 Jon Lees | |
|---|---|
| Jon Lees is an award-winning racing journalist who was senior news reporter for the Racing Post for 20 years, before that he was chief racing correspondent for Britain’s national news agency, the Press Association. He was named Racing Reporter of the Year at the HWPA Derby Awards in 2013. He has travelled extensively covering horse racing, attending his first Breeders’ Cup in 1994. Since 2018 Jon has been a freelance, writing for The Times, the Telegraph, At The Races and Breeders’ Cup, working in PR for Ladbrokes and Newbury racecourse, and regularly contributes to the website horseracingplanet.com. | |
Santa Anita Park Racecourse – Track Analysis (Breeders' Cup Turf & Breeders’ Cup Classic):
Against the backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Anita, just 14 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, is the most picturesque track in North America, and certainly one of the world’s premier racecourses. Originally the 320-acre site turned into the first racecourse in California, and opened its doors on Christmas Day 1934, a year after pari-mutuel wagering was stately legalized. It will host the 40th World Championship for the eleventh time in 2023.
In track configuration, Santa Anita has a typical left-handed 1600m dirt oval, or “main track”, enveloping the 1400m Infield Turf Course. Nonetheless, it also has one of the most unique features amongst all "major league" tracks in America: the 1300m Hillside Turf Course that meanders in between the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and the backstretch, turns around near the stable area, crosses the main track, then rejoins the Infield Turf Course in a rather awkward angle at the top of the stretch. Safety problems plagued this section of the course in recent times, and was closed for major revamp in 2019.
The 2400m G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf field will embark their trip halfway on the Hillside Turf Course, take a sweeping left-handed turn, cross the main track, then re-join and complete another full lap around the Infield Turf Course. As the first 300-500m of this trip goes downhill, the early pace is particularly strong, the race shape changes on a dime, and many horses do stumble upon crossing the main track, as the footing interchanges between dirt and turf. Therefore, disregarding post positions – frankly a negligible concern over this trip – to settle early, and preferably in midfield, then save enough for a big rush out wide some 600m from home, is often the winning-most strategy.
The 2000m G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, breaks from the chute, nearby the entrance to the barn area, at the top of the lane, where the field flies by the homestretch for the first time, then run another full lap around the “main track” to complete the race. The distance from top of the lane to the “wire” (winning post) is 302m. To avoid outside horses from swiftly dropping towards the rail, riders from inside posts often need to break sharply, hustle their mounts up front to establish a good position, invariably using up some extra speed early, and may not have enough stamina left in the end. Rather, with almost 350m to find a good spot before hitting the clubhouse turn, horses breaking from out wide, either to be sent forward, or lay a couple of flights back, do have more options tactically.
With gorgeous sunshine prevailing through these two weeks at Santa Anita, perfect race-day weather will be on deck for this year’s races, with “Fast and Firm” the presumed goings.
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