006 Karen S. Davis
Karen Susan Davis is an American photographer, author, editor, singer-songwriter, and actor. She is best known for Santa Anita Morning Rhapsody, the first coffee table book to document morning thoroughbred horse training at a racetrack.-Photographer and Author:Karen S...
, photogapher and author, published Santa Anita Morning Rhapsody, the first full-color art book documenting morning thoroughbred racetrack training.
External links