4-Day Race Week At Santa Anita Park Features The Biggest Derby Party West Of Kentucky On Saturday

4-DAY RACE WEEK AT SANTA ANITA PARK FEATURES THE BIGGEST DERBY PARTY WEST OF KENTUCKY ON SATURDAY

Santa Anita Friday will have a special first post time of 3:15 p.m. to align with the Kentucky Oaks card at Churchill Downs. On Saturday, Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy will carry the hopes of California to Kentucky for the 152nd Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs

ARCADIA, CA (April 26, 2026)— It’s a big week ahead at Santa Anita Park. Starting on Thursday, The Great Race Place will host four consecutive days of live racing and present the Biggest Derby Party West of Kentucky on Saturday in celebration of the 152nd Kentucky Derby. Among the horses from California set to compete in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs is So Happy, winner of this year’s Santa Anita Derby with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.

All the action gets underway on Thursday when Santa Anita hosts a special nine-race card. The program was not originally on Santa Anita’s racing schedule but was added as a makeup for weather-related cancellations that occurred this winter during the Classic Meet.

First post Thursday is 1 p.m. Parking and admission are free. Additionally, all on-track patrons will be able to enjoy 50 percent off select beers and cocktails. Adding to Thursday’s card, available to horseplayers is a $44,113 carryover in the $2 Pick 6, a $68,707 carryover in the $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 and $7,387 carryover in the $1 Sunset Pick 6.

The action then continues Friday at Santa Anita with an eight-race card, which has a later first post time of 3:15 p.m. The later start allows the Santa Anita racing program to align with the Kentucky Oaks card at Churchill Downs. Post time for the Kentucky Oaks is 5:40 p.m. PT.

Representing Santa Anita in the Kentucky Oaks will be the duo of Meaning and Brooklyn Blonde, the top two finishers in the Santa Anita Oaks earlier this month. Meaning and Brooklyn Blonde both hail from the Michael McCarthy barn. Parking and admission are free on Friday, and Santa Anita will again offer fans 50 percent off select beers and cocktails.

On Saturday, Kentucky Derby day, fans can watch and wager on the Santa Anita program as well as the Kentucky Derby at the Biggest Derby Party West of Kentucky. First post for Santa Anita’s program is 1 p.m. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 3:57 p.m. Admission is just $10. Fans can enter Santa Anita starting at 7:30 a.m. through the East Gate. The Clubhouse Gate and South Gate will open at 9 a.m. As part of the Biggest Derby Party West of Kentucky, Santa Anita will host a Derby Hat Contest that is free to enter. Prizes will be awarded in two categories: Best “Derby Dandy” Hat for individuals and Best “Daily Double” Hat for duos.

Santa Anita will also have a Derby BBQ Picnic on the trackside apron offering beautiful views of the track as part of the Derby day festivities. Fans can also show their support for So Happy in Kentucky Derby by purchasing a package that comes with admission and a So Happy T-shirt.

Santa Anita’s vast Infield on Kentucky Derby day will also have a Family Fun Zone with carnival games, inflatable jumpers, arts & crafts, pony rides, face painting and more. Also in the Infield will be The California Motorcycle Show.

For more information on the various ticket packages available for the Biggest Derby Party West of Kentucky, please visit https://www.santaanita.com/event/ or call (626) 574-RACE.