Back-to-back Breeders’ 2012-13

For the second time in history, the Breeders’ Cup will be at the same venue two consecutive years — and once again Santa Anita Park will be that venue.

The Breeders’ Cup announced today that the 30th Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Santa Anita on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, 2013. The Breeders’ Cup is also being staged this year at Santa Anita on Nov. 2-3.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships is the global version of the Kentucky Derby, attracting the best horses from around the world for 15 races over two days, with purses totaling more than $25 million.

Arcadia enjoys the influx of high-spending Breeders’ Cup participants and fans from as far away as Dubai, Asia and Europe for the weekend that in 2009 drew a then-record 96,496 spectators over the two days — 58,845 on Day Two November 7 and an on-track crowd of 37,651 on Day One Nov. 6 — and record on-track handle of $19,208,012. According to a study by Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the Breeders’ Cup generated in excess of $60 million in economic impact in the Los Angeles area in both 2008 and 2009 at Santa Anita, the first-ever back-to-back runs at the same track. Both years set new venue records for attendance and wagering.

“In both 2008 and 2009, it’s estimated that approximately $60 million a year was generated in terms of overall revenues, things like hotels, restaurants and rent-a-cars,” said Santa Anita President George Haines. “Additionally, we’ll be employing more than three thousand people again in 2013 and so this is also welcome news for everyone working in the racing industry here.

“This is going to be a great two-day party for the L.A. area right here at Santa Anita,” said Mark Verge, Santa Anita C.E.O. “We want people to know they can come, party and gamble at the most beautiful racetrack in the world and it’s a party they’ll never forget.

“Thanks to the efforts of our Chairman, Frank Stronach, Santa Anita has proven time and again to be a perfect venue for the Breeders’ Cup and we look forward to again showcasing what we believe is America’s premier racing facility.

“We are elated to learn the Breeders’ Cup is coming here again in 2013,” said Arcadia Mayor Bob Harbicht. “Arcadia is proud to be the center of attention in the racing world when the Breeders’ Cup is going on and we welcome those who attend and the economic boost it brings to the community. We also see Santa Anita as an outstanding corporate neighbor.

“This will also help us to attract more owners and more horses to California, which is a big priority for all of us,” said Hall of Fame trainer and Thoroughbred Owners of California board member Bob Baffert, who won the 2008 Juvenile and Sprint races at Santa Anita.

Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships five times — in 1986, 1993, 2003, and 2008-09. The next two years will bring that total to seven of the ten times the Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held in Southern California over its 30-year history.

Among the most memorable moments in Breeders’ Cup history was at Santa Anita in 2009 when fan favorite Zenyatta provided spectators with one of racing’s most exhilarating performances as she came from way back in the pack to become the first female to win the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. That year’s event also attracted the most international starters in history with 34 participants from outside the U.S. and Canada.

Verge noted that beginning with the opening day of the Autumn meet, Santa Anita has hired Cedd Moses — recently voted ‘Best American Cocktail Bar’ and which has been an integral part of the revitalization of downtown L.A. — to be in charge of cocktail service and presentation.

The 2013 Breeders’ Cup will be televised on the NBC Sports Network, and the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic will be shown live in prime-time on the East Coast and Midwest on NBC from 8 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET. NBC Sports Network is also televising this year’s Breeders’ Cup with prime-time coverage of the Classic on NBC Nov. 3.

“We are pleased the Breeders’ Cup has chosen to stay at Santa Anita for the 2013 World Championships,” said Mike Rogers, President of The Stronach Group’s Racing Division. “This underlines the commitment of The Stronach Group to present world-class racing at its venues around the country. Santa Anita’s back-to-back runnings of the Breeders’ Cup in 2008 and 2009 produced some of the top performances in the event’s history and we are looking forward to again showcasing the world’s greatest athletes in the entertainment capital of the world.”

Breeders’ Cup President and CEO Craig Fravel said: “We are… looking forward to bringing racing fans a world-class event at one of the world’s greatest racing venues. We are delighted to extend our partnership with Santa Anita, to celebrate the 30th edition of our Championships in Southern California and for the unprecedented opportunity to showcase the Breeders’ Cup Classic in prime-time for a second consecutive year. Southern California and the greater Los Angeles community are always exceptional hosts for fans and horsemen alike from the event’s launch in 1984 and, most recently, at the 2008 and 2009 World Championships.”

Keith Brackpool, Chairman of the California Horse Racing Board, added: “We are very proud that California has once again been selected to host the Breeders’ Cup and we will take all the steps necessary to ensure that the Breeders’ Cup this November and next year at Santa Anita will be of the highest caliber for our racing fans and horsemen in our state and for our guests attending from around the world.”

“The Thoroughbred Owners of California is happy to support the return of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships to California and Santa Anita Park,” said TOC Chairman Mike Pegram. “In addition to providing a much-needed boost to the state and local economies, the event gives California horsemen an opportunity to compete against the world’s best at one of our sport’s most outstanding racetracks.”

For more information on the 2012 & 2013 Breeders’ Cups at Santa Anita, fans are encouraged to call (800) 722-3287. To order 2012 Breeders’ Cup tickets, call (877) 426-6948.

— By Scott Hettrick