Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park logo
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| Location | Arcadia, California, United States |
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| Coordinates | 34°08′26″N 118°02′40″W / 34.140635°N 118.044354°WCoordinates: 34°08′26″N 118°02′40″W / 34.140635°N 118.044354°W |
| Owned by | The Stronach Group |
| Date opened | December 25, 1934 |
| Course type | Thoroughbred flat racing |
| Notable races |
Santa Anita Handicap (G1) Santa Anita Derby (G1) Sunshine Millions Day |
| Official website | |
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many the world's most beautiful race track. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, and from 2012 to 2014, plus 2016. In 2010, Santa Anita's ownership was moved to MI Developments Inc. (MID).
Santa Anita Park was originally part of "Rancho Santa Anita," which was owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor-Domo, Claudio Lopez, and named after a family member, "Anita Cota." The ranch was later acquired by rancher Hugo Reid, a Scotsman. Later, it was owned by multimillionaire horse breeder and racer Lucky Baldwin. Baldwin initially built a racetrack adjacent to the present site in what is today Arcadia, outside of the city of Los Angeles, in 1904. It closed in 1909 and burned in 1912.
In 1933, California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks. In the San Francisco area, a group headed by Dr. Charles H "Doc" Strub was having trouble locating a site. In the Los Angeles area, a group headed by movie producer Hal Roach was in need of further funds. These two groups combined and the newly formed Los Angeles Turf Club reopened the track on Christmas Day in 1934, making it the first racetrack in California. Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed its various buildings in a combination of Colonial Revival and a type of art deco known as Streamline Modern, painted primarily in Santa Anita's signature colors of Persian Green and Chiffon Yellow.
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