History of the Santa Anita Racetrack

Santa Anita Thoroughbred Racetrack is located in Arcadia, California. It is one of the most famous race tracks in North America. One of the more noteworthy attributes of the track is a large statue of Seabiscuit. In 2006, Santa Anita became eligible to be listed among the National Register of Historic Places in North America because of its longstanding existence and popularity.

  1. History

    • Santa Anita Racetrack, also known as Santa Anita Park, opened on December 25, 1934, and is currently the oldest racetrack in Southern California. The original architect of the track was Gordon B. Kaufman.

    Introduction of Wagering

    • A year before the racetrack was officially opened, California legalized parimutuel betting, the form of betting still used today in sporting events such as horse racing, greyhound racing and jai alai. Dr. Charles H. Strub and Hal Roach created the Los Angeles Turf Club. About a month after the track opened, the first handicapped race was run, carrying a purse of $100,000.

    Famous Annual Events

    • Santa Anita Racetrack is famous for some of the most prestigious thoroughbred races held in Southern California. The two most famous events are the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap. The Derby is for 3-year-olds and is run each April, carrying a purse of $750,000. The Handicap is for 4-year-olds and up and is run each March, carrying a purse of $1 million. This race has been considered the most important race for older horses in North America. Other notable races are the Sunshine Millions Day and the Yellow Ribbon Stakes.

    Racetrack Types and Measurements

    • Santa Anita consists of both a synthetic cushion track and a turf track. The outer cushion track is a 1-mile ring (1,609 meters), popular in many main events. The inner turf track is nine-tenths of a mile (1,448 meters). To comply with the state of California, Santa Anita was ordered to switch the outer track from dirt to the current synthetic cushion, made of a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fibers, granulated rubber and a wax coat. The new track was first used on September 4, 2007.

    Quick Facts

    • Seabiscuit won the annual Santa Anita Handicap in his last career start in 1940.

      Santa Anita was the site for all equestrian events during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

      The highest recorded attendance at Santa Anita was 85,527 at the 1985 Santa Anita Handicap.

      Trevor Denman, a native of South Africa, has been the track announcer at Santa Anita since 1983.