SANTA ANITA HANDICAP NOW TO BE RUN ON SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY, APRIL 6,

By Mike Willman —-

Santa Anita Photo

SANTA ANITA HANDICAP NOW TO BE RUN ON SANTA ANITA DERBY DAY, APRIL 6, AS SANTA ANITA ANNOUNCES REVISED RACING & STAKES SCHEDULE; TRACK TO REOPEN FOR LIVE RACING ON FRIDAY, MARCH 29

ARCADIA, Calif. (March 24, 2019)—With CHRB approval expected this Thursday, Santa Anita Park will reopen for live racing on Friday, March 29 and the Grade II, $200,000 San Luis Rey Stakes will headline proceedings, with first post time at 1 p.m. Santa Anita, which has been closed for live racing since March 3, has also issued a revised stakes schedule, with eight stakes, six of them graded, relocated on what will be a busy racing calendar.

As part of the revised schedule, the 82nd running of the Grade I, $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap, which was originally scheduled for March 9, will now be run on Santa Anita Derby Day, Saturday, April 6. With the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby leading the way April 6, Santa Anita will also offer a third Grade I stakes, the $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks.

Also on Santa Anita Derby Day, the Grade II, $200,000 Royal Heroine and the Grade III, $150,000 Providencia will be complemented by two additional stakes, the $200,000 Evening Jewel and the Echo Eddie, making for a total of seven added money events on what will no doubt be a blockbuster afternoon on April 6.

Along with the Santa Anita Handicap, two other graded stakes originally scheduled for Big ’Cap Day, March 9, have been rescheduled and will now be included in a total of six graded stakes to be run on Saturday, March 30, as the Grade I, $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) and the Grade II, $200,000 San Carlos will also be joined by the Grade I, $400,000 Beholder Mile (originally scheduled for March 16), the Grade III, $100,000 San Simeon (originally scheduled for March 16), and the Grade III, $100,000 Santa Ana Stakes.

Horsemen have also been advised that the following stakes, which were also originally scheduled to be run during Santa Anita’s period of inactivity, have been rescheduled. The $100,000 Irish O’Brien has been moved to March 31, as has the $100,000 Sensational Star and the $75,000 Santana Mile.

Entries for Friday, March 29 will be taken on Sunday, March 24 For a complete listing of Santa Anita’s remaining Winter/Spring Stakes Schedule, please visit santaanita.com.

ABOUT SANTA ANITA PARK
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.

ABOUT THE STRONACH GROUP
The Stronach Group is North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, home of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, 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 also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.