This Saturday, April 4, is the big annual Derby Day at Santa Anita Park.
That means the Derby Day 5K run/walk in the morning, which means road closures. And the big legendary race and race day activities such as the KROQ Beer Festival in the afternoon, including the second annual Santa Anita Derby Millionaire Contest. And then it’s an Easter brunch at the races 24-hours later on Easter Sunday.
Baldwin Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic between the 210 Freeway and Huntington Drive from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Saturday in order to accommodate foot traffic related to the 5K. Accordingly, Santa Anita’s Gate 8, which adjoins the Westfield Santa Anita mall on Baldwin Ave., and Gate 7, at the track’s northwest end, will also be closed to vehicles during the same time frame.
Those wishing to visit Clockers’ Corner on Derby Day morning will be able to enter the track on Santa Anita’s northeast perimeter, through Gate 5 (at the confluence of Colorado Place and Huntington Drive.), or on the track’s southern perimeter, through Gate 3 (at the intersection of Holly Ave. and Huntington Drive). Gates 3 & 5 will be open for easy access to Clockers’ Corner beginning at 5 a.m. and will remain open throughout the day. Santa Anita’s main track will be closed for training at 7:30 a.m.
For additional information on the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby and on the Derby Day 5K Run and Walk, fans are encouraged to visit santaanita.com/events, or call (626) 574-RACE.
All attendees Saturday have the option of participating in the Millionaire Contest and if their name is selected, Santa Anita will provide a $1,000 win wager on a horse in the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby. The track will provide $1,000 win bets on each horse in the race and all contestants will watch the Derby together from the Santa Anita Winner’s Circle.
Whichever horse wins, the contestant keeps all the money, including the $1,000 wager and the contestant will be assigned the Santa Anita Derby winner for the Kentucky Derby. If that horse goes on to win Racing’s Triple Crown, by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, that lucky fan would win a $1 million jackpot.
“We came very close to having a million dollar winner last year,” said Santa Anita Vice President, Marketing, Nate Newby. “Eddie Espinoza and his wife, Susan, selected California Chrome to win the Santa Anita Derby, which he did and then he obviously came very close to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
“This contest generated tremendous excitement last year and we’re hoping it will again this year. We’ve got some outstanding horses that are pointing to our Derby and we have to be encouraged by the fact two out of the last three winners of the Santa Anita Derby went on to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we just encourage everyone to come early on April 4 and make sure they submit their entries before 2 p.m.”
In addition to the $1,000 win wager April 4, Santa Anita will also provide a $7,500 win wager in the Kentucky Derby May 2 and if it wins, a $10,000 win wager in the Preakness Stakes May 16. If the horse wins both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, as California Chrome did last year, the contestant would be in-line for a $1 million jackpot with a win in the Belmont Stakes, to be run June 6.
Santa Anita Derby Millionaire Contest participants must be present to win on April 4 and must be 18 years of age or older. Please visit santaanita.com for details.
