Santa Anita's hillside course to be used sparingly this meet

The leading races of the upcoming weekend at Santa Anita are $100,000 stakes for statebreds at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, which is being used sparingly this month for the first time since spring 2019.

There were three sprint races on the hillside turf course from Oct. 1-3 after track management announced in September that sprints would be run on the course at the current autumn meeting, which continues through Oct. 31.

Racing secretary Chris Merz said Sunday that there may be only seven races on the course this month. After this weekend, there are allowance races scheduled for Oct. 24 and Oct. 30.

The Oct. 24 race does not have any conditions, which could lead to a stakes-caliber field.

Turf sprints at six and 6 1/2 furlongs are scheduled extensively through the current meeting, starting from a chute on the backstretch of the main turf oval. Some turf races have been run at five furlongs on the oval, including a maiden race Sunday.

The hillside course is likely to be used more extensively for sprints during the six-month winter-spring meeting that begins Dec. 26.

Santa Anita officials ceased racing on the hillside turf course after a two-horse spill marred the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes in late March 2019. The decision led to the creation of the backstretch chute on the turf oval.

After March 2019 until this meeting, the hillside course was used only for the start of longer turf races ranging in distance from 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 miles.

This weekend, the hillside sprint stakes are Saturday’s California Distaff for fillies and mares and Sunday’s California Flag.