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46-526: The race was named for Round Table , the 1958 American Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. Round Table retired with earnings of $ 1,749,869, the most for any horse in world Thoroughbred racing history. Kerr Stable's win with Rambler II in the 1964 edition of the Round Table Handicap was particularly special for stable owner Travis Kerr who was the owner of Round Table. The Round Table

92-585: A distance of "about" 6½ furlongs (exact distance is 1,408.5 yards (1,287.9 m)), as well as longer races at 1.25 miles, 1.5 miles and 1 mile 1,232 yards. This type of track is one of the few of its kind in America. In August 2020, Santa Anita broke ground on a new backstretch turf chute. The new turf chute is expected to be finished in time for the 2020/2021 winter meet, and will be used primarily for turf sprints at distances up to 6½ furlongs. Santa Anita effectively ended downhill turf sprints following an incident in

138-479: A drainage problem with the new material, but intensive maintenance and the addition of a liquid binder greatly improved the artificial surface. Santa Anita restored the all natural dirt surface in December 2010. Santa Anita occupies 320 acres (1.3 km ). It has a 1,100-foot (340 m)-long grandstand, which is a historic landmark that seats 26,000 guests. The grandstand facade is rendered in an Art Deco style and

184-399: A factor in the decision. TVG , which acquired Horse Racing TV (HRTV) in 2015, is a 24-hour television based multimedia network dedicated to horse racing which features racing action from many of the sport's greatest racetracks around the world. TVG broadcasts live from Santa Anita Park. Talents from HRTV are now employed by TVG Network or XBTV (Xpressbet TV). Santa Anita talent now host

230-515: A lifesize bronze of Zenyatta was unveiled prior to the running of the race renamed in her honor. Since 1950, Santa Anita Park has annually presented the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award to a rider who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack. South African native Trevor Denman served as Santa Anita's full-time announcer from the 1983 Oak Tree meet until his retirement from

276-492: A plan In April 2007 to develop an 830,000 square foot commercial, retail, and office complex in the south parking area, where the barracks that housed interned Japanese Americans during World War II are located. The proposal planned to tear down the South Ticket Gate and the 1938 Saddling Barn, and to install a simulcast facility in the center of the historic grandstand. In April 2008, a plan was approved to use large parts of

322-514: A renaming of many stakes races held at the fall meeting that were formerly associated with Oak Tree. For example, the Norfolk, Goodwood, Yellow Ribbon, Lady's Secret, and Oak Leaf, were renamed at the FrontRunner, Awesome Again, Rodeo Drive, Zenyatta and Chandelier respectively. Prosperity continued at Santa Anita throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. In 1984, Santa Anita hosted the equestrian events at

368-582: A significant portion of their time in Santa Anita waiting in line for meals or to use the sanitary facilities. The Assembly Center remained open for seven months, and in the meantime, Japanese-Americans took up jobs in camp at the camouflage net factory, the hospital or various administrative departments, and set up schools to ensure their children's education would not be interrupted. Transfer to War Relocation Authority camps began on August 26, 1942, when 901 Japanese-Americans left for Poston , Arizona, and over

414-635: A successful businessman in San Francisco who greatly enhanced his wealth through an investment in the famous Comstock Lode . Baldwin became a successful breeder and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses and in 1904 built a racetrack adjacent to the present site. On February 4, 1909 the California State Legislature passed an anti-racetrack gambling bill known as the Walker–Otis Law . Similar in its goal to New York State's 1908 Hart–Agnew Law ,

460-538: A third. Only 56,810 people were at the park for Santa Anita Derby Day 2007 to witness a Grade I event. In 1997, Santa Anita Park was acquired by Meditrust when it purchased the Santa Anita Companies for its unique real estate investment trust paired share corporate structure. Following the elimination of the special tax treatment accorded Pair Share REITs , Meditrust sold the track to Magna Entertainment Corp. In 2006, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita cohosted

506-713: Is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California , United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races including both the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap as well as hosting the Breeders' Cup in 1986, 1993, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, and 2023. In 1984, Santa Anita

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552-482: Is also a lifesize bronze of Seabiscuit in the walking ring at Seabiscuit Court; a similar bronze of John Henry was unveiled near the Seabiscuit statue in December 2009. Buried near the paddock is Emperor of Norfolk , the best horse Lucky Baldwin ever owned, along with three other great Baldwin horses: Volante, Silver Cloud , and Rey El Santa Anita, all four of them winners of the prestigious American Derby . In 2012,

