Santa Anita Park will offer seven automatic qualifiers for this year's Breeders' Cup races among the 22 stakes races offered during the 2025 autumn meet that begins Sept. 26. The seven Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races are slated to be run the first two weeks of the 16-day meet.
The legacy of California owner/breeder John C. Harris will be honored with the renaming of the John Harris Stakes (G3T) to be run Sept. 27. Harris, who died July 2, was a stalwart in the state for decades, serving on the boards of numerous California and national racing organizations, and in accepting accolades for his high-quality runners. The John C. Harris Stakes will be for 3-year-old fillies on Santa Anita Park's unique hillside turf course. It was previously known as the Unzip Me Stakes in honor of the 10-time stakes winner of $959,228 who was co-owned and bred by Harris in partnership.
"John Harris has been synonymous with California racing," said Nate Newby, senior vice president and general manager of Santa Anita Park. "It is appropriate to honor him with a stakes race in appreciation of all he has done for our sport in the state. We will miss seeing John in the Santa Anita winner's circle, but the impact of his stewardship will long be remembered."
The name "Goodwood" will be restored to the 2025 running of the autumn meet's top race for older horses. The 1 1/8-mile Goodwood Stakes (G1) is a "Win and You're In" race for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). It will be run Sept. 27. The Oak Tree Racing Association founded the race in 1982 through its partnership with Goodwood Racecourse and it ran with that name for 30 years, producing multiple champions including Breeders' Cup Classic winners Tiznow and Ferdinand. It was then run as the Awesome Again Stakes from 2012-23, and the California Crown Stakes in 2024. The name change signals a tie back into history as well as moving forward. 1/ST has numerous partnerships with prestigious racecourses around the world, including Goodwood in the United Kingdom. The Goodwood offers a purse of $300,000, which equals that offered for 10 of the last 11 runnings of the race.
Opening Saturday will also feature an additional Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes with the City of Hope Mile Stake (G2T) at one mile on the grass. A pair of grade 2 races on the turf, the 1 1/4-mile John Henry Turf Championship and the 6 1/2-furlong Eddie D. Stakes, will be joined by the newly named John Harris Stakes to complete the quintet of Sept. 27 stakes.
The following day, Sept. 28, will be headlined by another pair of Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes: the Zenyatta Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt and the Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (G2). The 2024 Santa Anita Sprint winner was Straight No Chaser, who went on to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and the Eclipse Award as the nation's top sprinter.
Key steppingstones to the Nov. 1-2 Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar will be the focus of the second week of the Santa Anita autumn meet as well. Oct. 4 will offer three Breeders' Cup qualifiers among the five stakes races scheduled that day. The 2-year-olds get their chance at a "Win and You're In" with the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) for the males and the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) for the fillies. Both races are at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Citizen Bull won last year's American Pharoah prior to winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and being named champion 2-year-old male.
Also on the second Saturday will be the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G2T) for fillies and mares going 1 1/4 miles on the turf which provides yet another "Win and You're In" opportunity, awarding the winner an automatic berth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T). The Chillingworth Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares and the Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-old turf sprinters complete the five stakes to be offered Oct. 4.
On Oct. 5, Santa Anita will host a pair of grade 3s at one mile on turf for 2-year-olds: the Zuma Beach Stakes for the males (open) and the Surfer Girl Stakes for fillies. Both are preps for their respective division's Breeders' Cup races on the turf.
The five-week season will wrap up with a pair of graded stakes that anchor the closing weekend of the autumn meet. They are the Twilight Derby (G2T) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on turf Oct. 25 and the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) for 3-year-old fillies at one mile on turf Oct. 26.
Overnight purses for the autumn meet will see an increase averaging 10% over the 2024 season. This marks the third consecutive Santa Anita Park meet with a purse increase for owners, as the sport continues to transition and create opportunities within the single race circuit in California.
For the complete stakes schedule and for more information on the autumn meet please visit https://www.santaanita.com.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
