Santa Anita Handles Over $50M On Opening Weekend

Santa Anita Park | Zoe Metz

The momentum built by the opening-day, six graded-stakes program at Santa Anita carried on into the weekend, as bettors pushed all-sources handle to over $50.4 million over the course of the 39 races between Thursday, Dec. 26 and Sunday, Dec. 29.

Aided by strong support from owners and trainers that led to an increase in field size from 2023, the stretch was led by the $21.4-million turnover on Thursday's program, topped by the GI Malibu Stakes, won by Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief) and the GI La Brea Stakes, taken out by Kopion (Omaha Beach). That amount was the third-highest recorded on opening day in the history of the track and was the fourth time in the last seven years exceeding $20 million. Total attendance for the four days was better than 62,000, with over 41,000 heading through the turnstiles on opening day.

Santa Anita hosts a special New Year's Day program this Wednesday, with nine live races, and the four-day week continues Friday through Sunday.

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