598-409: Is largely the original from the 1930s. The track infield area, which resembles a park with picnic tables and large trees, can accommodate 50,000 or more guests. The Park also contains 61 barns, which house more than 2,000 horses, and an equine hospital. In 2000, the racetrack was named to America's "Most Endangered Historic Places" list. The Santa Anita Racetrack was determined eligible for listing in

644-526: The 1984 Olympics , and in 1985, the track set an attendance record of 85,527 people on Santa Anita Handicap Day. Recognizing the potential revenue boon to the State of California, the California Legislature expanded off track betting, bring operating betting parlors within closer driving distance of the race-day tracks. While the Santa Anita meeting could still draw large crowds, attendance had decreased by

690-546: The Breeders' Cup for a record 11th time. Highlights of the previous events include: Santa Anita Park is also an event venue, most notably for popular food festival 626 Night Market . Since 2013, the event draws up to 100,000 attendees per 3-day weekend, four times a year during the summer. More than 250 vendors sell food, merchandise, crafts and art. There is also a stage with live music, an Art Walk, cosplay contest and b-boy dance competitions. Arcadia High School holds its annual graduation ceremony at Santa Anita Park during

736-468: The COVID-19 outbreak , racing resumed without fans; two weeks later, racing was suspended until May 15, 2020. In early March 2019, all races were cancelled following the 21st fatality of the winter season; racing resumed late in the month. Races were postponed so that the dirt surface could be studied. Seven of the 21 deaths occurred during races on the dirt oval with nine happening during training on dirt and

782-723: The Kentucky Derby , with the heavily favored Bold Ruler finishing 4th. After the Derby, Round Table was shipped back to race in California. Round Table started a streak where he won eleven consecutive races, including the Hollywood Gold Cup and United Nations Handicap which later became Grade I stakes races . He was the leading money winner of 1957 and won the first of his three straight U.S. Champion Turf Horse titles. In 1958, Round Table dominated American Thoroughbred racing. He began

828-511: The National Register of Historic Places in 2006, but continued to be threatened by developer's plans. A themed entertainment complex proposal was aborted, but there were new plans are in the works for the parking and support areas adjacent to the historic race track and grandstands. In 2006, there was a proposal to close Santa Anita Park and use its location as the site of a new retail/entertainment complex. The Arcadia City Council approved

874-606: The Sunshine Millions , a day of competition with $ 3.6 million in stakes races between horses bred in the State of Florida and those bred in the State of California . At Santa Anita standardbred racing was also conducted. At Santa Anita Park's European-style paddock there are statues of jockeys George Woolf , Johnny Longden , Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr. plus a memorial bust of announcer Joe Hernandez and one of trainer Charlie Whittingham with his dog, Toby. There

920-486: The 2019 San Simeon Stakes ; under their plans, the hillside turf course will continue to be used for distance races. To comply with a State of California mandate, Santa Anita replaced its dirt racing surface with a new synthetic surface , a mixture of silica sand, synthetic fibers, elastic fiber, granulated rubber and a wax coating. The new track opened for training on Sept 4, 2007 and hosted its first live race on Sept 26, 2007. The track lost 11 racing dates in 2008 due to

966-577: The California law resulted in the permanent closing of the Baldwin racetrack. In 1912 the racing facility burned to the ground. In 1933, California legalized parimutuel wagering and several investor groups worked to open racetracks. In the San Francisco area, a group headed by Dr. Charles H "Doc" Strub was having trouble locating a site. In the Los Angeles area, a group headed by movie producer Hal Roach

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1012-536: The January 24, 1959 San Marcos Handicap race on turf, Round Table carried 132 pounds when he broke the Santa Anita Park course and United States record with a time of 1:58 2/5 for a mile and one-quarter on turf. It marked the fifth time in his career that Round Table had run a mile and one-quarter under two minutes. An astonishing feat, the closest to that number for any other horse in history to run that distance under

1058-574: The Santa Anita Handicap in his last start. In 1942, racing at Santa Anita was suspended due to the Second World War. Santa Anita was used as an assembly center for Japanese Americans excluded from the West Coast. For several months in 1942, over 18,000 people lived in horse stables and military-style barracks constructed on the site, including actor George Takei , then a young boy. After

