106 horses nominated for 7 Stakes on Opening Weekend of the Santa Anita Autumn Meet on Sept. 26-27; Slate includes 4 Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ challenge races

106 HORSES NOMINATED FOR 7 STAKES ON OPENING WEEKEND OF THE SANTA ANITA AUTUMN MEET ON SEPT. 26-27; SLATE INCLUDES 4 BREEDERS’ CUP ‘WIN AND YOU’RE IN’ CHALLENGE RACES

Santa Anita’s 19-day Autumn Meet kicks off on Friday, Sept. 25 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1

ARCADIA, CA (Sept. 17, 2026)—A total of 106 horses are nominated to compete in seven stakes on opening weekend of the Santa Anita Autumn Meet on Sept. 26-27. The nominees include Nevada Beach, who has been working steadily for a potential title defense in the Grade I Goodwood Stakes; Imagination, who is nominated to try for a repeat victory in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship; and Gold Phoenix, who would look to score back-to-back victories in the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship.

The Goodwood on Saturday, Sept. 26 and Santa Anita Sprint Championship on Sunday, Sept. 27, are among four stakes on opening weekend that are automatic qualifiers for this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Also part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win And You’re In” Challenge series are the GII City of Hope Mile on Sept. 26 and GII Zenyatta Stakes on Sept. 27.

Saturday, Sept. 26 (Entries taken Monday, Sept. 21)

Grade I Goodwood Stakes (1 1/8 miles)—Nevada Beach is among 18 horses nominated to run in the Goodwood. Last year, Nevada Beach won the Goodwood by 1 ½ lengths at odds of 8-1. A 4-year-old colt by Omaha Beach, Nevada Beach hasn’t started since finishing 12th in the GI Saudi Cup in Riyadh on Feb. 14.

Other notable nominees include GI Santa Anita Handicap winner British Isles, GII Hollywood Gold Cup winner Forged Steel and GI Pacific Classic runner-up Original Sin.

The winner of the Goodwood receives a fees-paid berth to the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31 at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky.

Full list of nominations available here.

Grade II City of Hope Mile (1 mile turf)—Won last year by current Kentucky-based stallion Johannes, the City of Hope Mile is an automatic qualifier to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile. Notable nominees include the top three finishers in last month’s GII Del Mar Mile—winner King of Gosford, runner-up Detain and third-place finisher El Potente.

Full list of nominations available here.

Grade II John Henry Turf Championship (1 ¼ miles turf) —Last year’s winner Gold Phoenix is among 15 horses nominated for what is a potential launching pad to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf. Last year, the multi-millionaire Gold Phoenix won the John Henry by 1 ¼ lengths as the second choice at 3-2. Other notable nominees include 2024 John Henry winner Cabo Spirit and both Atitlan and Atomic Age, who most recently ran two-three in the GII Del Mar Handicap.

Full list of nominations available here.

Grade II Eddie D Stakes (Abt. 6 ½ furlongs, hillside turf course)—Won last year by Reef Runner, who went on to finish fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, the Eddie D has 15 horses nominated. Notables include Grade I-winning mare Ag Bullet, millionaire gelding Motorious, 2024 winner First Peace and Sorrento Sky, winner of last month’s GII Green Flash at Del Mar.

Full list of nominations available here.

Grade III John C. Harris Stakes (3yo Fillies, Abt. 6 ½ furlongs, hillside turf course)—A large field is likely as 24 sophomore fillies were nominated for this downhill turf sprint.

Nominees include Doug O’Neill-trained Little Opal, a daughter of Caravaggio who would be making her stakes debut after dazzling in two starts at Del Mar this summer to kick off her career. Eastern-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has multiple fillies nominated including stakes winners Spirit Doll and Brandy and Me.

Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella’s nominees include graded stakes winner Brave Deb, who hasn’t started since last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Full list of nominations available here.

Sunday, Sept. 27 (Entries taken Tuesday, Sept. 22)

Grade II Santa Anita Sprint Championship (6 furlongs) - Baffert-trained Imagination won last year’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship by 1 ¾ lengths at odds of 5-1 and went on to finish second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar. Imagination won the GII Riyadh Dirt Sprint earlier this year and most recently finished off the board as the favorite in the GIII Hanshin at Churchill Downs when stretched out to a mile.

Other nominees include recent GI Bing Crosby winner Listenupshance for O’Neill; GII Pat O’Brien runner-up Moonlight for trainer Peter Miller and graded stakes winner Big City Lights for Mandella.

The winner of the Santa Anita Sprint Championship earns a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

Full list of nominations available here.

Grade II Zenyatta Stakes (Fillies and Mares, 1 1/16 miles)- The Zenyatta is an automatic qualifier for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff. This race could mark the return of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora, who was nominated by trainer John Sadler. The daughter of Gun Runner hasn’t started since March when finishing sixth in the GIII Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita.

Nominated for Mandella is Magnificat, who was an authoritative winner of the one-mile Tranquility Lake earlier this month when trying two turns for the first time. Other notable nominees include Grade II winner Om N Joy for trainer Aggie Ordonez and lightly raced Rabeeba, a 3-year-old Curlin filly trained by Baffert who last month in her stakes debut won the GIII Torrey Pines going one mile at Del Mar.

Full list of nominations available here.

The 2026 Santa Anita Autumn Meet kicks off on Friday, Sept. 25 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. Entries for opening day will be taken this Sunday. For more information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.