Santa Anita Condition Book Unveils May Stakes Schedule
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Photo: Benoit Photo
River Boyne (inside), a likely candidate for the rescheduled Shoemaker Mile, wins the Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park officials, hopeful that racing could resume there behind closed doors by May 15 if a Safer at Home order is lifted in Los Angeles County, have released the track's condition book and stakes schedule for the second half of May.
In a letter to industry representatives distributed April 29, Aidan Butler, the acting executive director of California operations for The Stronach Group, which operates Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields in the state, wrote that the release of the condition book was necessary to allow horsemen to prepare for the possible resumption of racing, though he emphasized a May 15 start date was not assured. He categorized the release of the condition book as a contingency plan pending local health department approval.
Racing has not taken place at Santa Anita since March 22.
The new condition book lists a number of stakes, beginning with the $150,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for 3-year-olds and the $150,000 Evening Jewel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, both May 16 for California-breds at six furlongs.
Other planned stakes include the $200,000 Charlie Whittingham Stakes (G2T) at 1 1/4 miles on turf May 23 and the $100,000 Daytona Stakes (G3T) at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf that same afternoon.
A couple of days later on Memorial Day, May 25, the track has several high-level grass races carded, topped by the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile (G1T), the $300,000 Gamely Stakes (G1T) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles, and the $200,000 Monrovia Stakes (G2T) at 5 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares. The track has designated the Shoemaker Mile as a "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup qualifier.
The month's stakes then wind down with the $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 mile on grass May 30 and the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares on dirt at 1 1/16 miles May 31.
The stakes continue the next month with the $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), $400,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1), and the $300,000 Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1)—all June 6.
The Santa Anita stakes schedule and condition book can be found on the track's website.