1104-450: The Year winners A.P. Indy and Mineshaft . His worldwide reputation both in racing and as a sire was so great that when Queen Elizabeth II visited Kentucky in 1984, she asked to see the 30-year-old horse. Her father, King George VI , bred Round Table's dam, Knight's Daughter. Round Table died at the age of 33 on June 13, 1987. He is buried in the equine cemetery at Claiborne Farm. Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park

1150-413: The center's population soon topped 18,000, peaking at 18,719 by August of that year. Six mess halls, each seating approximately 850 at a time, fed some 3,000 people daily at a cost of 33 cents per person. The sanitary facilities faced similar overcrowding, with a ratio of 30 people to each shower after the number of showers was increased from 150 to 225 in early July. Consequently, those in the center spent

1196-478: The existing track parking lot to construct a mall, the "Shops at Santa Anita". As of May 2011 , the plans to build another mall next to Santa Anita Park were abandoned. Protests against the project by the Westfield Group , owner of the adjacent Westfield Santa Anita mall (built in 1974 on the site of the old barns and training track), and the bankruptcy of Magna International , owner of Santa Anita Park, were

1242-517: The first Santa Anita Handicap was run. The race's $ 100,000 purse, largest of any race ever in the United States until that time, produced its nickname the Big 'Cap. In its heyday, the track's races attracted such stars as Betty Grable , Lana Turner , Edgar Bergen , Jane Russell , Cary Grant , Clark Gable , and Esther Williams , among others. Bing Crosby , Joe E. Brown , Al Jolson , and Harry Warner were all stockholders. In 1940, Seabiscuit won

1288-630: The name of national defense, the Western Defense Command began ordering Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to present themselves for "evacuation" from the newly created military zones. Seventeen temporary "assembly centers" were designated to house the evicted population until construction on the more permanent and isolated internment camps was finished. Most, like the Santa Anita Assembly Center , were converted from former uses like racing tracks or fairgrounds. Santa Anita

1334-415: The next month the remaining Japanese-Americans were sent to Poston and several other camps. The Santa Anita Assembly Center closed on October 27, 1942. Santa Anita has a one-mile (1,609 m) natural dirt main track which rings a turf course measuring 0.9 mile, or 1,584 yards (1,448 m). In addition, it has an unusual hillside turf course which crosses the dirt and had been used mainly to run turf races at

1380-539: The operator of the autumn meet at Santa Anita Park. This meet usually ran from the end of September until early November. Many key stakes races were held during the Oak Tree Meeting, including many preps to the Breeders' Cup races. The Oak Tree meet relocated to Hollywood Park for 2010 but the California Horse Racing Board awarded the fall dates to Santa Anita in its own right in 2011. This prompted

1426-730: The others occurring on the turf track. Thirty-seven horses died at the facility in 2019, causing the above noted suspension of races, and resulting in the California Racing Commission considering rule changes. Following the death of the 30th horse in late June, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer , who had trained four of the horses that died, was banned forever by the Stronach Group from all of its facilities. In February 1942, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 , which authorized military commanders to exclude "any or all persons" from certain areas in

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1472-499: The pace and win—going away. The 1960s brought about a major renovation of Santa Anita Park, including a much-expanded grandstand as well as major seating additions. In 1968, Del Mar Racetrack relinquished its dates for a fall meeting. A group of horsemen including Clement Hirsch intervened and established the not-for-profit Oak Tree Racing Association . Oak Tree had no facilities of its own and rented Santa Anita Park for its first autumn meeting in 1969. The Oak Tree Association became

1518-550: The position in 2015. Denman is noted for his calls beginning with "And awaaay they go..." and his distinctive gravelly voice. Queensland, Australia native Michael Wrona was chosen to succeed Denman in March 2016, and continued through fall 2018. Frank Mirahmadi took over after that. Starting in 2014, Santa Anita began adding more racing cards due to the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack , hosting Hollywood Park's old spring dates from late April until June. In mid-March 2020, due to

1564-519: The simulcast feed. Expert American television personality commentators employed by HRTV: Santa Anita Simulcast Hosts Megan has appeared as an on-air analyst at TVG, Turfway Park, Ellis Park, Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) and was fired from Santa Anita Park in November 2018. The following Graded events were held at Santa Anita Park in 2022 with inaugural runnings in parentheses. Grade I Grade II Grade III In 2023, Santa Anita will host

1610-546: The three-year-old season to Oklahoma oilman Travis M. Kerr . The sale agreement included Round Table standing at stud at Claiborne when his racing career was over with Claiborne receiving twenty percent of his breeding income. Racing at age three, with Kerr having hired William Molter as his trainer, and Jack Williams as assistant trainer, Round Table won the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in track record time. He then finished third to Calumet Farm's Iron Liege in

