Belinda Stronach | Horse Racing Free Tips

1/ST Introduces New Racing Series, Preakness Purse Increase

A new $25-million racing and incentive series connecting Preakness 149, The California Crown, and the 2025 Pegasus World Cup was announced via press release by 1/ST Friday.

Featuring more than $12.5-million in elevated purses and $7.5-million in incentives for both dirt and turf runners, there is a $5-million additional bonus on the line to the owner (s) of the horse who wins the 149th GI Preakness S., GI California Crown, and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

Turf horses will have a similar series and prize structure, with a $2.5-million bonus offered to the connections who win the GIII Dinner Party S., GII California Crown John Henry Turf, and GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.

Also included in the announcement was the news that the purse for the second jewel of the Triple Crown will increase to $2-million, and coupled with elevated purses in other contests, will make Preakness 149 Saturday the most lucrative in the event's history with $3.3-million to be won. The first race of the new series will run May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.

Replacing the Awesome Again S., the GI California Crown will debut on what is dubbed a 'reimagined opening day experience' Sept. 28 for Santa Anita Park's 2024 fall meet. The $1-million contest for 3-year-olds and older will run at 1 1/8-miles while the GII California Crown Eddie D. Turf Sprint and GII California Crown John Henry Turf will both feature $750,000 purses in what will be California's richest day of racing.

The anchor leg of the series goes to the 2025 Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25, which will feature the $3-million Invitational and $1-million Turf Invitational. The live broadcast will include the presentation of the potential $7.5-million bonus should any horse accomplish the feat of sweeping the series.

1/ST will also put up $5-million for a Coast-to-Coast Pick'Em Challenge sweepstakes, requiring fans and bettors to successfully pick the first four finishers of each series race, in order. It will be free to enter through the 1/ST betting app, and is there are no perfect winning entries, the most overall correct entry will win a $100,000 cash prize.

“My team and I continue to believe and invest in the modernization of Thoroughbred horse racing with a commitment to the highest level of international safety standards and horse care as we continue to elevate our already industry-leading wagering, entertainment and hospitality programs,” said 1/ST Chairwoman and CEO, Belinda Stronach.

“To back this up, 1/ST is adding to the legacy of the Preakness by increasing the purse, creating a new marquee race event for the majestic Santa Anita Park–The California Crown–and continuing to build on the phenomenal success of the Pegasus World Cup. We're proud to work with incredible partners who share our vision and see the future of world-class Thoroughbred racing combined with unique and elevated guest experiences.”

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New Details Emerge on California Crown

Coming off a highly successful Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream, which handled $47.3 million, $3.4 million more than last year, the 1/ST Racing team will now set its sights on creating a similar afternoon of racing at Santa Anita. 1/ST Racing CEO Belinda Stronach announced on NBC's broadcast of the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. that a day similar to the Pegasus is being created for Santa Anita and will be held Sept. 28.

The event will be called the California Crown and the premier race on the afternoon will be a revamped GI Awesome Again S. It was previously reported that the Awesome Again will be restricted to 3-year-olds, which will not be the case. It will remain a race for 3-year-olds and older.

1/ST Racing President Aidan Butler said that the company is looking to include the GII Eddie D. S., run at 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course, and the GII John Henry Turf Championship S., run at a mile-and-a-quarter on the turf, as part of the California Crown series. Other races traditionally run that weekend at Santa Anita include the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., the GII City of Hope Mile S., the GII Zenyatta S., the GIII Tokyo City Cup and the $100,000 Unzip Me S.

The key detail that has yet to be announced is what will the purses for the races be. When announcing Saturday on NBC the formation of the California Crown, 1/ST CEO Belinda Stronach said it would be the richest non-Breeders' Cup Day of racing in the history of Southern California racing. The purse of the 2023 Awesome Again was just $300,000, one tenth the amount given away in the Pegasus.

