Horse racing fans get to unwrap one final Christmas gift every year when California racing celebrates opening day at Santa Anita Park. The post-holiday kickoff marks the start of the winter-spring “Classic” meet at one of the country’s premier venues. Santa Anita’s traditional opening day for winter and spring racing is Dec. 26, right after the holiday, but this year the track will delay its launch until Sunday, Dec. 28, due to a forecast of heavy rain in the region during Christmas week.
