Santa Anita Park Increases Bolstered by Strong Gains in On-Track Attendance and Handle

Santa Anita Park Increases Bolstered by Strong Gains in On-Track Attendance and Handle

ARCADIA, CA (Feb. 26, 2025) - Strong gains in on-track attendance and on-track handle have bolstered Santa Anita Park’s figures as the 90-year-old track heads into the final six weeks of its Classic Meet. On-track attendance is up over 9% from last season, hosting more than 203,000 visitors through last weekend. The handle bet on-track, which is important as the track retains a larger percentage of those dollars bet at Santa Anita to support the racing product, is up 4% from last year. Overall, the total all-sources handle to date is over $268-million, which is an increase from last year.

The addition of horses from Northern California horses has been impactful, with field size averaging nearly a full horse from the corresponding time last year. Owners and trainers continue to support the Santa Anita racing program, enabling the track to run more races each day. Horseplayers from around the world have responded to the larger field sizes, as well as the player-friendly modifications to the wagering menu.

Santa Anita Park, which increased purses an average of 8% beginning this week, is heading into the height of its racing season. Saturday’s races feature four graded stakes races, highlighted by the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. The track, which has been used by local agencies as command centers for the devastating Eaton Fire in January, has been returned to full use as of last weekend.

With the warmer weather, the popular infield will be open on weekends beginning this Saturday through the end of the Hollywood Meet on June 15. As previously announced, purses for the Hollywood Meet will be further enhanced by an average of 10% over last year.