Santa Anita Opens Sept. 30 for 18-Day Autumn Meet
Image:
Description:
Photo: Benoit Photo
Bulletproof One, pictured winning the 2020 Unzip Me Stakes at Santa Anita Park, heads the featured third race on opening day of the Autumn Meet at Santa Anita
Hoping to maintain momentum from a successful Del Mar summer season, followed by a short afternoon meet at Los Alamitos Race Course, Santa Anita Park opens for its 18-day Autumn Meet Sept. 30.
Sixty-two horses were entered in nine races Friday, just shy of 6.9 runners per race. Comebacking stakes winner Bulletproof One and the stakes-placed Freedom Flyer head a short field in the featured third race, a $65,000 second-level allowance optional claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs over Santa Anita's hillside turf course.
Santa Anita has free general admission and parking on Fridays.
Fields are larger Oct. 1 with 79 horses and one also-eligible entered in 10 races for a Saturday card topped by the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1), a "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge Race for the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland.
Five other stakes go Saturday: the John Henry Turf Championship (G2T), the Eddie D Stakes (G2T), the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2), the City of Hope Mile (G2T), and the Unzip Me Stakes.
Black-type action continues Oct. 2 with the Zenyatta Stakes (G2), the Chillingworth Stakes (G3), the Tokyo City Cup (G3), and the Speakeasy Stakes, a "Win and You're In" qualifier for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland.
FanDuel TV, formerly TVG, will broadcast live from Santa Anita with full coverage over the entire Autumn Meet that runs through Nov. 6.