Santa Anita Park will offer 13 graded stakes—six of them grade I—during its 24-day fall meet that runs from Sept. 30-Nov. 6.
The grade I stakes will be run the first two weekends as part of a prep series for the Nov. 4-5 Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Churchill Downs.
The four grade I events scheduled for Oct. 1 are the $250,000 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles; the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles; the $250,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes presented by Emirates Airline for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at 1 1/4 miles on turf; and the $250,000 Lady’s Secret Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at 1 1/16 miles.
On Oct. 2, the $250,000 Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies will be run. The $250,000 Ancient Title Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-olds and up at six furlongs is set for Oct. 8.
“This fall we will offer a comprehensive stakes schedule that will give our horsemen the opportunity to prepare for the Breeders’ Cup, which we are pleased and honored to host in 2012,” Santa Anita director of racing Mike Harlow said.
The California Cup for California-bred runners is scheduled for Oct. 29.
Other graded stakes during the meet are as follows:
Oct. 8: $150,000 Oak Tree Mile (gr. IIT) for 3-year-olds and up.
Oct. 10: $100,000 Morvich Stakes (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds and up at 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf.
Oct. 15: $150,000 Oak Tree Derby (gr. IIT) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.
Oct. 16: $100,000 Harold C. Ramser Sr. Stakes.
Nov. 6: $150,000 Las Palmas Stakes (gr. IIT) for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up, at one mile on the turf.