Santa Anita fall meet opens Sept. 27, features California Crown

Santa Anita will host 22 stakes, including the inaugural Grade 1, $1 million California Crown, during its 16-day autumn meet starting Friday, Sept. 27.

The first-ever California Crown day at Santa Anita, featuring five stakes worth $2.8 million in prize money, will be presented the following day on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The California Crown program, which was formally announced on March 1, is a new racing and entertainment concept inspired by the popular Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream Park.

The event’s namesake race, the California Crown, is for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on dirt. It replaces the Awesome Again on the Santa Anita stakes slate. In addition to its hefty purse, the California Crown also provides the winner with an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

California Crown Day will also include the Eddie D Stakes (G2) at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course and the California Crown John Henry Turf Championship (G2) at 1 1/4 miles on turf.

Supporting the three California Crown races on Sept. 28 will be the City of Hope Mile (G2) and the Unzip Me Stakes. The City of Hope Mile is an automatic qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

On Sunday, Sept. 29, Santa Anita will host the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2). Both races are key steppingstones to the Breeders’ Cup five weeks later.

On Saturday, Oct. 5, Santa Anita will host five stakes, including three Breeders’ Cup win-and-you’re-in events. Among the Breeders’ Cup qualifiers is the newly renamed Oak Leaf Stakes (G2).

The Oak Leaf, for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, was known as the Chandelier from 2012 to 2023. The race originally was known as the Oak Leaf Stakes starting in 1969 when contested at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita in the fall.

Joining the Oak Leaf on Oct. 5 are the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, a qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile; and the Rodeo Drive (G2) for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf, which awards the winner an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

On Oct. 6, Santa Anita will host three stakes, including a pair of Grade 3s at one mile on turf, the Zuma Beach for 2-year-olds and Surfer Girl for 2-year-old fillies. Also that day is the Tokyo City Cup (G3) at 1 1/2 miles on dirt.

Closing weekend of the autumn meet will feature the Twilight Derby (G2) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Saturday, Oct. 26 and the Autumn Miss (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf on Oct. 27.