Top Horsemen Back at Santa Anita for Autumn Meet

Many of America's top horsemen will converge on Santa Anita Park next Friday, Sept. 27, as The Great Race Place opens its doors for its 23-day Autumn Meet which will also include a record 10th Breeders' Cup World Championships Nov. 1-2. 

With five of the nation's current top 14 trainers by money-won competing on a full-time basis, Bob Baffert (9), John Sadler (11), Doug O'Neill (12), Richard Baltas (13) and Michael McCarthy (14), leading the way, Santa Anita's Autumn Meet training race figures to be very competitive indeed. 

Along with this high-powered quintet, Mark Glatt comes into the Autumn Meet holding a red-hot hand as his barn is enjoying its best-ever year. Phil D'Amato, fourth behind Doug O'Neill, Glatt and Baltas in Santa Anita's Spring Summer standings, figures to again be a major Autumn Meet player as does Peter Miller, with both barns well stocked and ready to run in a variety of different categories. 

American racing's most recognizable figure, Hall of Famer Baffert has the nation's current top rated older horse, McKinzie, who is expected to prep for the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic in the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes on Sept. 28. Baffert also has an abundance of top two and three year old fillies and colts, and although he's not expected to vie for the most races won, his stable is again well positioned to take home the most money. 

A total of four Hall of Famers, Baffert, Neil Drysdale, Richard Mandella and Ron McAnally all call Santa Anita home and will again be very much in evidence here this fall.

Additionally, a number of other well established conditioners, such as Dan Blacker, Simon Callaghan, Jim Cassidy, Jack Carava, Vladimir Cerin, Keith Desormeaux, Peter Eurton, Carla Gaines, Paddy Gallagher, Bruce Headley, Bob Hess, Jr., David Hofmans, Steve Knapp, Brian Koriner, Eric Kruljac, Andrew Lerner, Craig Lewis, Steve Miyadi, Kristin Mulhall, Jeff Mullins, George Papaprodromou, Leonard Powell, Shelbe Ruis, Gary Sherlock, John Shirreffs, Bill Spawr, Gary Stute, Eddie Truman, Jonathan Wong, Tim Yakteen and others will all be competing on a regular basis.  

For comprehensive biographies on a total of 33 Santa Anita-based trainers, please visit santaanita.com.