The California Crown is horse racing’s newest headline day of racing and wagering set to take place Saturday, Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park. The inaugural event is positioned to be a lifestyle celebration on the social calendar centered around a day at the races. It will feature culinary offerings from celebrity chefs and live performances by world-renowned musical artists to go along with first-class Thoroughbred racing, headlined by the running of the $1 million, Grade 1 California Crown Stakes.

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California Crown day will immediately take its place as California’s richest day of racing outside of the Breeders’ Cup. The California Crown Stakes itself is the reimagined version of the race formerly known as the Awesome Again Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds and older that serves as California’s final major steppingstone for horses pointing to the $7 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic.

The full race day Sept. 28 will offer $3 million in elevated purses, including the California Crown Stakes and an undercard featuring the $750,000, Grade 2 California Crown John Henry Turf Championship Stakes, the $750,000, Grade 2 California Crown Eddie D Turf Sprint Stakes, the $200,000, Grade 2 City of Hope Mile Stakes, and the $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Grab your tickets today!

The field for the California Crown is already taking shape and the race is expected to feature a headline matchup between Arkansas Derby winner Muth and Senor Buscador, the winner of the $20 million Saudi Cup. A loaded field of challengers is also expected, including several horses exiting Del Mar’s FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic.

The California Crown is brought to you by 1/ST, the same people that bring you Pegasus World Cup day each January at Gulfstream Park, where they have perfected the idea of combining horse racing with the best elements of entertainment and lifestyle. The California Crown is meant to grow into a West Coast version of the race-day and social event that Pegasus World Cup day has become at Gulfstream Park in south Florida.

Muth is pointing to the California Crown. (BENOIT photo)

“The California Crown is the premier event Santa Anita Park has been waiting for,” said Belinda Stronach, the chairman and CEO of 1/ST. “Working with partners like The h.wood Group and Chrome Hearts, 1/ST has set the stage for a new California tradition for entertainment, lifestyle, and hospitality to complement the best-in-class Thoroughbred racing and wagering synonymous with 1/ST and this iconic venue.”

Thankfully for dedicated horseplayers, the day will not be only about dressing up and sipping cocktails while listening to DJs. Santa Anita has also put a lot of effort into making the wagering menu as appealing as possible for bettors. The focus will be on making the day a unique opportunity for handicappers.

Santa Anita’s plentiful daily wagering options include several 15% takeout bets like the late double, late Pick 3, an all-turf Pick 3, and the 1/ST Coast to Coast Pick 5 on Saturdays and Sundays (along with Gulfstream Park), plus the daily early Pick 5 that has a 14% takeout and a low .50-cent minimum denomination. Additionally, there will be plenty of specials on the California Crown wagering menu for bettors to sink their teeth into including two-day wagers.

The California Crown day wagering menu will include the California Crown All-Stakes Pick 5 with a $1 minimum bet and a low 15% takeout combining the day’s five stakes races. There will also be a California Crown All-Turf Stakes Pick 4 with 15% takeout and a $2 minimum that hooks up the undercard grass stakes on a single bet.

Beautiful Santa Anita Park (Eclipse Sportswire)

Planned two-day wagers that will combine races on Saturday, Sept. 28 along with Santa Anita races on Sunday, Sept. 29 – all with a low 15% takeout – will include a pair of special $5 Daily Doubles with Saturday’s California Crown Eddie D paired with Sunday’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship, and another one pairing Saturday’s California Crown Stakes with the Zenyatta Stakes on Sunday.

There will also be a $2 Two-Day All Stakes Pick 4 combining Saturday’s California Crown Turf Championship and California Crown Stakes with Sunday’s Santa Anita Sprint Championship and Zenyatta Stakes. Also look for a $1 Two-Day All-Stakes Pick 6 combining four races on Saturday with Sunday’s two stakes.

The California Crown will be the second race in 1/ST’s Grand 3 racing and incentive series connecting the 2024 Preakness Stakes, the California Crown, and the 2025 Pegasus World Cup. The 1/ST Grand 3 includes a $5 million Pick’Em Challenge bonus for handicappers that can correctly predict the top four finishers of the Preakness, California Crown, and 2025 Pegasus World Cup in exact order. Five handicappers who correctly submitted the top four finishers of the Preakness in order remain eligible for that bonus. Even if no one wins the $5 million grand prize, 1/ST is still giving away $100,000 in consolation prizes. For more information on the $5 Million Grand 3 Pick’ Em Challenge go to https://californiacrown.com/1stgrand3.

Don't miss the California Crown. (Eclipse Sportswire)

You can bet on all the action on track at Santa Anita, at 1/ST BET, the official betting app of the California Crown, and at all other ADW platforms that offer wagering on racing from Santa Anita. To download the 1/ST BET app, visit www.1stbet.com.

If handicapping and betting aren’t your forte, you can still win big on-track on race day in the California Crown’s “Photo Finish” best-dressed competition open to all guests and offering $25,000 in prizes while encouraging attendees to showcase their unique race-day style.

Individual tickets for the California Crown are available starting at $25 for the General Admission Park Pass with access to the betting windows, trackside apron, food and concessions, and the paddock gardens. A wide variety of upscale hospitality packages are also available at www.californiacrown.com.

First post for the California Crown on Saturday, Sept. 28 is 12:30 p.m. PT. NBC Sports will produce a two-hour telecast beginning at 3 p.m. PT/6 p.m. ET airing on CNBC and Peacock.

To stay connected on The California Crown, visit @californiacrownofficial on Instagram, TikTok and @Calicrownofficial on X.