DERBY DAY 5K WALK AND RUN ATTRACTS RECORD CROWD,
SANTA ANITA EVENT DRAWS 5,683, TABLE SET FOR BIG DAY,
GRADE I DERBY, THREE OTHER STAKES TOP 11-RACE CARD
Santa Anita’s 18th annual Derby Day 5K Walk and Run attracted a record 5,683 participants Saturday morning, setting the stage for a potentially huge day at The Great Race Place which will present the 75th running of the Grad
e I, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby later in the afternoon.
“We sure hope this is a precursor to a fabulous day,” said Santa Anita Vice President of Sales and Marketing Chris Quinn. “This is the best turnout we’ve ever had for this event and we had people of all ages—from 3 and 4-year-old kids, to people in their seventies. Everybody had a great time and we’re looking to have a great race-day as well.”
The Santa Anita Derby Day 5K benefits several charities and worthy causes, including Pasadena-based AbilityFirst, the California Retirement Management Account (CARMA), the Arcadia High School Athletic Boosters Club, the Arcadia Historical Museum and Arcadia Explorer Scouts.
Participants arrived early and competition got underway at 8 a.m. over a course that took runners and walkers to the world-renowned Los Angels County Arboretum and afforded all a glimpse of the Santa Anita stable area. Participants finished up their five kilometer trek with a quarter mile tour of Santa Anita’s inner training track.
An Open Division and Masters Division was available for adults 40 and over and several divisions were open to kids up to 12-years-of-age.
Santa Anita offers an 11-race program today highlighted by the Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, with early first post time set at 12 noon.
The Derby, to be broadcast live on NBC, has been carded as the sixth race and will be run at approximately 2:41 p.m. The Grade III Providencia Stakes, the Grade II Potrero Grande Stakes and the American Beauty Stakes will be run as races eight, nine and 10.
For more information, visit www.santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.