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Preakness champ National Treasure (inside) goes in the Grade 1 Malibu on opening day at Santa Anita. (Maryland Jockey Club)
+ Three Grade I’s Among Six Stakes Set For Opening Day
+ Free Wall Calendar, Other Promos Await Race Fans
+ First Post Opening Day Is 11 A.M. PT
Santa Anita Stable Notes By Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.—A crown jewel of American sports, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. kicks off its 89th anniversary year of operation Tuesday with a traditional day-after-Christmas opening-day program that gets underway early with first post time at 11 a.m. PT.
The Santa Anita’s Classic Meet includes 49 days of live Thoroughbred racing ending on April 8. Following a 12-day break, Santa Anita will reopen for its 29-day Hollywood Meet on April 19. The Hollywood Meet concludes June 16.
Santa Anita is set to hit the ground running on Tuesday. Among the opening-day attractions are six graded stakes. This includes six Grade I races: the $300,000 Malibu for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on the main track; $300,0000 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on the main track; and $300,000 American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going 1 ¼ miles on turf.
The remaining opening-day stakes are all Grade II’s worth $200,0000 in prize money. They are the Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf, the San Antonio going 1 1/16 miles on dirt and San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Both the San Antonio and San Gabriel are for 3-year-olds and up.
“I think we’re all excited to get running again,” said Jason Egan, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “Opening day is always a special day for Santa Anita.”
Egan added this year’s racing program will be similar to those found in recent years.
“There aren’t any big deviations, but we are trying a few modifications to some (race) conditions that hopefully fit our program better,” he noted. “Nothing significant, just a few tweaks to hopefully make things flow a little better.”
As far as the current horse population, Egan said it was “on par” with recent years. With that said, there will be a handful of new trainers with a full-time presence at Santa Anita this season.
Eastern-based trainers Richard Dutrow and Jonathan Thomas will each have strings here this winter. Dutrow has been allocated 10 stalls. His Santa Anita operation includes White Abarrio, who won the rich Breeders’ Cup Classic here on Nov. 4.
Thomas has already sent six horses to Santa Anita with up to six more likely to arrive in coming weeks.
At least two trainers from Northern California will also have strings at Santa Anita this winter. Both Ed Moger Jr. and Brendan Galvin will have up to 25 horses stabled here by mid-January, according to Egan. Fellow Northern California trainer Jack Steiner is also slated to send a string to Santa Anita later this winter.
“It can always be better, but I’m not concerned with where we are at,” Egan said of the horse population.
As for horseplayers, there will be no shortage of betting options at the Classic Meet. In addition to the traditional wagering fare, Santa Anita will also offer an all-turf Pick 3 each day and a Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 every Saturday and Sunday beginning Jan. 6.
The all-turf Pick 3 is a $3 minimum wager offered on the final three turf races of the day. The Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 is a $1 minimum wager with a player-friendly 15 percent takeout. The sequence will include races from both Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park.
Additionally, Santa Anita will offer a traditional $1 Pick 6 every race day.
“We’re going to try and put our best product forward,” Egan said.
“Hopefully the fans and horseplayers will enjoy it and can make some money.”
Three Grade I’s Among Six Stakes Set For Opening Day Tuesday
Entries for Tuesday’s opening-day program, which features six graded stakes including three Grade Is, will be taken on Friday. Nominations for all six stakes closed on Dec. 12.
The Grade I, $300,000 Malibu for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs on dirt attracted 13 nominees. They include a quintet for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert: Speed Boat Beach, Fort Bragg, Hejazi, Elwood Blues and National Treasure. National Treasure, most recently beaten just a nose here in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 4, is also nominated to the Grade I San Antonio at 1 1/16 miles on the main track.
The Malibu is also expected to include at least two Eastern invaders, Raise Cain and Damon’s Mound. Raise Cain most recently won the seven-furlong Perryville Stakes Oct. 21 at Keeneland for trainer Ben Colebrook. Damon’s Mound won the GII Gallant Bob going six furlongs at Parx on Sept. 23 and most recently was second in the Steel Valley Sprint at Mahoning Valley Nov. 20 for trainer Michelle Lovell.
The other two Grade Is on opening day are the $300,000 La Brea for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs on dirt and $300,000 American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf.
The La Brea could also include a handful of eastern invaders. Among those nominated are Vahva and Alva Starr, most recently the one-two finishers in the GII Raven Run at Keeneland Oct. 21 going seven furlongs on dirt, and recent Churchill Downs allowance winner Royal Spa trained by Rodolphe Brisset. Vahva is trained by Cherie DeVaux while Alva Starr hails from the Brett Brinkman barn.
Among the leading local contenders for the La Brea are Clearly Unhinged for trainer Michael McCarthy, who exits a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint here Nov. 4; and three fillies trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella: Grade III winner Ice Dancing, Coffee in Bed and Llorona, an impressive debut winner going six furlongs at Del Mar Dec. 1.
The American Oaks has nine fillies nominated including Grade I winner Anisette for trainer Leonard Powell and Grade III winner Ruby Nell for Mandella.
FINISH LINES
On-track fans opening day will receive a free wall calendar while supplies last with paid admission. Other opening day highlights include a Craft Beer Festival on the Grandstand apron, Whiskey in Winter Chandelier Room Party, Infield Family Fun Zone, restaurant specials at Frontrunner and SILKS and much more…
The Santa Anita Jockey Colony is stacked with world-class talent, with defending champ Juan Hernandez, Flavien Prat, Frankie Dettori, Joel Rosario, Antonio Fresu, Kazushi Kimura, Umberto Rispoli and others all committed to ride full-time here this winter…
Due to rain this week at Santa Anita, there was no training on Wednesday and there will be no training on Thursday…
After opening day Tuesday, live racing will resume at Santa Anita on Friday, Dec. 29…
Every Friday during the Classic Meet fans will enjoy free admission and parking plus $3 beers and $5 margaritas.
