Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
While awaiting word from Los Angeles County Department of Health officials that racing may resume on May 15, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., has scheduled 29 stakes races for the remainder of a spring meet scheduled to end on June 21, according to a report in Daily Racing Form.
Santa Anita has not raced since March 22 after being ordered by the health department to shut down because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In the interim and while training continues and horses are cared for by the approximately 750 employees living in backstretch dormitories, Santa Anita has developed strict protocols for racing its executives have submitted to Los Angeles County in hopes of reopening on May 15.
On April 30, the Santa Anita racing office published a condition book for racing from May 15 through Memorial Day, May 25. The holiday program includes two Grade 1 stakes, the Shoemaker Mile and Gamely, along with the G2 Monrovia.
The following Saturday, June 6, the revised schedule includes seven stakes, including the G1 Santa Anita Derby and G2 Santa Anita Oaks, both originally scheduled April 4. The G1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita is also scheduled for the June 6 program. According to the published report, purses for several of the races have been reduced.
Daily Racing Form also reports that Santa Anita will pay a bonus for horses racing at Santa Anita during the remainder of the meet that have not started in California in the last 12 months.
Read more at Daily Racing Form.
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