Fewer stakes at Santa Anita fall meet

Santa Anita will offer a reduced schedule of 21 stakes at its 19-day autumn meeting, which runs Sept. 26 to Nov. 1, compared to the 28 stakes in 2014, when the 25-day season included the Breeders’ Cup races.

The first day of the upcoming season will be the biggest, with five Grade 1 races Sept. 26, all preps for Breeders’ Cup races at Keeneland on Oct. 30-31. The stakes are all part of the Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In program, offering fees-paid berths to Breeders’ Cup races for eligible horses.

Three stakes run in 2014 on the Breeders’ Cup cards have been eliminated: the $200,000 Marathon Stakes, the $100,000 Damascus Stakes, and the $100,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint.

The $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles on turf will not be run this year because of purse restrictions, replaced by the $70,000 King Pellinore Stakes at the same distance Sept. 27. Track officials said the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship will be run in 2016 when the track hosts the Breeders’ Cup races.

In addition, three $200,000 stakes run at Santa Anita in recent seasons are scheduled to be held at Del Mar this fall – the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf and the Golden State Juvenile and Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-bred 2-year-olds at seven furlongs.

The $75,000 Lure Stakes for turf milers also is not part of this year’s schedule.