Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.
Santa Anita’s 2021 Autumn Meet, which opens on Friday, Oct. 1, will offer fans and horsemen a comprehensive stakes schedule comprised of 21 stakes through Oct. 31, and will be highlighted by seven Breeders’ Cup ‘Win And You’re In’ Challenge Series stakes on Oct. 1, 2, and 3.
Three Grade 1 stakes, the $300,000 American Pharoah for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, the $300,000 Awesome Again for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles, and the $300,000 Rodeo Drive for fillies and mares 3 and up at a mile and one quarter on turf, all figure prominently over the first two days as horsemen prepare for the two-day Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Del Mar on Nov. 5 and 6.
On opening day, Oct. 1, four stakes will be offered, three of them Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In’ stakes – the American Pharoah, the Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, and the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on turf.
The Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs on turf will also be run on Oct. 1.
On Saturday, Oct. 2, the Awesome Again and the Rodeo Drive will be complemented by the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint, which is also a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win & You’re In’ qualifier, for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
Additionally, the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile (turf) will be run on Oct. 2.
On Sunday, Oct. 3, one additional ‘Win & You’re In’ qualifier, the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares three and up at 1 1/16 miles will be offered, as well as a pair of $200,000 stakes for 2-year-olds at one mile on turf, the Surfer Girl and the Zuma Beach.
The Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes for fillies and mares 3 and up at 6 ½ furlongs and the $75,000 Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs on turf round out a total of five stakes on Oct. 3.
A pair of graded stakes, the Grade 3, $100,000 Autumn Miss for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf and the Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf will be offered on closing weekend, Oct. 30 and 31.
Santa Anita’s complete Autumn 2021 Stakes Schedule will be available later in the week at santaanita.com/horsemen. For additional information, please call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-6352.
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