Oak Tree meet features 28 stakes

Led by four Grade 1 stakes in the first two weekends of the meeting, the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meeting will feature 28 stakes during its fall meeting from Sept. 27 to Oct. 29. Three of the Grade 1 races are being run on Sept. 30, and two have altered purses this year.

The Yellow Ribbon Stakes, for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Sept. 30, has been cut from $500,000 to $400,000. The Oak Leaf Breeders' Cup Stakes has been increased from $200,000 to $250,000. The race, promoted from a Grade 2 since last year, is run for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

The prep races for the Breeders' Cup are spread out over the first two weekends - Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 and Oct. 7-8. Last year, six Breeders' Cup preps were run on the same weekend. The purses of four minor stakes for 2-year-olds have been cut by $10,000, to $65,000: the Cover Gal and Cavonnier Stakes for California-breds at seven furlongs and the Anoakia and Sunny Slope Stakes at six furlongs. The California Cup on Oct. 28 is the highlight of the second-half of the meeting. The program is on the final Saturday of the meeting and features 10 stakes for statebreds.