Santa Anita winter-spring meet tops $708 million in wagering

Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet closed with $708,112,231 in all-sources wagering, a number that did more than measure volume. It showed that a six-month racing product with full fields, major stakes and recognizable horses can still pull serious money when the cards are strong.

The 77-day season ended June 15 after an unusual run that included both the Classic and Hollywood meets, and it finished on a Monday for the first time in the track’s 91-year history. The final day was pushed back after four races were canceled June 11 because of a power failure that also disrupted broadcast production and knocked out a backup generator. Even with that disruption, average daily handle reached $9,196,263, the sixth straight year Santa Anita cleared the $9 million mark.

The crowd figure matched the wagering strength. On-track attendance topped 540,000, averaged more than 7,000 a day and finished at 541,592. Opening day on Dec. 28, 2025 drew the largest crowd for a curtain-raiser since 2016, and the opening-day handle topped $18.2 million, the strongest Sunday opener this century and the eighth time in nine years Santa Anita opened above $18 million. Santa Anita Derby Day produced the meet’s biggest single-day handle at $18,670,017, while Santa Anita Handicap Day generated nearly $15 million. More than 15,000 fans came out for Kentucky Derby day at the track and wagered more than $17.3 million.

The money was not spread evenly by accident. Total handle on Santa Anita races alone rose 10%, and the track credited part of that lift to a 5% increase in field size. That kind of depth matters to bettors, especially over a long meet where the difference between a field of six and a field of nine can shape the entire day’s appetite.

On the competitive side, Little Red Feather Racing and Madaket Stables each won six stakes, all with partners, while Thought Process became one of the meet’s defining runners by winning both the Grade 1 Gamely and Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes. Mike Smith reached his 5,800th career victory, and Tyler Baze and Juan Hernandez each hit 3,000 winner’s-circle appearances.

The reaction from horsemen and track officials was pointed. Nate Newby said the crowds and wagering dollars showed why Santa Anita remains a special place, and Bill Nader of the Thoroughbred Owners of California called it “one of the most magnificent racetracks in the world.” Nader also said the purse for a maiden allowance during the spring meet was up more than 20% from two years ago, a sign that the track’s commercial strength is still feeding the racing product that fills its cards.