Santa Anita releases ticket prices for California Crown program

A box seat for the California Crown program at Santa Anita on Sept. 28 will be very pricey.

According to the event’s website, Californiacrown.com, box seats are available for $1,200, while trackside reserved seats past the finish line are for sale for $1,500. A portion of the clubhouse restaurant will have seats available from $750 to $1,000.

General admission tickets are $25.

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In late July, Santa Anita sent a letter to season box seat holders stating they had rights of first refusal for those box seats on Sept. 28 for $900. Box seat holders were advised to reserve those seats by Aug. 15.

Santa Anita’s parent company, 1/ST Racing, has enhanced purses of some stakes on Sept. 28 in an attempt to develop a major day of racing that mirrors the Pegasus World Cup program at Gulfstream Park in late January.

The company is promoting Sept. 28 as a lifestyle event with a massive investment in entertainment and food and drink as well as higher purses.

The Grade 1 California Crown Stakes will be worth $1 million, compared to $300,000 last year when the race was known as the Awesome Again Stakes.

Two Grade 2 turf races have been increased from $200,000 to $750,000 – the John Henry Turf Championship at 1 1/4 miles, and the Eddie D Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

The enhanced prize money is being financed by 1/ST Racing, track officials said earlier this year.

The Sept. 28 program is part of the opening weekend of the track’s autumn meeting, which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 27. The first two weekends are highlighted by prep races for the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar on Nov. 1-2, another event with massive ticket prices.

– additional reporting by Brad Free

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