Autumn racing comes to Santa Anita Park

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (Sports Network) - Pending approval from the California Horse Racing Board, Santa Anita Park will be offering live horse racing this autumn. Track officials announced Friday that the 75-year-old track will conduct a fall meeting over a six-week period that concludes Sunday, November 6.

"While some details still must be finalized, Santa Anita's Autumn Meet will offer horsemen and racing fans a fantastic schedule of graded and non-graded stakes races," said Santa Anita president George Haines. "We look forward to welcoming everyone back in September.

"We're very excited to be able to let our fans, employees and horsemen know that live thoroughbred racing will return to Santa Anita this autumn. Our inaugural Autumn Meet will provide the kind of world class racing and economic opportunity that our sport and community have come to expect at Santa Anita."

The fall meeting at Santa Anita replaces the traditional Oak Tree racing meet that had been held at Santa Anita Park beginning in 1969. Last year's Oak Tree meet was conducted at Hollywood Park while Santa Anita changed its main racing surface to dirt.

"We'll be offering the same traditional series of Graded Breeders' Cup Challenge races as have previously been run by the Oak Tree Racing Association," said Santa Anita's director of racing, Mike Harlow, "including the prestigious Lady's Secret, the Goodwood, the Norfolk, the Oak Leaf, the Yellow Ribbon and the Ancient Title."

Six Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes will be offered during the six weeks. The winner of each Challenge race automatically qualifies for a corresponding Breeders' Cup race. This year's Breeders' Cup will held at Churchill Downs.