1656-572: The track reopened in 1945, it went through the postwar years with prosperity. A downhill turf course, which added a distinctly European flair to racing at Santa Anita, was added in 1953. Due to its proximity to Los Angeles, Santa Anita has traditionally been associated with the film and television industries. The racetrack sequences in the Marx Brothers 1937 classic A Day at the Races were filmed there, and The Story of Seabiscuit with Shirley Temple

1702-462: The two minute mark was just two times. Round Table's lifetime earnings were $ 1,749,869, and he was the third American Thoroughbred to earn more than a million dollars, after Citation and Nashua . Of his 66 starts, he won 43, placed in 8 and showed in 5, and set or equaled 14 track records during his career, including one world record and two U.S. records. Retired at the end of the 1959 racing season to stand at stud at Claiborne Farm, Round Table

1748-715: The year by capturing the races that are now known as the Strub Series at Santa Anita Park , becoming the first horse to win the Malibu Stakes , the San Fernando Stakes and the Santa Anita Maturity, now the Strub Stakes. He ended the season as the winner of every racing award available to him, including Horse of the Year . Five years old in 1959, he won 9 of his 14 races and his third Champion Turf Horse title. In

1794-421: Was filmed on location in 1949. It was also featured in A Star Is Born (1937). Several stars, including Bing Crosby , Spencer Tracy , Errol Flynn , Alex Trebek , and MGM mogul, Louis B. Mayer , have owned horses that raced at the park. The 1958 Santa Anita Derby was attended by 61,123 people, making the attendance that day a record crowd. They had come to watch Silky Sullivan come from 28 lengths off

1840-660: Was foaled at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky , on the night of April 6, 1954. Bold Ruler was foaled at the same farm, on the same night, and both stallions won American Horse of the Year honors in their respective careers, returning to Claiborne to stand at stud. He was trained by Moody Jolley . Round Table's most significant win as a two-year-old came in October 1956, when he won the Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland Race Course . On February 9, 1957, Claiborne Farm owner Arthur B. Hancock Jr. sold Round Table after his second start of

1886-488: Was in need of further funds. These two groups combined and the newly formed Los Angeles Turf Club opened the present day track on Christmas Day in 1934, making it the first formally-established racetrack in California. Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed its various buildings in a combination of Colonial Revival and a type of Art Deco known as Streamline Moderne , painted primarily in Santa Anita's signature colors of Persian Green and Chiffon Yellow . In February 1935,

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1932-516: Was run in two divisions in 1974, 1975 and 1983. It was not run in 1988, 1998 and 1999. Notable past winners include John Henry who won his first graded stakes in impressive style with a twelve-length margin of victory in the September 16, 1978 Round Table Handicap. In its last running in 2007, the colt Pavarotti set a track record in winning the 2007 edition of the Round Table Stakes. The race

1978-466: Was slated to be run in 2008 but was placed on hiatus and dropped from the 2009 schedule. Speed record: Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by an owner: Round Table (horse) Round Table (April 6, 1954 – June 13, 1987) was an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse . He is considered the greatest turf horse in American racing history. Round Table

2024-549: Was the leading sire in North America in 1972. He sired 83 stakes winners including He's A Smoothie , Baldric , Apalachee , Artaius , Cellini , Advocator, Flirting Around , King's Bishop , and Poker, who was the damsire of two Hall of Fame inductees, Seattle Slew and Silver Charm . His daughter Isolt was the dam of Sir Tristram whose progeny earned him 17 official Leading Australasian sire premierships, plus nine broodmare sire titles. Among his descendants are Horse of

2070-472: Was the site of equestrian events at the 1984 Olympics . Since 2011, the Stronach Group are the current owners. " Rancho Santa Anita " was owned originally by former San Gabriel Mission Mayor-Domo, Claudio Lopez, and named after a family member, "Anita Cota". The ranch was later acquired by rancher Hugo Reid , a Scotsman . The property's most widely known owner would be multimillionaire Lucky Baldwin ,

2116-564: Was turned over to the Wartime Civilian Control Administration, the government body responsible for oversight of the temporary detention facilities, in March 1942, and army engineers soon after built 500 barracks on the parking lot and converted the horse stables and the area underneath the grandstand into residential "apartments". Japanese-Americans began arriving in April, most coming from the surrounding Los Angeles County, and

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