Unzip Me set to open Santa Anita's autumn meet

Although the stakes races are back with their familiar names, there's

something different about fall racing at Santa Anita this year: the meet is not

being held under the auspices of the Oak Tree Racing Association. Instead, Santa

Anita itself was awarded the dates by the California Horse Racing Board, and

will inaugurate its own autumn meet, which begins Friday and runs through

November 6.

This marks the first time, since the inception of Oak Tree in 1969, that the

not-for-profit has not conducted a fall race meet. The Oak Tree season had been

a permanent fixture at the Arcadia, California, track for four decades. In 2010,

however, concerns about Santa Anita's old synthetic surface led to a change of

venue to Hollywood Park.

The customary fall stakes are now back at Santa Anita, albeit not on the same

terms. Track management struck a deal with Oak Tree, allowing Santa Anita to

stage the stakes that have hitherto been synonymous with the Oak Tree meet.

With a slightly less onerous weight spread in the August 12 Daisycutter H. at

Del Mar, Unzip Me had the pleasure of turning the tables on both of those

rivals. She rallied late to cut down Separate Forest by a half-length, with

GIVINE (Fr) (Blackdoun [Fr]) third and Broken Dreams fourth. WAVELINE

(Stravinsky) tired to fifth in her belated reappearance, but is eligible to do

better in her second start off the bench. One year ago, Waveline improved off a

fifth in the Daisycutter to take runner-up honors in the Maddy.

Unzip Me gets in even better at the weights on Friday. Her 120-pound impost

is the lightest she's carried against fellow distaffers in a long time. The

ultra-consistent chestnut, who has won or placed in all but two of 21 career

starts, remains the one to beat with regular rider Rafael Bejarano.

Separate Forest, who was subsequently third in the September 5 Turf Amazon H.

at Parx, ranks as the 123-pound co-highweight along with TANDA (Sweetsouthernsaint).

Fourth to Separate Forest and Unzip Me off a lengthy layoff in the Las Cienegas,

Tanda is coming off a score in the August 21 Rancho Bernardo H. (G3) on

Polytrack, her debut for the Mike Mitchell barn.

Saturday's Breeders' Cup Challenge Day program features four Grade 1 stakes,

three of them on the newly-revamped dirt track. Each worth $250,000, they are

all billed as "Win and You're In" events for their respective Breeders' Cup

races on November 4-5.

The 1 1/16-mile Lady's Secret S. (G1) no longer has the happily-retired

Zenyatta, who won the last three runnings, but it doesn't lack for intrigue.

Champion BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision), last seen denying archrival Havre de

Grace (Saint Liam) in the July 16 Delaware H. (G2), will top an accomplished

field of Ladies' Classic (G1) aspirants. John Sadler will choose between

multiple Grade 1 vixen SWITCH (Quiet American), who ran Zenyatta to a

half-length in last year's Lady's Secret, and ZAZU (Tapit), or both. Also set to

compete is ASK THE MOON (Malibu Moon), the winner of the Ruffian Invitational H.

(G1) and Personal Ensign Invitational (G1) in her last two at Saratoga.

Santa Anita H. (G1) winner GAME ON DUDE (Awesome Again) is expected to

headline the 1 1/8-mile Goodwood S. (G1), a tune-up for the Breeders' Cup

Classic (G1). He could be joined by fellow Bob Baffert trainee COIL (Point

Given) as well as Craig Dollase's AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again).

The 1 1/4-mile Yellow Ribbon S. (G1), a 1 1/4-mile stepping stone to the

Filly & Mare Turf (G1), figures to attract the circuit's leading lights --

DUBAWI HEIGHTS (GB) (Dubawi), COZI ROSIE (Pleasantly Perfect), MALIBU PIER

(Malibu Moon), HARMONIOUS (Dynaformer) and CAMBINA (Ire) (Hawk Wing).

The 1 1/16-mile Norfolk S. (G1) will feature the top two from the

Del Mar Futurity (G1) -- DRILL (Lawyer Ron) and CREATIVE CAUSE (Giant's Causeway)

-- as they aim for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1).

Sunday's companion $250,000 Oak Leaf S. (G1), a launching pad to the Juvenile

Fillies (G1), will star Del Mar Debutante S. (G1) winner WEEMISSFRANKIE (Sunriver).

The $150,000 Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship (G2) doesn't qualify as a "Win

and You're In," but as a practical matter, multiple Grade 1 hero ACCLAMATION

(Unusual Heat) and reigning titleholder CHAMP PEGASUS (Fusaichi Pegasus) are

bound for the Turf (G1).

Breeders' Cup clues will still be in evidence the following weekend. On

October 8, the $250,000 Ancient Title S. (G1) offers a guaranteed berth in the

Sprint (G1), and the $150,000 Oak Tree Mile (G2) will sift the local hopefuls

for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1). The October 9 Louis R. Rowan S. could furnish a

Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) contender, and the October 10 Morvich S. (G3) promises

to yield at least one for the Turf Sprint. The six-furlong Jack Goodman S., also

on the Columbus Day card, might have implications for the new Juvenile Sprint.

One week before the Breeders' Cup, Santa Anita will host the California Cup

on October 29. The Golden State fanfare has been trimmed this season, but

multiple Grade 2 winner CARACORTADO (Cat Dreams) will bring the limelight onto

the 1 1/8-mile Cal Cup Classic, now switched to the turf.

The final stakes of the 24-day stand is the November 6 Las Palmas S. (G2) for

turf distaffers at a mile.

During the autumn meet, Santa Anita will offer the 50-cent, Players' Pick

Five, which features a fan-friendly low takeout of 14 percent. The Players' Pick

Five requires players to select five winners in five consecutive races and will

be offered on the first five races each racing day.

The late Pick Four will be offered on the final four races each day and

requires players to select the winner of each race in that sequence. There will

be a $400,000 guaranteed late Pick Four on Saturday, Breeders' Cup Challenge

Day.

Santa Anita has scheduled an additional attraction on Saturday -- the fourth

Gourmet Food Truck Festival, which will attract approximately 70 vendors,

including such prominent food trucks as The Grilled Cheese Truck, the Lobsta

Truck, Ragin Cajun, Shrimp Pimp, White Rabbit, Nom Nom and many more.

Also on Saturday, Santa Anita will pay tribute to its heroic 90-year-old

Paddock Guard John Shear, as the Great Race Place will name a designated race

"The John Shear Hero Purse." The race will include a winner's circle ceremony in

which Shear will be recognized for his selfless act of heroism earlier this year

on March 12, when he shielded a six-year-old girl from a runaway horse just

outside of Santa Anita's walking ring. 

Free, live video streaming will be available for the duration of Santa

Anita's autumn meet at HRTV.com.