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New York-bred Usha put on a dazzling performance in the $300,000 La Brea Stakes (G1) Dec. 28 at Santa Anita Park. The 3-year-old daughter of Tiz the Law kicked away to win by 5 1/4 lengths in the 7-furlong race.View the full article

The largest opening day since 2016 and the largest Sunday opener this century kicked off a postponed Santa Anita Park Classic Meet in a big way Dec. 28.View the full article

After Antonio Fresu was injured, Kazushi Kimura picked up the mount on Ambaya for trainer Jonathan Thomas and won with the filly, who was making her graded stakes debut.View the full article

It was a big day of racing, and the fans brought the energy, with 41,962 people packing the California track for the postponed opening day of Santa Anita's Classic Meet to make it the largest Sunday opener since 1999, the track announced via press release. The final fan tally was the largest since 2016, and the eighth Sunday opener in the venue's 90+ years also brought noteworthy numbers in the all-sources and on-track handles. The total all-sources mutuel handle was more than $18.2 million, marking the eighth time in the last nine years that the opening day handle topped $18 million. On track handle was up 2.55% over last year. While opening day traditionally falls on Dec. 26, this season was pushed back 48 hours when the weather deteriorated and the track took six inches of rain over a four-day period. The last time it was postponed was in 2019, when 35,085 came for the seasonal kick-off. Trainer Bob Baffert enjoyed a banner afternoon Sunday when taking home two Grade I wins in the Malibu and La Brea Stakes as well as taking the top spots in the GII Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes when Breeders' Cup champion Nysos (Nyquist) denied his stablemate in the shadow of the wire. Pincay, who celebrates his 79th birthday Monday, Dec. 29, was on hand to present the trophy. “We appreciate everyone who had to adjust their schedule for the weather, and we are so thankful to everyone who worked so hard to make opening day a success,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Park's SVP & general manager. “It was important to stay on the turf course to present the best racing program possible for the owners, trainers, jockeys and horseplayers. Opening day is very important to create momentum for the season, and today's large crowd provided terrific energy. It was a nice reminder of why Santa Anita remains 'The Great RIP.'” Santa Anita Park first opened on Christmas Day, 1934, less than 12 months after the newly formed California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) granted the Los Angeles Turf Club a permit to build the racetrack, with the guarantee that it would be in operation by the end of that year. Since 1949, Santa Anita's opening day has been Dec. 26, with few exceptions. The season continues through mid-June. The post Santa Anita’s Classic Meet Begins with Largest Opening Day Crowd Since 2016, Largest Sunday Opener This Century appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Stipes report says - "no rider available".