2023 Breeders' Cup to be held Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita

Next year’s Breeders’ Cup will he held at Santa Anita Park in Southern California, the record 11th time that the track has been selected to host the two-day event, Breeders’ Cup announced on Thursday.

Santa Anita, owned by 1/ST, has long been a coveted location by the Breeders’ Cup board due to warm fall weather, a strong television backdrop, its West Coast time zone, and the ability to host large crowds. The event was last held at the track in 2019, when an all-sources wagering record was established.

“Santa Anita’s outstanding reputation and scenic venue provide us with the ideal setting to continue to grow our audience by combining the best that racing, hospitality, and entertainment have to offer,” said Drew Fleming, the chief executive of Breeders’ Cup, in a release announcing the site selection.

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The event is scheduled for Nov. 3-4.

This year’s event is being held at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, the second time in three years that Keeneland has been the host site. The 2021 site was Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Southern California. Both tracks have small footprints, and Breeders’ Cup has had to tightly restrict attendance at small sites (attendance was further restricted in 2020 at Keeneland due to the coronavirus pandemic).

Santa Anita is not likely to have any attendance restrictions. In 2016, Santa Anita set the record for attendance at the two-day event, at 118,484 fans. In contrast to more recent host tracks, Santa Anita will be able to offer walk-up general-admission tickets to fans, as it has in the past, according to Jim Gluckson, a spokesman for Breeders’ Cup.

Santa Anita has been selected as a host site more than any other track because of several advantages beyond its large grandstand, which has been remodeled several times over the past two decades. The San Gabriel Mountains beyond its backstretch form a picturesque backdrop to the television broadcast, and temperatures for the event are usually in the high 60s, with mild winds and ample sunshine, according to historical weather data.

Breeders’ Cup events held at West Coast sites also typically handle more than events at East Coast sites because the races are held later in the day across the U.S. Several of the final races on each card at a West Coast site are run in prime-time television hours on the East Coast.