Santa Anita Park's autumn stakes schedule will be similar to those from past seasons. The Southern California track has planned 24 stakes, 15 graded, over 18 racing days from Sept. 19 through Oct. 25.
As usual, most of the prestigious stakes are positioned early in the meet to propel starters toward the Breeders' Cup, which will be held Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland. Santa Anita will stage seven "Win and You're In" qualifiers, beginning Sept. 19 with the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race that leads into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T).
Five of the seven races will retain their purses from 2019. The Chandelier Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2), downgraded from grade 1s by the American Graded Stakes Committee last winter, were reduced from $300,000 to $200,000 apiece.
A few ungraded stakes—the Unzip Me Stakes, Swingtime Stakes, and Lure Stakes—also have smaller purses this year.
Joining the Speakeasy on the opening day card is the $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs, a race previously run as the L. A. Woman. It was renamed in honor of the late Sherwood Chillingworth, a longtime director of the Oak Tree Racing Association.
Late Chillingworth Honored With Santa Anita Stakes Race
On Sept. 20, Santa Anita will stage the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup Stakes (G3), a 1 1/2-mile dirt race that was run in April 2019 as part of the winter/spring meet.
The following Saturday, Sept. 26, Santa Anita will host four Breeders' Cup qualifiers: the $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T), a prep for the Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1T); the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) for 2-year-olds prepping for the TVG Juvenile (G1); the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (G1) for dirt horses preparing for the Longines Classic (G1); and the Chandelier for 2-year-old fillies leading toward the Juvenile Fillies (G1). Two other stakes are also on the card.
Last year, Santa Anita ran the American Pharoah and Chandelier on the first day of the autumn meet when it opened on a Friday.
The remaining two Breeders' Cup qualifying races are the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G2), a steppingstone to the Longines Distaff (G1), and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship, which leads to the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Those races are Sept. 27.
Some of the track's other stakes do not provide automatic berths into the Breeders' Cup but still serve as unofficial preps, one of which is the $200,000 Eddie D Stakes (G2T), named in honor of retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye. The race often advances horses toward the Turf Sprint (G1T).
The Eddie D is 5 1/2 furlongs on turf, a distance Santa Anita has regularly used since it suspended use of its downhill grass course for sprints that were run over 6 1/2 furlongs.
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SANTA ANITA AUTUMN STAKES SCHEDULE
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| Date | Race | Conditions/Distance | Purse |
| Sept. 19 | Speakeasy Stakes Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
2 YO, 5 1/2 Furlongs (turf) | $100,000 |
| Sept. 19 | Chillingworth Stakes (G3) | F&M, 3 YO & up, 6 1/2 Furlongs | $100,000 |
| Sept. 20 | Tokyo City Cup (G3) | 3 YO & up, 1 1/2 Mile | $100,000 |
| Sept. 25 | Eddie D Stakes (G2T) | 3 YO & up, 5 1/2 Furlongs (turf) | $200,000 |
| Sept. 26 | American Pharoah Stakes (G1) Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
2 YO, 1 1/16 Mile | $300,000 |
| Sept. 26 | Awesome Again Stakes (G1) Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
3 YO & up, 1 1/8 Mile | $300,000 |
| Sept. 26 | Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
F&M, 3 YO & up, 1 1/4 Mile (turf) | $300,000 |
| Sept. 26 | Chandelier Stakes (G2) Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
Fillies, 2 YO, 1 1/16 Mile | $200,000 |
| Sept. 26 | John Henry Turf Championship (G2T) | 3 YO & up, 1 1/4 Mile (turf) | $200,000 |
| Sept. 26 | Unzip Me Stakes | Fillies, 3 YO & up, 5 1/2 Furlongs (turf) | $75,000 Added |
| Sept. 27 | Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
3 YO & up, 6 Furlongs | $200,000 |
| Sept. 27 | Zenyatta Stakes (G2) Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" Challenge Race |
F&M, 3 YO & up, 1 1/16 Mile | $200,000 |
| Oct. 3 | City of Hope Mile (G2T) | 3 YO & up, One Mile (turf) | $200,000 |
| Oct. 3 | Swingtime Stakes | F&M, 3 YO & up, One Mile (turf) | $70,000 Added |
| Oct. 4 | Zuma Beach Stakes | 2 YO, One Mile(turf) | $100,000 |
| Oct. 4 | Surfer Girl Stakes | Fillies, 2 YO, One Mile (turf) | $100,000 |
| Oct. 10 | California Distaff Handicap | F&M, 3 YO & up, Five And One Half Furlongs (turf) | $100,000 |
| Oct. 11 | California Flag Handicap | 3 YO & up, Five And One Half Furlongs (turf) | $100,000 |
| Oct. 12 | Anoakia Stakes | Fillies, 2 YO, Six Furlongs | $75,000 Added |
| Oct. 17 | Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) | Fillies, 3 YO, One Mile (turf) | $100,000 |
| Oct. 18 | Twilight Derby (G2T) | 3 YO, One Mile And One Eighth (turf) | $200,000 |
| Oct. 24 | Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3T) | F&M, 3 YO & up, Five And One Half Furlongs (turf) | $100,000 |
| Oct. 25 | Lure Stakes (R) | 3 YO & up, One Mile (turf) | $70,000 Added |
| Oct. 25 | Goldikova Stakes (G2T) | F&M, 3 YO & up, One Mile (turf) | $200,000 |
