Stronach plans ‘marquee’ California Crown for Santa Anita

Hallandale Beach, Fla.

A plan is in the works to replace the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes on Sept. 28 with the California Crown (G1), a race that 1/ST boss Belinda Stronach hopes will create a showcase event for Santa Anita that would be on a par with Pegasus World Cup day in Florida.

“It’s going to be good,” 1/ST Racing and Gaming president Aidan Butler told Horse Racing Nation on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The plan still needs the blessing of the Thoroughbred Owners of California.

The story first was reported Friday by Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

The California Crown, which like the Awesome Again would be for 3-year-olds, would create a big day to fill the void between the end of the Del Mar and Saratoga summer seasons and the running of the Breeders’ Cup.

“(Santa Anita) doesn’t have a marquee, special-event date,” Stronach told The AP, adding that the new card will “be the richest day of racing in California.”

Stronach did not mention a purse figure for the California Crown or any supporting stakes that would be on the card. The Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), which was built on the legacy of the Donn Handicap, began in 2017 as a $12 million race with a $1 million buy-in. Now it is staged with $3 million in traditionally added purse money.

Butler said the purse would depend on the division of revenue between northern and southern California this year after the closing of Golden Gate Fields in June.

Aside from the Breeders’ Cup, which will be at Del Mar each of the next two years, Pacific Classic (G1) day at the same track carries a state-high $1.9 million in purse money. Days anchored by the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Santa Anita Handicap (G1) carried $1.4 million and $1.2 million in stakes purses, respectively.