Highlighted by the inaugural California Crown Day, featuring five stakes worth $2.8 million, Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meet will include 22 stakes races. The first-ever California Crown Day at Santa Anita will be presented Sept. 28. Formally announced Mar. 1, the event is a new racing and entertainment concept inspired by Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park and created to bring together world-class Thoroughbred racing and the excitement of live performances, interactive experiences, and cutting-edge technology.
The event's namesake race, the $1-million GI California Crown, is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on dirt. It replaces the Awesome Again Stakes on the Santa Anita calendar. The race is a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.
California Crown Day will also include the $750,000 GII California Crown Eddie D Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course and the $750,000 GII California Crown John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles.
Supporting the three California Crown races on Sept. 28 will be the $200,000 GII City of Hope Mile and $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. The City of Hope Mile is an automatic qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
Santa Anita will host three Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' races Oct. 5. The GII Oak Leaf Stakes, presented by Oak Tree Racing Association–known as the Chandelier from 2012 to 2023–offers an automatic berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, while the GI American Pharoah Stakes is a qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The GII Rodeo Drive Stakes awards the winner an automatic berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
The Santa Anita Autumn Meet opens Sept. 27 and concludes Oct. 27.
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