Stakes Schedule Changes Ahead of Santa Anita Reopening

Santa Anita Park has canceled four stakes and rescheduled several others as track officials work to reopen the main track and return to racing. Barring further weather setbacks, track management has tentatively set March 22 as the first race day.

The main track is scheduled to open for jogging and galloping March 11, with works allowed on the training track that day. Santa Anita management hopes to reopen the main track for works later in the week. 

Track consultant Dennis Moore has been heading a group of track maintenance personnel who have been inspecting the main track and amending the soil. New safety protocols have also been put into place. All measures are being done to ensure the safety of the horses in the wake of 21 Thoroughbred deaths during racing or training since Dec. 26 during an extremely wet winter in Southern California.

The track has canceled three stakes for 3-year-olds: the San Felipe Stakes (G2), originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the dirt March 9; Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) for fillies, originally scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the dirt March 10; and the China Doll Stakes for fillies, originally scheduled for a mile on the turf March 9. The April 20 Californian Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt has also been canceled.

"We're just taking a year off with those races," said Steve Lym, vice president of racing and the racing secretary of Santa Anita. He explained the decisions were made because of the timing of other races, such as Triple Crown events, as well as the rescheduling of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1).

That 1 1/4-mile race for older horses—also known as the Big 'Cap—had originally been scheduled for March 9. It has been rescheduled for April 6, the same day as the Santa Anita Derby (G1).

"It's going to be a big day for us—there are going to be seven stakes races," Lym said.

The Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) for 4-year-olds and up at a mile on the turf, originally slated for March 9, has been moved to March 30, which already had the Santa Ana Stakes (G3T) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on the turf. The March 16 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) for older fillies and mares at a mile on the dirt and the March 9 San Carlos Stakes (G2) for older runners at seven furlongs on the dirt have both been moved to March 23, the same day as the San Luis Rey Stakes (G2T) for older runners at 1 1/2 miles on the turf.

Santa Anita has moved the March 16 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) for older runners at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf to March 22. The Irish O'Brien Stakes, a California-bred race for older fillies and mares, also down the hillside turf course, has been moved from March 17 to March 31.

The only other stakes change will be to move the Kona Gold Stakes (G2) for older runners at 6 1/2 furlongs on the dirt from April 21 to April 20, the original date of the Californian.

"I'd rather have a stakes on Saturday and no stakes on a Sunday," Lym explained.

Lym said the racing office would be writing a new condition book, which he hopes to have out Tuesday or Wednesday.

The March 22 start date is contingent on everything moving forward with the renovation of the main track.

"It's been very helpful that we have not had any significant rain since this past Wednesday," said Moore in a release March 9. "We've been able to harrow, roto-till, and aerate the soil throughout each day in order to get a uniform track profile."

"We want a safe environment for horses to train, together with the horsemen," Lym said.