Fans who look forward to opening day at Santa Anita will have to look forward a little longer this year.
Santa Anita is postponing the opening of its 89th winter-spring thoroughbred racing season for two days to Sunday, Dec. 28, because of forecasts for heavy rain in Southern California.
Instead of holding its traditional day-after-Christmas opener and racing Friday through Sunday, the Arcadia track will run Sunday, Monday, Dec. 29, and then add Wednesday, Dec. 31, to the already scheduled Thursday, Jan. 1, to Sunday, Jan. 4.
AccuWeather forecasts a higher than 90% chance of rain each day from Tuesday through Saturday, and higher than 50% Saturday.
“With the amount of rain being forecast, it’s important to make the call as early as possible to give everyone advance notice,” Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby said in an announcement Sunday morning. “Everyone looks forward to opening day as it’s traditionally one of our biggest days of the year, so it’s not a decision we make lightly. But after speaking with our stakeholders, adjusting the racing schedule at this time provides the best opportunity to have a great opening to kick off the season.”
Santa Anita also pushed back opening day by two days in 2019 because of a wet forecast. California tracks rarely hold racing in muddy conditions since a spike in fatal injuries to horses in early 2019 during a winter of unusually sustained rain.
Most recently, Del Mar racing cards were rained out Saturday, Nov. 15, and Friday, Nov. 21, and one was added Monday, Nov. 24, to partly make up it.
The Dec. 26, 2024 opener at Santa Anita drew a crowd of 41,562 to the track and betting totaling $21.5 million.
The Classic Meet at Santa Anita goes through April 5, and is followed by the Hollywood Meet running into June.
The program now set for Dec. 28 – with an 11 a.m. first post – features the most packed stakes schedule of the season, with the Grade I Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at 7 furlongs, La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs and American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1-1/4 miles on turf, the Grade II Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes for 3-year-olds and up at 1-1/16 miles and Mathis Mile for 3-year-olds at 1 mile on turf, and the Grade III San Gabriel Stakes for 3 and up at 1-1/8 miles on turf.
Entries for Dec. 28 are being set Sunday, Santa Anita said.