Average daily handle on Santa Anita’s races rose 6 percent at the 49-day winter-spring meeting from Dec. 26 through Sunday compared to the corresponding season last year, according to figures compiled by Daily Racing Form.
The track ran 478 races during the meeting, compared to 417 at the 2023-2024 winter-spring meeting. There were three more days of racing this year than last year, largely because of less rain on racing days this year.
Last year, six days were canceled because of rain during the winter-spring meeting. Three makeup days were conducted. This year, there were no rainouts, but the track did lose three days of racing because of wildfires in Southern California in January. The track ran three replacement days in January and March.
The average daily handle this year was more than $8.1 million compared to more than $7.6 million in 2023-2024.
Average field sizes rose from 7.08 runners per race in 2023-2024 to 7.56 runners this year. The track had higher field sizes thanks in part to the addition of stables from Northern California following the cancellation of a proposed winter-spring meeting at Pleasanton and the overall cessation of racing in that part of the state.
Santa Anita paid more than $26 million in purses at the winter-spring meeting compared to more than $27.2 million at the 2023-2024 meeting.
Before the start of the 2024-2025 meeting, Santa Anita cut overnight purses by 7 percent to 12 percent in some categories because of a severe purse overpayment accrued in recent years. The track also cut 11 stakes from the schedule and reduced prize money for some major events. The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby run on Saturday was worth $500,000, compared to $750,000 in 2024.
In February of this year, the track announced an increase in overnight purses beginning later that month. The additional monies became available from simulcasting and account wagering sources in Northern California, funds that previously would have gone toward purses in that part of the state.
Santa Anita’s forthcoming spring meeting – from April 18 to June 15 – will have an increase of purses of approximately 8 percent to 10 percent in some categories compares to the 2024 spring meeting.
On the track, Mark Glatt won his first training title at a winter-spring meeting with 31 wins, five more than Bob Baffert. Glatt was leading trainer at the 2023 Santa Anita autumn meeting, and the 2024 Del Mar autumn meeting.
Juan Hernandez led all riders with 53 wins, 10 more than Flavien Prat. Hernandez has won eight riding titles at Santa Anita, including the seven most recent meetings beginning with the 2022-2023 season. In addition, Hernandez has won all four riding titles at Del Mar in the last two years.
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