Santa Anita Delays Season Opener Due to Stormy Weather

Santa Anita Postpones Opening Day Due to Weather Forecast

Santa Anita officials have announced the postponement of the opening day of the 2025-26 race meeting from Friday to Sunday, December 28, due to an increasingly unfavorable weather forecast. This marks only the second instance since 1976 that the venue will not commence racing on the day after Christmas, with the previous occurrence in 2019 also attributed to wet weather. Forecasters predict over eight inches of rain to affect the area from Tuesday night through Friday.

“With the amount of rain being forecast, it’s important to make this call as early as possible to give everyone advance notice,” said Santa Anita general manager Nate Newby. “Everyone looks forward to opening day as it’s traditionally one of our biggest days of the year, so it’s not a decision we make lightly. But after speaking with our stakeholders, adjusting the racing schedule at this time provides the best opportunity to have a great opening to kick off the season.”

Typically, opening day at Santa Anita draws one of the largest crowds of the year. Last year, on-track attendance was recorded at 41,562, the highest for a non-weekend or holiday opening day since 1990. Additionally, total mutuel handle exceeded $21.4 million, marking the third-highest amount for an opening day.

The originally scheduled 11 races for Friday will now take place on Sunday, with the first post set for 11 a.m. Three of the six stakes races will be run on turf, and officials hope a delay will allow the grass course to dry adequately for racing.

Tickets purchased for the original opening day will be honored on December 28, with full refunds available upon request. Following the revised schedule, racing will take place on December 28 and 29, and then daily from December 31 through January 4.