Santa Anita Park Concludes Winter/Spring Meet

Santa Anita Park brought down the curtain on its annual six-month season June 15, an unusual one that started with an opening day delayed by 48 hours and a Monday closing program for the first time in the venue's 91-year history. What wasn't unusual was the season was highlighted by quality performances in front of crowds that totaled more than a half-million people and continue to underline the track's importance to the sport. The season got off to a robust start on Dec. 28, 2025, in front of the largest opening day crowd since 2016. It was the strongest Sunday curtain-raiser this century. Despite record rainfall delaying the traditional Dec. 26 opener two days, wagering topped more than $18.2 million, marking the eighth time in the last nine years that the opening day handle surpassed the $18 million mark. "We are grateful to everyone who supported Santa Anita Park this past season, whether with their horses, their time, or their wagering dollars," said Nate Newby, SVP and General Manager of Santa Anita Park. "The energy that the big crowds bring to one of the greatest venues in the sport is a reminder of why this continues to be a special place." "Santa Anita is one of the most magnificent racetracks in the world and an integral part of American racing over the first half of the calendar year," said Bill Nader, President of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. "The purse for a maiden allowance during the Spring meet was up more than 20 percent when compared to two years ago. We are perfectly positioned for another increase next year. We thank our owners in contributing to the positive momentum and their appreciation and respect for the history and tradition of The Great Race Place." Among owners, Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables won six stakes each, all with partners. The two powerhouse groups combined with the Estate of Brereton C. Jones on the ownership of Thought Process, who won both the Grade 1 Gamely and the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes in her two races this year. There were several milestones also achieved by Santa Anita's horsemen and women during the season. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith recorded his 5,800th win in the saddle. Tyler Baze and Juan Hernandez both notched their 3,000th appearance in the winner's circle. Hernandez had 17 stakes wins to lead all jockeys. Longtime Southern California trainers Carla Gaines and Richard Baltas both recorded the 800th wins of their careers, with Baltas' win in the 2026 Santa Anita Handicap counted in his tally. Mr. Larry D. Williams and Mrs. Marianne Williams' talented California-bred mare Grand Slam Smile, who began her career in Northern California, won three stakes races and helped trainer Sean McCarthy achieve 200 career wins. Hall of Famer Bob Baffert just edged out Michael McCarthy to lead the trainer standings with 14 stakes wins. The on-track crowd totaled over 540,000 fans for the season and averaged more than 7,000 per day over the 77-day season, which included both the Classic and Hollywood meets. (Editor's Note: Santa Anita reported a 4% attendance gain for its 2024-25 season when 541,592 fans were on site.) An important metric is on-track wagering, which contributes a larger percentage of dollars bet at Santa Anita to support purses and the overall racing product. California remains the last major racing jurisdiction in the US without subsidies from other gaming revenue. Weather played havoc with the early part of the Santa Anita season, delivering nearly a foot of rain from Dec. 23 and Jan. 4. It paused live racing and training for several days during what is traditionally one of the busiest weeks of the 24-week season. Additionally, the popular Presidents' Day holiday in February was also postponed. But the fans and horseplayers came out in force to support the track's marquee days, strongly backing racing cards put on by the California owners, trainers, jockeys, and veterinarians. Santa Anita Handicap Day saw the largest crowd in attendance this decade wager 11% more on track than 2025, contributing to a total handle of nearly $15 million. Not to be outdone, Santa Anita Derby Day checked in with the largest crowd in attendance since 2018, an increase of more than 9% over 2025. Total handle was $18,670,017, the highest of the meet. More than 15,000 fans then returned to Santa Anita to watch the Kentucky Derby and wager more than $17.3 million on the first Saturday in May. Santa Anita's popular Pick Six helped push the handle with 21 carryovers this season. The Sunset Pick 6, which combined the last three races at Gulfstream Park with the final three at Santa Anita, proved even more difficult to solve with 35 carryovers. All sources handle totaled $708,112,231, with an average daily handle of $9,196,263. It marked the sixth consecutive year daily handle has exceeded $9 million for the Winter-Spring season. (Editor's Note: Santa Anita reported a 10% increase in handle to $745,947,859 in 2024-25.) Santa Anita's stable area will remain open for training until mid-July, when it will closes for annual summer maintenance, and reopen Labor Day weekend. Live racing returns to Santa Anita Park on Friday, Sept. 25 for the six-week Autumn meet. Seven Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" races will highlight the first two weeks of the season, with simulcast racing from the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland anchoring the final weekend of the meet.