1/ST partners with British tracks for free berths in major stakes

1/ST Racing, the owner of Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, among other racing assets, has reached an agreement with the operator of numerous courses in the United Kingdom to provide automatic berths and travel incentives to a handful of their races this year.

The agreement will provide an automatic entry to the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park in England on July 6 to the winner of the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at Santa Anita on May 4, along with a travel stipend. The winner of the Coral-Eclipse will then receive an automatic entry and travel stipend for the Grade 2, $750,000 John Henry Turf Stakes on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.

The John Henry is expected to be a prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Turf, to be held at Del Mar in Southern California on Nov. 2.

The agreement will also provide an automatic entry and travel stipend to the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket to the winner of the $100,000 Jim McKay Stakes on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course, the Baltimore, Md., track currently owned by 1/ST. In turn, the winner of the July Cup will receive an automatic berth and travel stipend to the Grade 2, $750,000 Eddie D Turf Sprint on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.

The Eddie D will likely be a top prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, also on Nov. 2.

The agreement is between 1/ST Racing and the Jockey Club of the United Kingdom, which owns and operates 14 tracks in the UK, along with several training centers and the National Stud.

Earlier this year, 1/ST Racing announced a plan to link races among its tracks with sizeable purse bonuses and create a marquee day of racing on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita. The races that day include the $1 million California Crown for older horses, which will replace the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes, a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

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