Weekend Promotions Aplenty As Racing Returns To Santa Anita
ARCADIA, Calif.—Santa Anita’s 18-day Autumn meet which begins Friday will be highlighted by 26 stakes, 15 of them graded. Overnight purses remain the same as last year.
Most all stakes purses are the same as in 2021, with the following exceptions: both the Golden State Juvenile and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies have had purses increased from $150,000 to $175,000, while the Unzip Me and the Anoakia have purses of $85,000, up from $75,000 last year. Additionally, two restricted stakes, the Swingtime and the Lure, now offer purse money of $80,000, an increase of $10,000 each.
The 2022 Autumn Meet stakes schedule will include five Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” stakes over the first two weekends, Oct. 1 & 2 and Oct. 8 & 9, all significant preps to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland Racecourse Nov. 4 & 5. These include three Grade I events, the $300,000 Awesome Again on Oct. 1 and the $300,000 American Pharoah and the $300,000 Rodeo Drive, both on Oct. 8.
Thanks to the Breeders’ Cup, the Autumn Meet will get off to a fast start, with 11 stakes, seven of them graded, offered opening weekend. The second weekend, Oct. 8 & 9, features six stakes, five of them graded.
The Grade I Awesome Again Stakes is a prep to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic; the Grade I American Pharoah is a prep to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and the Grade I Rodeo Drive Stakes is a prep to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The Grade I Awesome Again headlines a tremendous day of stakes Saturday, supported by five additional added money events: the Grade II, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course; the Grade II, $200,000 John Henry Stakes for 3-year-olds and older at 1 ¼ miles on turf; the Grade II, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint
Championship at six furlongs; the Grade II, $200,000 City of Hope Mile on turf for 3-year-olds and up and the $85,000 Unzip Me for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf.
On Sunday, Oct. 2, five stakes will be offered, the Grade II, $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles; the Grade III, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies & mares three and up at 6 ½ furlongs; the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on turf, the 100,000 Tokyo City Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 ½ miles (which has been permanently moved to the Autumn Meet as a prep to Breeders’ Cup Marathon races) and the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy, for fillies and mares three and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course.
Four California-bred Stakes, the California Distaff ($125,000) on Oct. 15; the California Flag ($125,000) on Oct. 16; the Golden State Juvenile ($175,000) on Oct. 29 and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies ($175,000) on Oct. 29, will again provide local owners and breeders’ ample added money opportunities through closing day, Nov. 6.
First post time for Friday’s nine-race program is 1 p.m.
Following are promotional events opening weekend:
FRIDAY, SEPT. 30—OPENING DAY
• $3 Beers & $5 Margaritas at Sirona’s Bar and the Horseshoe Bar on the Grandstand Mezzanine
• Free General Admission and Parking
• Santa Anita’s $5,000 ShowVivor online handicapping contest begins
SATURDAY, OCT. 1—BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE DAY
• Smorgasbord LA Noodlefest (Trackside)
• Compton Cowboys/Stagecoach Pop-Up in the Infield
• Rose’ at the Races in the Chandelier Room
• FrontRunner Buffet
• Trackside Dining Buffet
• Infield Family Fun Zone
• $4,000 Santa Anita Opening Weekend Challenge
• Santa Anita Pick ’Em Contest
SUNDAY, OCT. 2—BREEDERS’ CUP CHALLENGE DAY
• Japan Family Day, adjacent to the Kingsbury Fountain in the West Paddock
• Infield Family Fun Zone
• $4,000 Santa Anita Opening Weekend Challenge
• Santa Anita Pick ’Em Contest
Fans are also advised that beginning opening day and on any race day through Nov. 6, those wagering $100 on Santa Anita races via XB Rewards, 1/ST Bet or Xpressbet, will receive a Santa Anita Polo Shirt.
Entries for Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet opener Sept. 30 were drawn yesterday. For additional information regarding racing and tickets for promotions through closing day, Nov. 6, please visit www.santaanita.com/events or call (626) 574-RACE.
For information on Past The Wire’s annual Breeders’ Cup Seminar, the very best in the game CLICK HERE
FINISH LINES: Undefeated Flightline went four furlongs this past Saturday at Santa Anita in 48 seconds flat in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland on Nov. 5. Unquestionably in a league of his own after a jaw-dropping 19 ¼-length victory in the TVG Pacific Classic, the $1 million son of Tapit will continue training at The Great Race Place under the sagacious direction of John Sadler in quest of winning the Breeders’ Cup event and clinching Horse of the Year honors . . . Champion female sprinter of 2021 Ce Ce, nominated to this Sunday’s Grade III Chillingworth Stakes, worked five furlongs last Sunday in 1:01 for Michael McCarthy , who trains the six-year-old Elusive Quality mare for owner/breeder Bo Hirsch. Ce Ce won the Chillingworth last year en route to an upset victory over Edgeway and Gamine in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint . . . Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally will present a trophy to the winning connections of Saturday’s Grade II John Henry Turf Championship, named in honor of the legendary gelding. Now 90, McAnally conditioned John Henry in the late 1970’s and early 1980s, when he won two Horse of the Year titles in 1981 and 1984 . . . Soothsay, winner of last year’s Grade II Santa Anita Oaks and a nominee to Sunday’s Grade II Zenyatta Stakes, worked four furlongs Wednesday in 48.80 for Richard Mandella.
Santa Anita Press Release
Photo by Benoit