With so much uncertainty in California racing right now, including how simulcasting revenue in the state will be divided up once Golden Gate Fields closes in June, Butler said it's too early to announce purses.

“We still have a lot of work out there to figure out what the purses will be,” he said. “There are a lot of decisions that have to be made. We are hoping we can get everything sorted out soon. But we don't want to jump the gun and announce purses when we don't know exactly what is going to happen with the CHRB, with the Northern circuit and with the Southern circuit. There are a lot of things we still have to work on.”

As is the case with the Pegasus, the California Crown will be about more than racing. 1/ST has turned Pegasus Day into a party that attracts a younger crowd and many people who are not regular racing fans.

“The intent is to create a great experience for anyone who is currently a racing fan and for potential new customers,” Butler said. “There will be entertainment, things to elevate the customer experience. Los Angeles is such a huge market to draw from. People are used to a level of experience at sporting events with lots of entertainment and that's what we will try to replicate. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the Pegasus. It was a really cracking day and people had a lot of fun. We want to do the same at Santa Anita. The good thing about Santa Anita is that it is such a big venue you can create an even bigger day. At Gulfstream, we struggle with how many people we can get in the building. We won't have that issue at Santa Anita.”

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1/ST Racing Unveils Marquee Event For Santa Anita

During an interview on Saturday's NBC broadcast of the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, 1/ST CEO Belinda Stronach announced that Santa Anita Park will play host to the “California Crown” Sept. 28, which she said will have some of the same elements as Gulfstream's Pegasus World Cup Day. The Pegasus has become a huge event for 1/ST, who owns both racetracks.

“We have an amazing relationship with the folks here in Miami, but we're going to move it out West,” Stronach said. “Not the Pegasus, but a new race called the California Crown. We're going do something that's unique to California, something old school with a Hollywood vibe. It will be tremendous racing. It will be the richest day of racing in California. We're going to be bi-coastal. The Pegasus will remain here in Miami and continue to grow. We'll be doing something very similar but very 'California' at Santa Anita Sept. 28 this year.”

The Associated Press reported that the California Crown would replace the GI Awesome Again S., a race for 3-year-olds and up. The AP reported that the California Crown will be for 3-year-olds.

“(Santa Anita) doesn't have a marquee, special-event date,” Stronach told The AP.

Few details were available at deadline for this story, including the intended purse or what would consist of the undercard.

1/ST Racing and Gaming President Aidan Butler told the Associated Press that the purse would depend on the division of revenue between northern and southern California this year after the closing of Golden Gate Fields in June.

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Butler Appointed To Role of 1/ST President

Aidan Butler, who has served 1/ST RACING AND GAMING as its Chief Executive Officer since September 2022, has been appointed the president of the organization by Belinda Stronach, the Chairwoman and CEO of 1/ST.

According to a release, the expansion of Butler's role into president 'reflects and supports Stronach's mandate of continued growth in the company's racing and gaming assets.' Stronach, the daughter of Frank Stronach, has held the position of president in addition to her other roles since the introduction of 1/ST in 2020.

Butler's primary focus will be on the innovation and diversification of the company's industry leading wagering and gaming assets. He will work closely with the Chief Executive Officers and leadership of the 1/ST RACING AND GAMING, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY, 1/ST CONTENT and 1/ST EXPERIENCE businesses to drive growth and performance and to achieve strategic objectives.

As the CEO of 1/ST RACING AND GAMING, Butler has overseen racing operations at the tracks within the 1/ST portfolio and its training centers while endeavoring to expand the company's gaming footprint to capitalize on the future of sports wagering and gaming. Craig Fravel, Executive Vice-Chairman, 1/ST RACING AND GAMING together with Stephen Screnci, President of Racing & Business Development, 1/ST Racing and Gaming, will assume responsibility for day-to-day racing and training operations.

Butler previously served as Chief Operating Officer, 1/ST RACING and as Chief Strategy Officer for The Stronach Group.

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