Santa Anita announces winter stakes schedule

Led by the Grade 1, $1 million Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita has announced

its proposed stakes schedule for the upcoming 2013-14 winter-spring meeting,

which will open on December 26 with a pair of Grade 1 stakes, the Malibu and the

La Brea. Santa Anita's 69-day meet will include a total of eight Grade 1 events

and will conclude April 20.

"We are thrilled to be able to offer $1 million for the Santa Anita Derby and

we're happy to be able to raise the purse money on a total of 20 stakes this

winter and spring," said Santa Anita Vice President of Racing, Rick Hammerle.

"Top to bottom, we feel this is a very comprehensive schedule and we're very

pleased to be offering substantive purse increases on some of our most important

races. In addition to the Derby, we've increased the Santa Anita Oaks to

$400,000 and the San Antonio to $300,000. We've also increased one of our most

prestigious sprints, the San Carlos, to $250,000."

The Santa Anita Derby, which had offered a purse of $750,000, and which has

produced nine Kentucky Derby winners, was won this year by Goldencents, who went

on to capture the $2 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on November 2.

Santa Anita will again provide horsemen with several graded stakes options on

the road to the Santa Anita Derby, as the Sham at one mile will be run January

11; the 1 1/16-mile Robert B. Lewis is slated for February 8; the seven-furlong

San Vicente will go on February 16, and the San Felipe at 1 1/16 miles will be

run March 8.

Santa Anita has also substantially expanded the scope of its Sunshine

Millions Day, as it will embrace a very significant California Cup theme on

January 25.

"In addition to the Santa Monica, we're going to offer the $250,000

California Cup Turf Classic, the $250,000 California Cup Derby, the $200,000

California Cup Oaks, the $125,000 California Cup Sprint and the $125,000

Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint on Millions Day," Hammerle said.

"Most of these races were formerly run on Cal Cup Day in the fall, and we feel

they're going to be a great addition to the Sunshine Millions program and

provide great opportunities for our California breeders at the beginning of the

year."

Also included on Santa Anita's Grade 1 stakes roster are the $300,000 Las

Virgenes for three-year-old fillies on February 1; the $750,000 Santa Anita

Handicap and $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on March 8; the $300,000 Santa

Margarita on March 15; and the Santa Anita Oaks on April 5.

Santa Anita's traditional winter-spring meeting will close on April 20. Santa

Anita will reopen for a spring-summer meet on April 25, and will run through

June 29.

Santa Anita's complete 2013-14 winter-spring stakes schedule can be found at

santaanita.com.

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