Santa Anita Set for Key 3-Year-old Races Amidst Improved Weather

Santa Anita Park is poised to host its first significant races for 3-year-olds in 2026, with the Grade II San Vicente Stakes scheduled for Saturday. Following a delayed start to the meet due to recent storms, sunny conditions and a forecast high of 72 degrees are expected, providing ideal racing weather.

The San Vicente Stakes: A Stepping Stone to the derby

The San Vicente Stakes, a 7-furlong sprint with a $200,000 purse, has historically been a key race for future Kentucky Derby contenders. Seven past Kentucky Derby winners, including Swaps (1955), Silver Charm (1997), and Nyquist (2016), all competed in the San Vicente. Though, it’s significant to note that the San Vicente does not award qualifying points for the kentucky Derby, as the official Derby trail only includes races of one mile or longer.

Contenders for the San Vicente Stakes

All eyes will be on Buetane, a son of Tiz the Law, who is the 6-5 morning line favorite. Trained by bob baffert and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Buetane aims to give the duo their fourth consecutive San Vicente victory.Despite a second-place finish in the hopeful Stakes at Saratoga,Buetane remains a strong contender.

Other horses expected to challenge include:

• Greenwich Village: Another Baffert trainee, ridden by Hector Berrios.
• Acknowledgemeplz: Trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by kazushi Kimura, coming off a fourth-place finish in the Los Al Futurity.
• So Happy: A longshot contender trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by Mike Smith.
• Thirsty Rebel: A california-bred horse trained by Doug O’Neill and ridden by Abel Lezcano.

Santa Ynez Stakes and Additional Races

Saturday’s card also features the $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Bob Baffert has a strong hand in this race with Explora, Bottle of rouge, and Himika. They will compete against Revera (trained by John Sadler) and La Wally (trained by Mark Glatt).

Los Alamitos will also resume racing this weekend after weather-related postponements, featuring the Grade I Charger Bar Handicap on Sunday night.

Eclipse Award Finalists Announced

Finalists for the 2025 eclipse Awards have been announced. Nysos and Splendora, both trained by Bob Baffert, are finalists in multiple categories.Sovereignty is widely expected to win Horse of the Year after a dominant season that included victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. flavien Prat, Irad Ortiz Jr., and John Velazquez are nominated for outstanding jockey, while Bill Mott, Brad Cox, and Chad Brown are finalists for outstanding trainer.

fan Voting Open for “Moment of the Year”

Fans can now vote for American racing’s “Moment of the Year” on the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) website (NTRA.com) through January 15. Nominees include Sovereignty’s Kentucky Derby win and Forever Young’s Breeders’ Cup Classic victory.

Santa Anita & Los alamitos upcoming Stakes Schedule

Santa Anita

• Saturday: $200,000 Grade II san Vicente Stakes (3-year-olds, 7 furlongs); $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs)
• Sunday: $100,000 Grade III las Flores Stakes (fillies and mares, 4 & up, 6 furlongs); $100,000 Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes (fillies and mares, 4-year-olds & up, about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf)

Los Alamitos

• Sunday: $100,000 grade I Charger Bar Handicap (fillies and mares, 4 & up, 400 yards); $20,000 Dashingly Handicap (fillies and mares, 4 & up, 350 yards)

Santa Anita Leaders (Through Jan.2)

follow horse racing correspondent Kevin Modesti at X.com/KevinModesti.