Santa Anita autumn meet features 5 Breeders' Cup preps
Santa Anita’s 18-day autumn meet, which opens Friday, Sept. 30, will be highlighted by 26 stakes, 15 of them graded.
Overnight purses remain the same as last year. Most stakes purses are the same as in 2021, with the following exceptions. Both the Golden State Juvenile and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies have had their purses increased from $150,000 to $175,000, and the Unzip Me and the Anoakia now have purses of $85,000 – up from $75,000 last year. Additionally, two restricted stakes, the Swingtime and the Lure, now offer purse money of $80,000, up $10,000 each.
The 2022 Autumn Meet Stakes Schedule will include five Breeders’ Cup “win and you're in” stakes on the first two weekends, Oct. 1-2 and Oct. 8-9, preps for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland on Nov. 4-5. These include three Grade 1 events, the $300,000 Awesome Again on Oct. 1 and the $300,000 American Pharoah and the $300,000 Rodeo Drive, both on Oct. 8.
With the Breeders’ Cup in mind, the autumn meet will get off to a fast start, with 11 stakes, seven of them graded, on opening weekend, Oct. 1-2. The second weekend, Oct. 8-9, will offer six stakes, five of them graded.
The Awesome Again Stakes (G1) is a prep for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic, the American Pharoah (G1) is a prep for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1) is a prep for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
With the Awesome Again headlining a tremendous day of stakes action on Oct. 1, five additional stakes will be offered: the $200,000 Eddie D Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf course; the $200,000 John Henry Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/4 miles on turf; the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2) at six furlongs; the $200,000 City of Hope Mile (G2, turf) for 3-year-olds and up; and the $85,000 Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf.
On Sunday, Oct. 2, five stakes will be offered: the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles; the $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes (G3) for fillies and mares 3 and up at 6 1/2 furlongs; the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on turf; the 100,000 Tokyo City Cup for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/2 miles (which has been permanently moved to the autumn meet as a prep for Breeders’ Cup marathon races); and the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy, for fillies and mares 3 and up at about 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf course.
Four California-bred Stakes, the California Distaff ($125,000) on Oct. 15; the California Flag ($125,000) on Oct. 16; the Golden State Juvenile ($175,000) on Oct. 29 and the Golden State Juvenile Fillies ($175,000) on Oct. 29, will again provide local owners and breeders’ added money opportunities through closing day, Nov. 6.