Santa Anita Derby richest of 'Great Race Place' features

"We've added $450,000 to our three-year-old program, which makes Santa Anita

the nation's most attractive avenue to the Triple Crown," Santa Anita Racing

Secretary Rick Hammerle said. "Along with the news of increased purses, and due

in large part to the fact we are returning to a natural dirt main track, we're

getting very positive response from horsemen and fans from all over the

country."

Hammerle also noted that MI Developments' (MID) recently announced Preakness

5.5 (million) incentive program should prove to be of direct benefit to those

racing at Santa Anita.

"The Preakness 5.5 is going to be a big plus for us," Hammerle said. "It's

(an incentive for) people to run in the Santa Anita Derby and in our Derby

preps."

Hammerle and Santa Anita Director of Racing Mike Harlow believe the Preakness

5.5 provides ample incentive for horsemen to run in the Robert B. Lewis S. (G2)

on February 12 and/or the San Felipe S. (G2) on March 12, en route to the Santa

Anita Derby.

"If you run in and win either the Lewis or the San Felipe and go on to win

the Santa Anita Derby, you've got a shot a huge payday," Harlow said. "By

running in and winning either of those two preps and then winning the Santa

Anita Derby, you're eligible to win the $5.5 million bonus, if you win the

Preakness (S. [G1]).

"When you factor in that we anticipate a 25 percent increase in overnight

purses, which gets us to a total distribution of about $425,000 a day, people

are seeing, hearing and recognizing that Santa Anita is going to be a great

place to run this winter and spring," Harlow added.

Other important dates on Santa Anita's stakes calendar include the Sunshine

Millions on January 29, which features bicoastal competition between Florida-breds

and California-breds. Santa Anita and its sister property, Gulfstream Park, will

each host three Sunshine Millions races.

Santa Anita will run two $300,000 stakes on Sunshine Millions Day, the

Sunshine Millions Turf and the Sunshine Millions Distaff. The Sunshine Millions

Sprint will offer a purse of $200,000.

The $250,000 Santa Monica H. (G1), for older fillies and mares at seven

furlongs, will be run on January 30. The following Saturday, February 5,

three-year-old fillies will have an opportunity to run in the Las Virgenes S.

(G1).

Santa Anita will present the 74th running of the $750,000 Santa Anita H. (G1)

on March 5. The $300,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) and the $250,000 Santa Anita

Oaks (G1) will also be run on Big 'Cap Day.

The $300,000 Santa Margarita S. (G1), which is where the mighty Zenyatta

(Street Cry [Ire]) made her 2010 debut, will be run at 1 1/8 miles on March 12.

On April 9, the Santa Anita Derby will highlight a program that includes

three other graded events, the Arcadia S. (G2), the Providencia S. (G2) and the

Las Cienegas H. (G3).

The meet will finish with Santa Anita's traditional closing day feature, the

$150,000 San Juan Capistrano H. (G2) for older horses at about 1 3/4 miles,

beginning atop Santa Anita's legendary hillside turf course.