OPENING WEEKEND AT SANTA ANITA CONTINUES SUNDAY WITH A 10-RACE CARD FEATURING 2 GRADED STAKES WITH BREEDERS’ CUP IMPLICATIONS

2-DAY DAILY DOUBLES INCLUDE THE GII, $200 SANTA ANITA SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ESTRELLA JALISCO AND GII, $200,000 ZENYATTA STAKES

ARCADIA, CA (Sept. 28, 2024)—Opening weekend at Santa Anita continues Sunday with another top-class day of racing featuring two graded stakes with Breeders’ Cup implications.

The Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares, contested at 1 1/16 miles on the main track, is a potential launching pad for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The 8-5 favorite on the morning line is Alpha Bella, who will be making her first start in California for trainer John Sadler. The 4-year-old Justify filly was previously based in the east with trainer Todd Pletcher. Jockey Hector Berrios will ride Alpha Bella.

The Zenyatta goes as the seventh race with post time set for 4:03 p.m. PT.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship presented by Estrella Jalisco is a potential steppingstone to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint, also Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The key principals in the Santa Anita Sprint are 8-5 favorite Fort Bragg for trainer Bob Baffert and Straight No Chaser, the 9-5 second choice for trainer Dan Blacker. Fort Bragg will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, a perennial leading rider at Santa Anita, while Straight No Chaser will have Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the irons.

The Santa Anita Sprint Championship goes as the ninth race with post time set for 5:03 p.m. PT.

The Zenyatta and Santa Anita Sprint Championship are also part of a pair of two-day Daily Doubles, which start on Saturday’s blockbuster California Crown program at Santa Anita. One of the Daily Double’s links the Zenyatta with Saturday’s GI, $1 million California Crown presented by SirDavis American Whisky; and the other combines the Santa Anita Sprint Championship with Saturday’s GII, $750,000 California Crown Eddie D presented by FanDuel. Both two-day Daily Doubles are $5 minimum wagers and feature a player-friendly 15 percent takeout rate.

Prior to the racing action Sunday, patrons can also come early and enjoy breakfast at Clockers’ Corner and a Seabiscuit Tram Tour, which departs Clockers’ Corner at 9:45 a.m. Clocker’s Corner, a popular trackside breakfast destination for decades, offers a full breakfast menu and spectacular views of the San Gabriel Mountains as Santa Anita’s trainers put some of the nation’s top Thoroughbreds through their morning paces.

Admission and parking to Clockers’ Corner is free. It is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and is accessible via Gate 8 off Baldwin Ave. Daily Racing Form’s and programs are also available for purchase.

Sunday’s 10-race card begins at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m. General admission tickets are available for $10 and include a free program and general parking. Reserved seats are available for $20. For additional information please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.