Santa Anita Park Race Meet 2006

Posted on Monday, December 19th, 2005

Santa Anita Park will mark its 71st anniversary when it once again opens its annual race meet on Monday, Dec. 26, 2005. Special first post time on opening day is set for 12 noon.

Opening Week At-A-Glance:

Monday, Dec. 26
First post 12 p.m.
2005 Wall Calendars
$250,000 Malibu Stakes

Wednesday, Dec. 28
First post 1:00 p.m.
$100,000 California Breeders’ Champion Stakes

Thursday, Dec. 29
First post 1 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 30
First post 1 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31
First post 12:30 p.m.
250,000 La Brea Stakes

Sunday, Jan. 1
First post 12:30 p.m.
$150,000 San Gabriel Hcp.

Monday, Jan. 2
First post 12:30 p.m.
$100,000 El Conejo Hcp.

America’s premier winter Thoroughbred meeting will consist of 86 racing days, which will continue through Sunday, April 23. The meet is to be highlighted by the Grade I $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 4, the Grade I $750,000 Santa Anita Derby on April 8 and the $3.6 million Sunshine Millions Day on Jan. 28.

Opening day highlights include the traditional Santa Anita wall calendar, free of charge with paid admission and the 59th running of the Grade I $250,000 Malibu Stakes for 3- year-olds at seven urlongs. The Malibu is the first leg in the prestigious Strub Series, which also includes the Grade II

$200,000 San Fernando, at 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 14 and the Grade II $300,000 Strub Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Feb. 4.

2005 Kentucky Derby winner, Giacomo, who has been idle since the Belmont Stakes in June, is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut on Jan. 14, in the San Fernando BC Stakes. Fans will have

an opportunity to see the reigning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Champion, Stevie Wonderboy, on Jan. 14 as well, as the undefeated colt will make his 3-year-old debut in the Grade II $150,000 San Rafael Stakes at one mile and thus embark on the road to the 2006 Kentucky Derby.

Santa Anita will present 10 stakes races worth $1,175,000 during the course of opening week, which includes racing on seven of the first eight days, through Monday, Jan. 2, 2006. Santa Anita will be dark on Tuesday, Dec. 27. Racing resumes on Wednesday.

With few exceptions, racing will be conducted five days a week, from Wednesday through Sunday and post times will be 12:30 p.m. on weekdays and holidays and at 1 p.m. on weekdays. First post time on Sunshine Millions Day, Jan. 28, is at 11:45 a.m.

Santa Anita will offer 10 Grade I stakes races and more than $12 million in stakes money, highlighted by the 69th edition of the Santa Anita Handicap, a Grade I event for older horses at 1 ¼ miles.

The winter/spring stakes schedule includes the Grade III Sham Stakes for 3-year-olds at one mile on Feb. 4 and the Grade III Santa Paula Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs on April 1.

Overall, more than 70 stakes races, 45 of them graded, will be decided at the upcoming meet. Santa Anita will offer $1.5 million in stakes purses for 3-year-olds pointing for the Kentucky Derby, which is more than any other track in America.

In addition to the one mile Grade II San Rafael Stakes on Jan. 14, 3-year-olds will also have opportunities in the Grade II $200,000 Santa Catalina Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 4 and the Grade II $250,000 San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles on March 18.

The Grade I Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 8 has become the most significant Kentucky Derby prep race in the country. Last year’s Derby produced four out of the top six finishers in Louisville on May 7, including the winner, Giacomo.

First post time on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, will be at 11 a.m. There will be twilight racing on the final three Fridays of the meet, April 7, 14 and 21. First post time on all three days will be 3 p.m.

FREE Santa Anita Racing Picks, Betting Tips, and Race Results at HorsesWild.

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"Santa Anita Park Race Meet 2006" was posted on Monday, December 19th, 2005 at 4:54 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Race Tracks News, Santa Anita Track, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.