ARCADIA, Calif. – Even while wind and fire raged across Southern California this week, and after racing collapsed in Northern California, positive news has emerged from Santa Anita this winter.
After eight days of racing, average field size is up by nearly one horse per race, to 8.08. Wagering handle is up 9 percent to a daily average of more than $11 million, and ontrack attendance is up 20 percent, according to Santa Anita.
It’s a good start to the meet, ironically caused by forces that simultaneously are wreaking havoc. Dry weather helped Santa Anita racing, and fueled fires. The end of Northern California helped boost local field size as horses trickle south. But the closure of Pleasanton for racing leaves the North without a year-round circuit.
Challenges persist in California and at Santa Anita, where high winds forced the track to curtail training hours Tuesday and cancel all training Wednesday. Despite turmoil, Santa Anita is off to a good start. A fast main track and firm turf are expected for the 10-race card on Friday.
Nature helped boost field size this season, Santa Anita racing secretary Jason Egan said early this week. “I think the weather has a lot to do with it,” Egan said. “The last couple years, we’ve faced rain on and off at the beginning of the meet and it kind of threw some people off schedule.
“We haven’t had to deal with that this year, so everybody is on schedule,” Egan added. “We’ve got a bunch of race-ready horses, and the horsemen have been eager to support.”
Santa Anita increased the number of daily races this winter, including Friday. Nine races were scheduled, 10 will be run, including a pair tailored to low-level horses from Northern California. Race 2 is an $8,000 maiden-claiming sprint in which 13-start maiden Getemdusty is expected to start favored over Cangrejo. Race 3 is a $5,000 conditioned claiming sprint, led by Bobby Anton.
Through Friday, seven of the 87 races this meet were for horses from Pleasanton. If the number of overall entrants remains strong, Santa Anita will consider four-day race weeks. Except for holiday weeks, the track runs three days, Friday through Sunday.
“We’re adding extra races in lieu of racing an extra day,” Egan said. “I don’t feel we’re at the point that the demand is there to run an extra day, but that is on the table. If we feel like there’s ample support, and we have enough demand to fill a good four days of racing, I think everybody here is keen to do it.”
While field size is up, so is the rate of winning favorites. Dirt favorites have won 54 percent; turf favorites 43 percent. The combined 48 percent win rate of favorites is one reason there has not been a pick six carryover so far this season. That is due to change, perhaps this week.
Friday’s card has three special-weight maiden races, including the debut of Clubhouse Cutie in race 7 for California-bred 3-year-old fillies. Sired by Clubhouse Ride and trained by Eric Kruljac, Clubhouse Cutie is a half-sister to the Kruljac-trained Grade 1 sprinter The Chosen Vron.
In terms of longevity, few match 10-year-old gelding Exultation, who is among several equine seniors trained by Peter Eurton. Exultation runs a mile on turf in race 10, a $25,000 claiming race. A race earlier, Eurton starts 8-year-old Lil Richards Bello in a California-bred allowance/optional-claiming dirt mile. Eurton also trains 9-year-olds Jetovator and Vantastic.
“It’s kind of gratifying, to be honest,” Eurton said, referring to veterans he has trained their entire careers. Exultation is 9 for 29, Lil Richards Bello 4 for 19, Jetovator 6 for 34, Vantastic 8 for 32. “You always worry every time you breeze them, but we do occasional body scans to make sure nothing’s hiding and PET scans to make sure we’re good to go.”
Exultation is good to go Friday in his first start of 2025, which is the final year he can race at Santa Anita. House rules prohibit 11-year-olds. Exultation finished third with trouble last out as the favorite in a similar $25,000 claiming turf mile.
“He still has a tremendous amount of energy, he loves to run, he still has that ‘want,’ ” Eurton said. “I think a lot of it has to do with the fact we don’t run him that often.”
Exultation has never raced more than six times in a single year. His career began Dec. 14, 2017.
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Juan Hernandez rides Exultation in race 10. His rivals in the $25,000 claiming race include Midwest shipper Bizzee Channel; last-start winner Sydney Street, an also eligible; and 9-year-old late-runner Moody Jim.
In addition to his older horses, Eurton trains 3-year-old turf stakes winners Stay Hot, a colt; and Medoro, a filly. He also trains promising 3-year-old Charlie’s to Blame. Stay Hot is getting a 60-day freshening, Medoro underwent arthroscopic surgery for a small knee chip. Stay Hot and Medoro will return late this year.
The itinerary for impressive maiden turf winner Charlie’s to Blame changed. He initially was targeting a Derby prep at Fair Grounds, but Eurton decided to keep him on grass. Charlie’s to Blame will ship to Florida for the $165,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes on Feb. 1 at Gulfstream Park.
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