SANTA ANITA PICKS

 ARCADIA, CA -- Santa Anita Park will kick off a new season of top-class Thoroughbred racing on Friday, Dec. 26 with opening day of the traditional Classic Meet. From the start of the 48-day Classic Meet until the close of the Hollywood Meet on June 14, Santa Anita will host 81 stakes over 78 race days which include the newly named Grade II D. Wayne Lukas Stakes on Feb. 7, historic GI Santa Anita Handicap on March 7 and the prestigious GI I Santa Anita Derby on April 4.

The Santa Anita Park Classic Meet and Hollywood Meet will offer $11.75 million in stakes purses, with overnight race purses slated to increase from the start of last year.

“The overall five percent purse increase for Santa Anita Park’s Classic Meet continues the positive trend from last season,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita’s General Manager. “The increases are highlighted by the rise in maiden special weight races to $70,000. Building on the strength of the 2025 Southern California racing program, we’ve been able to add back two stakes races that were not offered last season. These are positive steps for the state as California remains the only major racing jurisdiction where purses are not subsidized by other forms of gaming.”

Opening day of the Classic Meet on Dec. 26 will feature six graded stakes led by the GI Malibu for 3-year-olds and GI La Brea for 3-year-old fillies. Both are contested at seven furlongs on the main track. Also on the program is the GI American Oaks at 1 ¼ miles on turf, GII Laffit Pincay Jr. at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, GII Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds on turf and GIII San Gabriel at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The Santa Anita Handicap program on March 7 also includes the GII San Felipe for 3-year-olds, the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf, and the GI B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile.

The San Felipe is part of Santa Anita’s strong 3-year-old program for Triple Crown hopefuls. The series begins on Jan. 10 with the GII San Vicente at seven furlongs. It continues with the GIII Robert B. Lewis at one mile on Feb. 7, the San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles on Big ‘Cap day and concludes with the GI Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 4.

This past season, star 3-year-old Journalism went on to Triple Crown success after winning both the Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe for trainer Michael McCarthy. At the Triple Crown, Journalism took down the Preakness Stakes and finished second in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

“The Santa Anita three-year-old series has been a proving ground for the Triple Crown races since Hill Gail won our Derby in 1952,” said Jason Egan, Santa Anita Park’s Director of Racing. “Earlier this year, Journalism became the 19th Santa Anita Derby winner to go on to win a Triple Crown race. Both he and (Santa Anita Derby runner-up) Baeza performed impressively throughout the series.”

The Santa Anita Derby program on April 4 will also include the GII Santa Anita Oaks, GIII Monrovia for fillies and mares on the hillside turf course, and both the Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel for horses who were bred or sired in California.

As California-breds are a vital component to Santa Anita’s racing program, a total of 14 stakes exclusively for statebreds are on the schedule. California Cup Day is Jan. 17 featuring five stakes led by the California Chrome California Cup Derby and Leigh Ann Howard California Cup Oaks. Then on May 23, California Gold Rush Day, five more stakes for statebreds will be contested. Leading the quintet are the Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf and Melair Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

The Classic Meet ends on Sunday, April 5. Following a one-week break, Santa Anita will resume live racing with the start of the 30-day Hollywood Meet on Friday, April 17. Highlighting the Hollywood Meet is a Memorial Day program on Monday, May 25 that includes the GI Shoemaker Mile, GI Gamely and GII Hollywood Gold Cup.

Set to close the curtain on the Hollywood Meet on Sunday, June 14, is the traditional closing day feature, the GIII San Juan Capistrano. This will be the 87th running of the about 1 ¾-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up.

Santa Anita’s complete 2025-26 Classic Meet and Hollywood Meet Stakes Schedule is available at santaanita.com. In addition to the track’s website, fans can get additional information by calling (626) 574-RACE.