Fall meet purses up from last year but still trail 2023
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Overnight purses at the Santa Anita autumn meeting will be higher than the corresponding meeting in 2024, equal to the recent spring meeting, but lower than the 2023 autumn meeting.
The track recently published its condition book, detailing the proposed races for the 16-day meeting that runs from Sept. 26 to Oct. 26.
A maiden race will have a purse of $60,000, an increase of $6,000 from last fall, but down $1,000 from the 2023 autumn meeting.
A $10,000 claimer will be worth $20,000, a hike of $1,000 from 2024, but down $2,000 from 2023. A $25,000 claimer will have a purse of $34,000, $2,000 less than in 2023, but $3,000 higher than the 2024 fall meeting.
Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita have had higher overnight purses since late February following the cessation of racing in Northern California last December.
Revenue from account wagering and simulcast locations in Northern California has been consolidated to Southern California tracks and purse accounts at venues in that region. Previously, monies from those sources were devoted to Northern California racing.
There has been no racing in Northern California since last December.
Earlier this year, the California Horse Racing Board rejected repeated proposals from Northern California promoters to resume racing in that part of the state. Some members of the board cited a desire to strengthen prize money levels at Southern California tracks at the expense of any racing in the north.
Santa Anita has dealt with a massive purse overpayment in recent years that has led to a decline in prize money. With the boost from simulcast monies from Northern California, the track began offering higher prize money in late February compared to the previous year.
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