Santa Anita reopens legendary downhill turf course

This clip we tin observe erstwhile we accidental Santa Anita Park is going downhill.

That’s due to the fact that the historical oval volition again connection racing connected its legendary tilted Camino Real Hillside Turf Course erstwhile it opens its 16-day autumn conscionable connected Friday.

Unused since March 2019, erstwhile the way was successful the midst of a grim bid of fatal breakdowns, the downhill 6½-furlong people is 1 of equine racing’s astir spectacular dueling grounds. Horses interruption from the gross astatine the apical of the hill, past marque a right-hand crook arsenic they descend earlier making a sweeping crook to the near to transverse the main way and articulation the turf people due astatine the apical of the stretch.

Fans won’t person to hold agelong to spot the staircase people successful action. The Grade II, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, named for the large jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, is 1 of 4 stakes races featured connected the opening time card. Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Midwest invader Snapper Sinclair and Phil D’Amato’s Gregorian Chant caput what looks to beryllium a heavy tract of 9 runners.

The different 3 each are “Win and You’re in” races for the Breeders’ Cup connected Nov. 5-6 astatine Del Mar: the $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes, a turf sprint for 2-year-olds; the $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (Grade 1) for 2-year-olds astatine 1-1/16th mile connected the main track; and the $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (Grade 2) for juvenile fillies astatine the aforesaid distance.

Saturday’s paper is adjacent better, with 5 stakes, including 3 “Win and You’re In” races: the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes (Grade 1) astatine 1⅛th miles for 3-year-olds and up; the $30,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes (Grade 1) for fillies and mares astatine 1¼ miles connected the turf; and the $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes (Grade 2) astatine 6 furlongs connected the main.

Sunday’s $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes (Grade 2), a 1-1/16th-mile matter for fillies and mares, is the last Breeders’ Cup prep that volition wage the winner’s mode to the Big Dance, present conscionable 5 weeks away.

Belmont Park and Longchamp racecourse successful Paris besides are hosting “Win and You’re In” races this weekend.

The erstwhile is hosting the $500,000 Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) for 2-year-olds connected Saturday and the $400,000 Frizette Stakes (Grade 1) for juvenile fillies connected Sunday.

Longchamp has a turf five-pack connected Sunday: The Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp; the Prix de l’Opera; the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe; the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere; and the Prix Marcelle Boussac, each Group 1 races. Better acceptable an alarm if you program to ticker oregon wager. TV sum connected Fox Sports 2 begins astatine 5:15 a.m. and possibly adjacent earlier connected TVG.

Arlington Park’s demise

Sadly the rumors astir the merchantability of Arlington Park extracurricular Chicago to a radical with nary plans to proceed racing proved accurate. Owner Churchill Downs Inc. announced Wednesday that the NFL’s Chicago Bears are buying the 326-acre spot for $197.2 million.

There’s inactive a slim accidental racing could proceed astatine the way if the Bears can’t put financing for a caller stadium oregon alternatively scope a woody with the City of Chicago to renovate Soldier Field, but it’s a large agelong shot.

Lighting up the Tote

Speaking of agelong shots, you whitethorn person seen Hollywood Event, trained by Juan Vazquez and ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., triumph the $300,000 Turf Monster Stakes astatine Parx Racing connected Saturday astatine likelihood of amended than 108-1, triggering payouts of $219.20 connected a $2 stake to win, $55.40 to spot and $19 to show.

That got maine wondering what the longest-priced victor of each clip paid. It appears that the filly Wishing Ring owns that grant for parimutuel wagering successful North America, with a instrumentality of $1,185.50 connected a $2 triumph stake connected June 17, 1912, astatine Latonia racetrack successful Covington, Kentucky.

A specified $22 was wagered connected the filly that day, with $8 going to win, $4 to spot and $10 to show, according to colinsghost.org, a website devoted to thoroughbred racing history.

Mike Brunker’s equine racing file appears Fridays. He tin beryllium reached astatine mbrunker@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker connected Twitter.