ARCADIA , Calif. (Sept. 6, 2012)—Santa Anita’s stable area and main track have reopened for training following a seven-week closure for routine maintenance during the Del Mar race meeting, which concluded on Wednesday.
A number of major stables, including those of Bob Baffert, Bruce Headley, Vladimir Cerin, Bill Spawr, Richard Mandella, John Sadler and David Hofmans, have returned to The Great Race Place in anticipation of Santa Anita’s 24-day Autumn Meet, which opens on Friday, Sept. 28 and which will be highlighted by the Breeders’ Cup World Championships on Nov. 2 & 3.
The opening day feature is the Grade III Eddie D Stakes, named for legendary retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, is for 3-year-olds and up going 6 ½ furlongs down the Camino Real Turf Course.
Santa Anita will present six Grade I, $250,000 Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Races over the first two weekends of the meet, with five of them carded on Saturday, Sept. 29: the Rodeo Drive Stakes, for fillies and mares 3-and-up at 1 ¼ miles on turf (formerly the Yellow Ribbon), the Awesome Again Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles (formerly the Goodwood), the Zenyatta Stakes, for fillies and mares 3-and-up at 1 1/16 miles (formerly the Lady’s Secret), the Chandelier Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles (formerly the Oak Leaf) and the FrontRunner Stakes, for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles (formerly the Norfolk).
The Grade I, $250,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs (formerly the Ancient Title), will be run on the second Saturday of the meet, Oct. 6.
Santa Anita, which has again been designated as the host-site for the 2013 Breeders’ Cup, will be hosting the event for the sixth time this fall. The two-day gala will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network and the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic will be shown for the first time in Eastern Prime Time on Nov. 3, via over-the-air NBC.
First post time throughout the meet will be at 1 p.m., with the exception of the two Breeders’ Cup days, when first post will be at 11:15 a.m. and 10:05 a.m. respectively.
For additional information, visit www.santaanita.com, or call (626) 574-RACE.