SANTA ANITA ANNOUNCES 2016-17 WINTER MEET STAKES SCHEDULE

By Mike Willman —-

SANTA ANITA ANNOUNCES 2016-17 WINTER MEET STAKES SCHEDULE; GRADE I MALIBU & GRADE I LA BREA HEAD OPENER DEC. 26; PRESTIGIOUS GRADE I AMERICAN OAKS TO BE RUN DEC. 31
A TOTAL OF 58 STAKES, INCLUDING NINE GRADE I EVENTS, TO BE OFFERED THROUGH SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY, APRIL 8

ARCADIA, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2016)—Santa Anita Park, which will offer 58 stakes races beginning with opening day of its traditional Winter Meet on Dec. 26, has announced that the prestigious Grade I, $300,000 American Oaks, which was most recently run in May, 2015, will now be run on Dec. 31. Santa Anita’s 72-day Winter stand will conclude on April 9 and be followed by its Spring Meet, which will run from April 14 through July 4.

A blockbuster card consisting of four graded stakes will await fans on opening day, with a pair of Grade I, $300,000 races at seven furlongs–the Malibu for 3-year-old colts and geldings and the La Brea, for 3-year-old fillies, highlighting a 10-race program. The Grade II, $200,000 Mathis Brothers Mile (turf) and the Grade III, $100,000 San Simeon Handicap, at 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course, will round out the graded stakes action.

Heading Santa Anita’s Grade I Winter Meet stakes lineup is the $1 million Santa Anita Derby, which has produced 17 Kentucky Derby winners, and will be run on April 8. The Grade I, $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap, to be contested for the 81st time, will be run on March 11.

Additionally, there will again be a similar number of $75,000 overnight stakes as well as a robust menu of California-bred stakes offered throughout the meeting.

HERE IS A COMPLETE ROSTER OF SANTA ANITA’S GRADE I WINTER MEET STAKES:

Dec. 26 $300,000 Malibu Stakes
Dec. 26 $300,000 La Brea Stakes
Dec. 31 $300,000 American Oaks
March 11 $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf)
March 11 $400,000 Triple Bend Stakes
March 11 $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap
March 18 $400,000 Santa Margarita Stakes
April 8 $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks
April 8 $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby
For a complete roster of Santa Anita’s Winter Meet stakes, please visit santaanita.com.
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About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.