Santa Anita Autumn Schedule Highlighted by 22 Stakes, Including Newly-Named John Harris Stakes

[Wandering Eyes]

Santa Anita Park will offer seven automatic qualifiers for this year's Breeders' Cup races among the 22 stakes races offered during the 2025 Autumn Meet that begins on Friday, Sept. 26. The seven Breeders' Cup Challenge races are slated to be run the first two weeks of the 16-day meet.

The late California owner-breeder John C. Harris will be honored with the renaming of the GIII John Harris Stakes to be run on Saturday, Sept. 27. The John C. Harris Stakes will be for 3-year-old fillies on Santa Anita Park's unique hillside turf course. It was previously known as the Unzip Me Stakes in honor of the 10-time stakes winner of $959,228 who was co-owned and bred by Harris in partnership.

The name “Goodwood” will be restored to the 2025 running of the Autumn Meet's top race for older horses. The Grade I, 1 1/8-mile Goodwood Stakes is a “Win and You're In” race for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic. It will be run on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Opening Saturday will also feature an additional Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes with the GII City of Hope Mile at one mile on the grass. A pair of Grade II races on the turf, the 1 ¼ mile GII John Henry Turf Championship and the 6 ½ furlong GII Eddie D. Stakes, will be joined by the newly named John Harris Stakes to complete the quintet of Sept. 27 stakes.

The following day, Sunday, Sept. 28, will be headlined by another pair of Breeders' Cup Challenge stakes: the GII Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on dirt and the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship presented by Estrella Jalisco.

Saturday, Oct. 4 will offer three Breeders' Cup qualifiers among the five stakes races scheduled that day. The 2-year-olds get their chance at a “Win and You're In” with the GI American Pharoah Stakes presented by DK Horse for the males and the GII Oak Leaf Stakes presented by Oak Tree Racing Association for the fillies. Both races are at 1 1/16 miles on the dirt.

For the complete stakes schedule and for more information on the Autumn Meet please visit https://www.santaanita.com.

 

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