With opening day set for this Friday, Sept. 25, the 2026 Autumn Meet at Santa Anita Park will feature 26 stakes races that include seven automatic qualifiers for this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
Topping the stakes action are a pair of Grade I races that will be run on the first two Saturdays of the meet—the $300,000 Goodwood Stakes for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 26, and $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes presented by DK Horse for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 3. The winners of both races earn automatic bid for the prestigious Breeders’ Cup, which this year will be held on Oct. 30-31 at Keeneland Race Course in Kentucky.
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On Sunday, Sept. 27, a pair of Breeders’ Cup bids will also be on the line in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship and GII Zenyatta Stakes. The $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs awards the winner a fees-paid berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The $200,000 Zenyatta, contested at 1 1/16 miles and open to fillies and mares, provides the winner with a fees-paid spot in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The other automatic qualifiers for the Breeders’ Cup are the GII City of Hope Mile on turf on Sept. 26, and the GII Oak Leaf Stakes and GII Rodeo Drive Stakes both on Oct. 3. The $200,000 City of Hope Mile winner earns a bid to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile. The winner of the $200,000 Oak Leaf at 1 1/16 miles gains entry into the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the $200,000 Rodeo Drive at 1 ¼ miles on turf provides the winner a berth in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Below is the full stakes scheduled for the 2026 Autumn Meet at Santa Anita Park. For tickets and other information, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
Santa Anita’s complete Autumn Stakes list:
Sat. Sept. 26
Goodwood Stakes (Gr. I)
Three-year-olds & up, Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$300,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/8 Miles
Eddie D Stakes (Gr. II)
Three-year-olds & up
$200,000 Guaranteed / *6 1/2 Furlongs (DH)
John Henry Turf Championship (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up
$200,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/4 Miles (T)
City Of Hope Mile (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$200,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (T)
John C. Harris Stakes (Gr. III) Three-year-old, Fillies
$100,000 Guaranteed / *6 ½ Furlongs (DH)
Sun. Sept. 27
Santa Anita Sprint Championship (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$200,000 Guaranteed / 6 Furlongs
Zenyatta Stakes (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares,
Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$200,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/16 Miles
Sat. Oct. 3
American Pharoah Stakes (Gr. I) Two-year-olds, Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$300,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/16 Miles
Oak Leaf Stakes (Gr. II)
Two-year-olds, Fillies, Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$200,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/16 Miles
Rodeo Drive Stakes (Gr. II) Three-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares, Breeders’ Cup Challenge
$200,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/4 Miles (T)
Chillingworth Stakes (Gr. III) Three-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares
$100,000 Guaranteed / 6 ½ Furlongs
Speakeasy Stakes (Listed) Two-year-olds
$100,000 Guaranteed / 5 Furlongs (T)
Sun. Oct. 4
Zuma Beach Stakes (Gr. III) Two-year-olds
$100,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (T)
Surfer Girl Stakes (Gr. III) Two-year-olds, Fillies
$100,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (T)
Sat. Oct. 10
California Flag Handicap Three-year-olds & up, Cal- Bred
$100,000 Guaranteed / *6 1/2 Furlongs (DH)
Sun. Oct. 11
California Distaff Handicap
Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred
$100,000 Guaranteed / *6 ½ Furlongs (DH)
Mon. Oct. 12
Swingtime Stakes (Restricted)
Three-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares
$80,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (T)
Sat. Oct. 17
Lure Stakes (Listed & Restricted)
Three-year-olds & up
$80,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (T)
Sun. Oct.18
Anoakia Stakes
Two-year-olds, Fillies
$85,000 Guaranteed / 6 Furlongs
Sat. Oct. 24
Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (Listed)
Three-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares
$100,000 Guaranteed *6 ½ Furlongs (DH)
Tokyo City Cup Stakes (Gr. III)
Three-year-olds & up
$100,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile
Sun. Oct. 25
Autumn Miss Stakes (Gr. III)
Three-year-olds, Fillies
$100,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat. Oct. 31
Golden State Juvenile
Two-year-olds, Cal- Bred
$175,000 Guaranteed / 7 Furlongs
Golden State Juvenile Fillies
Two-year-olds, Fillies, Cal- Bred
$175,000 Guaranteed / 7 Furlongs
Goldikova Stakes (Gr. III)
Three-year-olds & up, Fillies & Mares
$100,000 Guaranteed / 1 Mile (T)
Sun. Nov. 1
Twilight Derby (Gr. II)
Three-year-olds
$200,000 Guaranteed / 1 1/8 Miles (T)
