With Santa Anita Park set to host the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships for a record 11th time Nov. 3-4, Santa Anita’s 19-day Autumn Meet will open Sept. 29, and provide fans and horsemen with a stakes schedule featuring 42 stakes that include 15 grade 1 races among its 31 graded events. The schedule also will feature four stakes restricted to California-bred or -sired horses.
Santa Anita will honor the late Sherwood Chillingworth, a longtime director with Santa Anita-based Oak Tree Racing Association, on opening day, Sept. 29, with the Chillingworth Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.
Legendary Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye will again be honored with the Eddie D Stakes (G2T), for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf course Sept. 30. Alongside the Eddie D on the card will be three other stakes—the Awesome Again Stakes (G1), a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win & You’re In” qualifier to the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1); the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2); and, the City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2).
World class racing will again be the order of the day Oct. 1, with four stakes: the Zenyatta Stakes (G2); the John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T); the Tokyo City Cup (G3); and the $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes.
A total of three Breeders’ Cup Challenge qualifiers will be run Oct. 7, headed by the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) (Win and You’re In for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, G1); the Chandelier Stakes (G2) (Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, G1); and the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2T) (Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, G1T). The $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes is also on the Oct. 7 card.
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On Oct. 8, Santa Anita will draw upon Southern California’s surf culture, as a pair of one-mile turf stakes will be offered for 2-year-olds, the Surfer Girl Stakes (G3T) and the Zuma Beach Stakes (G3T).
Along with the five Breeders’ Cup stakes Nov. 3, California-bred or -sired horses will share the big stage as both the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile and the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies will be run. Additionally Nov. 3, Santa Anita will again honor the memory of California State Sen. Ken Maddy as fillies and mares will go about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf in the $150,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes.
The $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter, will anchor the biggest day of racing in 2023 Nov. 4. Including the Classic, a total of 14 stakes will be run for the 40th Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
On closing day, Nov. 5, a pair of one mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, the Goldikova Stakes (G2T) and the $100,000 Autumn Miss, help to ensure a fitting close to what could be a tremendous 19-day Autumn Meet.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
