A richer San Felipe among changes to Santa Anita stakes schedule

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita will run 60 stakes, including eight Grade 1 races, during its winter-spring meeting, which runs from Dec. 26 to April 7. There are several changes to dates and purses on the Santa Anita stakes schedule.

The purse of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles has been increased from $400,000 to $500,000. The San Felipe Stakes will be run March 9 and is a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 6, the richest race of the meet.

The Grade 1 Beholder Mile for fillies and mares will be run in March rather than early June as in the past. The Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles, previously held in March, will be run at a date to be determined during the track’s spring-summer meeting, which runs from mid-April to late June.

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The Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes for fillies and mares at seven furlongs will be run a month earlier than in 2018, on Feb. 16, as a prep for the Beholder Mile. The purse of the Santa Monica has been increased by $50,000, to $250,000.

The richest race for older horses at the winter-spring season is the $500,000 Santa Anita Handicap at 1 1/4 miles on March 9. The purse has been reduced by $100,000 from 2018. The Big Cap suffers from competition from the $9 million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in late January and the $10 million Dubai World Cup in late March.

The purse of the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf Dec. 29 has been increased $50,000, to $150,000, while the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs will be worth $50,000 less, at $200,000.

Two Grade 3 races worth $100,000 last year will not be run in 2019 – the Midnight Lute Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs and the Adoration Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. A $75,000 race for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf – the Lady of Shamrock Stakes – will be introduced on opening day, Dec. 26.