Butler Delighted With a 'Brilliant' Breeders' Cup

Years and planning and preparation go into hosting the Breeders' Cup and for Aidan Butler the Nov. 3-4 40th edition of the World Championships at picturesque Santa Anita Park was filled with superlatives.

"Everything was brilliant," said Butler, the Chief Operating Officer of 1/ST Racing and Gaming that operates Santa Anita. "It was so nice to see Santa Ania with such big crowds and so much positivity. There was some really good racing. It was great to enjoy a spectacle like the Breeders' Cup and when I watched the races I understood why we do this for a living.

"The weather was perfect and everyone I have spoken to was positive about the weekend and that's not always the case in this industry. We had a great couple of days thanks to a great team out here who worked their socks off."

While all-sources wagering on the two days of racing framed by the San Gabriel Mountains dropped from $189 million to $176.2 million, attendance during a record 11 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita jumped to 109,624, the highest total since 112,672 in 2018 at Churchill Downs.

Best of all, there were no fatalities during the two days of racing contested in front of large on-track crowds and a national television viewing audience.

"We needed a safe run this weekend and when we do it right, this is the best sport," Butler said. "It was so nice to have a couple days of great, safe racing. All horses are special and we have to make the races as safe as possible."