Winter/Spring Meet

Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet, which opens Sunday, Dec. 26, will be highlighted by 10 Grade I stakes among the 59 graded races on tap for the season. Three Grade I events will be featured on opening day: the Runhappy Malibu S., the La Brea S., and the American Oaks. The $750,000 GI Santa Anita Derby will be held Apr. 9. A total of 94 stakes will be offered throughout the season, which ends June 19. "We have added a significant amount of money to our stakes program along with some...

Santa Anita will increase purses for overnight and stakes races for the upcoming Winter/Spring Meet, which opens Dec. 26. More specifics will be released soon, but maiden special weight races will increase by $6,000 to $67,000; first condition allowances will be upped $6,000 to $69,000; and $25,000 claiming purses will rise by $4,000 to $40,000. The increases are in partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC). "There are now many reasons to be optimistic about 2021 and beyond," said Santa Anita's senior vice president and general manager Nate Newby....