Santa Anita Park will kick off its 90th year of world-class Thoroughbred racing on Thursday, Dec. 26 with an opening day stakes program with a stakes race honoring Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. among six graded stakes, including a trio of Grade I events.

The Grade II San Antonio Stakes, which Pincay won five times in three decades, will be renamed for the legendary Panamanian rider who ranks as one of the world’s best to ever sit in the saddle. Pincay won the San Antonio in 1968 on Rising Market, in his first full season at Santa Anita, and his last one in 1989 aboard Super Diamond. He retired in 2003 with a then-record 9,530 wins, five Eclipse Awards as Outstanding Jockey and a Special Eclipse Award for his achievements.

The Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes joins an opening day card highlighted by three Grade 1s: the Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds going seven furlongs, the La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs and the American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going 1 ¼ miles on turf. Also run being run are a pair of Grade II turf races: the San Gabriel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles and the Mathis Mile.

The blockbuster start to Santa Anita’s Classic Meet on the day after Christmas is the first of 78 days of live racing at The Great Race Place. The Classic Meet, which consists of 49 days, runs through April 6 and will be followed by the 29-day Hollywood Meet, which opens April 18 and ends June 15. As part of a comprehensive stakes schedule worth over $12-million, Santa Anita will host a combined 79 added-money events between the Classic and Hollywood Meets. They include 47 graded stakes, nine of them Grade I’s, with 21 of those to be offered on Santa Anita’s highly regarded Camino Real Turf Course.

“Laffit Pincay Jr. is one of the greatest ambassadors this sport has ever had, and it is past time for him to be honored,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita’s SVP & General Manager. “Laffit will turn 78 two days after Opening Day, and we are delighted to give him an early birthday present.”

Highlighting the Classic Meet are the 88th runnings of both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GI Santa Anita Handicap. The Santa Anita Derby, which has a purse of $500,000, will be held on Saturday, April 5. The supporting stakes on Santa Anita Derby Day are the GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks, GIII Monrovia Stakes and both the Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel for 3-year-old California-breds going 6 ½ furlongs on dirt.

The 2025 Santa Anita Handicap, which has a purse of $300,000, will be run on Saturday, March 1. In addition to the historic Big Cap, set to be run that day are the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf, GII DK Horse San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and the GII Buena Vista for fillies and mares at a mile on turf.

While the purses for both of the track’s signature races were reduced, the purses for overnight races are above what was offered last spring and autumn, with four allowance and maiden races increasing by over 10 percent.

“It’s prudent and responsible to adjust the number of stakes races to fit the new landscape of foal crop and horse population with a still impressive 79 stakes over 78 race days,” said Bill Nader, President & CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. “The overnight purses have been increased over the spring and fall levels which is a step in the right direction. Despite challenging times, Southern California remains a big part of American racing and the racing here at Santa Anita over the next several months will help reinforce that message.”

As California bred and sired runners are a vital component to the Southern California racing program, Santa Anita will offer a total of 14 stakes restricted to those horses, with five of them to be run both on California Cup Day Jan. 11 and again on California Gold Rush Day May 24.

The highlight of the Hollywood Meet comes on Memorial Day, May 26. That day Santa Anita will host the GI Shoemaker Mile on turf, GI Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf and the GII Hollywood Gold Cup at 1 ¼ miles on dirt.

Putting a bow on the Hollywood Meet June 15 will be Santa Anita’s longstanding closing day feature, the GIII San Juan Capistrano Stakes. This will be the 86th running of the about 1 ¾-mile turf test for 3-year-olds and up.