Santa Anita officials announced today that live racing will return to The Great Race Place in late September with the inaugural Santa Anita Autumn Meet. Pending California Horse Racing Board approval, the meet will run over a six-week period and conclude on Nov. 6.
“We’re very excited to be able to let our fans, employees and horsemen know that live Thoroughbred racing will return to Santa Anita this autumn,” said George Haines, Santa Anita President. Our inaugural Autumn Meet will provide the kind of world class racing and economic opportunity that our sport and community have come to expect at Santa Anita.”
Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet will also provide horsemen with a total of six Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifying races. A win in any of these races automatically qualifies the victor with the opportunity to enter in the Breeders’ Cup race for which he or she is pointing.
“We’ll be offering the same traditional series of Graded Breeders’ Cup Challenge races as have previously been run by the Oak Tree Racing Association,” said Santa Anita’s Director of Racing, Mike Harlow, “including the prestigious Lady’s Secret, the Goodwood, the Norfolk, the Oak Leaf, the Yellow Ribbon and the Ancient Title.”
In addition to the Breeders’ Cup Challenge races, Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet will have a full schedule of stakes races generally consistent with the fall stakes schedule run in Southern California in prior years.
“While some details still must be finalized, Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet will offer horsemen and racing fans a fantastic schedule of graded and non-graded stakes races,” said George Haines. “We look forward to welcoming everyone back in September.”
For more information on the upcoming Santa Anita Autumn Meet, fans are encouraged to visit www.santaanita.com, or to call (626) 574-RACE.