Culver City Observer -

Contact: Mike Willman; Mike.willman@santaanita.com

BREEDERS' CUP PREPS WILL DOMINATE THE FIRST TWO WEEKENDS AS A TOTAL OF 31 GRADED STAKES, INCLUDING 15 GRADE I EVENTS WILL BE RUN THROUGH CLOSING DAY, NOV. 5

With Santa Anita Park set to host the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships for a record 11th time on Nov. 3 & 4, Santa Anita's 19-day Autumn Meet will open on Friday, Sept. 29 and will provide fans and horsemen with a comprehensive stakes schedule that will include a total of 42 stakes, including 31 graded events, highlighted by 15 Grade I's, with four stakes restricted to California-bred or sired horses.

Santa Anita will honor the late Sherwood Chillingworth, a longtime director with Santa Anita-based Oak Tree Racing Association, with the Grade III Chillingworth Stakes for fillies and mares at 6 ½ furlongs, on opening day, Sept. 29.

Legendary Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye will again be honored with the Grade II Eddie D Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf course on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Along with the Eddie D, three other stakes, the Grade I Awesome Again, a Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" qualifier to the Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4; the Grade II Santa Anita Sprint Championship and the Grade II City of Hope Mile, will all provide world class racing as horsemen prepare for the 40th Breeders' Cup World Championships.

World class racing will again be the order of the day on Sunday, Oct. 1, as a total of four stakes, the Grade II Zenyatta; the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship; the Grade III Tokyo City Cup and the $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes highlight day three of the 2023 Autumn Meet.

A total of three Breeders' Cup "Win & You're In" qualifiers will be run on Saturday, Oct. 7, headed by the Grade I American Pharoah; the Grade II Chandelier; the Grade II Rodeo Drive and the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes.

On Sunday, Oct. 8, Santa Anita will draw upon Southern California's surf culture, as a pair of one mile turf stakes will be offered for 2-year-olds, the Grade III Surfer Girl and the Grade III Zuma Beach.

In addition to five Breeders' Cup stakes on Friday, Nov. 3, California-bred or sired horses will share the big stage as both the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile and the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Filles will be run. Additionally on Nov. 3, Santa Anita will again honor the memory of California State Senator Ken Maddy as fillies and mares will go about 6 ½ furlongs down the hillside turf in the $150,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes.

The Grade I, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic, for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one quarter, will anchor the biggest day of racing in 2023 on Saturday, Nov. 3. Including the Classic, a total of 11 stakes will be run as Santa Anita Park will be the focus of the racing world.

On closing day, Sunday, Nov. 5, a pair of one mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, the Grade II Goldikova and the $100,000 Autumn Miss help to ensure a fitting close to what promises to be a tremendous 19-day Autumn Meet run.

About The Stronach Group and 1/ST

The Stronach Group is a world-class technology, entertainment and real estate development company with Thoroughbred horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering at the core. The company's consumer facing brand 1/ST (pronounced "First") powers The Stronach Group's forward-thinking 1/ST RACING & GAMING, 1/ST CONTENT, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST EXPERIENCE, and 1/ST PROPERTIES businesses, while advocating for and driving the 1/ST HORSE CARE mission. 1/ST represents The Stronach Group's continued movement toward redefining Thoroughbred horse racing and the ecosystem that drives it. 1/ST RACING & GAMING drives the best-in-class horse racing operations and gaming offerings at the company's premier racetracks and training centers including: Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields and San Luis Rey Downs (California); Gulfstream Park – home of the Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series, Gulfstream Park West and Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center (Florida); the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course - home of the legendary Preakness Stakes, Rosecroft Raceway and Bowie Training Center (Maryland). 1/ST CONTENT is operating group for 1/ST's media and content companies including: Monarch Content Management, Elite, TSG Global Wagering Solutions (GWS) and XBTV. 1/ST TECHNOLOGY is horse racing's largest racing and gaming technology company offering world-class products via its AmTote, Xpressbet, 1/ST BET, XB SELECT, XB NET, PariMAX and Betmix brands. 1/ST EXPERIENCE blends the worlds of sports, entertainment and hospitality through innovative content development, elevated national and local venue management and hospitality, strategic partnerships, sponsorships, and procurement development. 1/ST PROPERTIES is responsible for the development of the company's live, work and play communities surrounding its racing venues including: The Village at Gulfstream Park (Florida) and Paddock Pointe (Maryland). As the advocate for critical industry reforms and by making meaningful investments into aftercare programs for retired horses and jockeys, 1/ST HORSE CARE represents The Stronach Group's commitment to achieving the highest level of horse and rider care and safety standards in Thoroughbred horse racing on and off the track. For more information, please visit http://www.1st.com or follow @1ST_racing on Twitter or @1stracing on Instagram and Facebook.