Santa Anita bumps up allowance purses for winter meet

Santa Anita has increased purses for allowance races to record levels and raised the minimum purse for stakes to $100,000 for the track’s winter-spring meeting, which begins on Dec. 26.

Purses for allowance races have been increased $3,000. A first-condition allowance race was worth $69,000 at the 2021-2022 winter meeting, and will be worth $72,000 at the forthcoming meeting. The purse for a third-condition allowance race has been increased from $73,000 to $76,000.

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The track’s winter-spring meeting runs from Dec. 26 to June 18. The Dec. 26 opening-day program is one of the top days of the season, with six graded stakes, including three Grade 1 races.

Purses for many other categories of overnight races, such as claiming races and maiden races, will remain the same as the 2021-2022 meeting.

The 2021-2022 meeting had a minimum stakes purse of $75,000. Those races will be worth $100,000 for the upcoming winter-spring meeting.

Track officials cited increased costs of keeping horses in training as part of the reason for the prize money boost in higher-class races.

Conditions for allowance races have been altered slightly.

Winners of a first-condition allowance race restricted to state-breds outside of California will remain eligible for a first-condition allowance race at Santa Anita. Previously, only the winners of California-bred first-level allowance races retained eligibility for open such races.

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