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8 unusual facts about Santa Anita Park


A Dawn in the West

The 9-foot bronze figure of Baldwin stands on a 4-foot plinth set in the Monsignor Gerald M. O’Keefe Rose Garden at the intersection of Huntington Drive and Holly Avenue, near Gate 3, the south entrance of Santa Anita Park race track.

Eddie Belmonte

On February 17, 1972, he rode five winners in a single day at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Jorge Tejeira

He rode at venues across the United States and won a number of riding titles, including seasonal/annual championships at Philadelphia Park Racetrack in Pennsylvania and in California at Del Mar Racetrack and Santa Anita Park.

Pat Valenzuela

Problems emerged again in January 2004 that resulted in suspension but he came back to win top jockey honors during the 2004-2005 racing season at Santa Anita Park.

Raymond York

On January 13, 2000, the 66-year-old became the first jockey to ride in seven different decades when he rode a 4-year-old gelding named Culebra to a tenth-place finish in a seven-furlong claiming race at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Reggie Cornell

In 1949, Reggie Cornell began operating a public stable at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

Santa Anita Park

At Santa Anita Park's European-style paddock there are statues of jockeys George Woolf, Johnny Longden, Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay, Jr. plus a memorial bust of announcer Joe Hernandez and one of trainer Charlie Whittingham with his dog, Toby.

South African native Trevor Denman has served as the track announcer at Santa Anita since 1983.


Agua Caliente Handicap

After the 1934 racing season, the government of Mexico outlawed gambling until 1938 by which time the track had already been replaced by the new Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, United States, as the choice of owners to run their horses

George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award

The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.

KRLA

Programs included "Tomorrow's Heroes" with Andrea Speyer, Talk Back with George Putnam, Swinging Decades with host Chuck Cecil, horse racing from Santa Anita Park and Hollywood Park Racetrack and University of Nebraska football.

Martin A. Pedroza

He emigrated to California for the 1983 racing season where he won more races than any other apprentice jockey during three meets at Santa Anita Park, Oak Tree and Los Alimitos.

Tabasco Cat

In a shedrow accident at Santa Anita Park, the colt broke loose and when Jeff Lukas tried to stop him, the excited horse slammed into him with such force that it fractured his skull and left him in a coma for several weeks.

Telly's Pop

In his outstanding two-year-old season, in addition to a win in the Haggin Stakes Telly's Pop won the 1975 Del Mar Futurity at Del Mar Racetrack followed by the Norfolk Stakes at Santa Anita Park, and then the California Juvenile Stakes at Bay Meadows Racetrack, all Grade II events that comprised the California Triple Crown for his age group.


see also

Norfolk Stakes

Norfolk Stakes (United States), a horse race held at Santa Anita Park and now known as the FrontRunner Stakes.

San Luis Obispo Handicap

There was no race from 1963 through 1967 but returned in 1968 as the San Luis Obispo Handicap, named for the city of San Luis Obispo further up the Central Coast of California from Santa Anita Park.

Sunshine Millions Dash

The Sunshine Millions series of races are restricted to horses bred either in Florida or in California and is the brainchild of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association, Inc., Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, and Magna Entertainment Corp..

Sunshine Millions Distaff

In its 14th running in 2015, the series of races called the Sunshine Millions are restricted to horses bred either in Florida or in California and is the brainchild of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association, Inc., Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, and Magna Entertainment Corporation.

Sunshine Millions Sprint

In its 9th running in 2011, the series of races called the Sunshine Millions are restricted to horses bred either in Florida or in California and is the brainchild of the Thoroughbred Owners of California, the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, Inc., Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park, and Magna Entertainment Corporation.

Tokyo City Cup

Run as the San Bernardino Handicap prior to 2005, the races name honors the partnership between Santa Anita Park and Ohi Racecourse in Tokyo, Japan.

Wayne D. Wright

In 1939, Wright appeared in the Columbia Pictures film, Columbia World of Sports: Jockeys Up in which future National Radio Hall of Fame and American Sportscasters Hall of Fame inductee Bill Stern went to Santa Anita Park and spent the day visiting the stables and meeting with several jockeys, trainers, and horses.

Zensational

Zensational will face a heavy field of sprint horses at their best, the $2 million Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Sprint at the Oak Tree Meeting at Santa Anita Park will include Kentucky Cup Sprint winner, El Brujo, Forego Handicap winner Pyro and winner of the 2009 Ancient Title Stake going 6 furlongs, Gayego, hold a spot also.