chris merz | Horse Racing Free Tips

Santa Anita Renames Stakes To Honor 100-Year-Old Retired Paddock Captain John Shear

On Oct. 1, the day Santa Anita unveiled a plaque commemorating six decades of dedicated service to its recently retired 100-year-old Paddock Captain John Shear, the Arcadia, Calif., track also announced it will further honor him by renaming the Santana Mile the “John Shear Mile.”

For older horses, the $75,000 John Shear Mile will be run on Sunday, April 10.

Employed by Santa Anita since 1961, Shear, who retired this past June, gained national recognition when on March 12, 2011, he sustained life threatening injuries as he threw himself between an on-rushing loose horse and a 5-year-old girl just outside Santa Anita's Seabiscuit Walking Ring.

“John Shear is a legend among all of us here at Santa Anita, – fans, jockeys, horsemen and employees,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We are proud to rename this race in his honor and to help share his legacy of kindness, compassion and dedication to the well being of our sport with many generations of future racegoers.”

Orphaned at a young age in his native England, Shear aspired to be a jockey as a young man but emigrated to Canada as an exercise rider who later worked as an assistant trainer. Asked in the fall of 1954 if he'd like to accompany a group of horses from Vancouver, B.C., to Santa Anita, Shear leapt at the chance and the rest as could be said, is history.

“I was exercising horses for a guy in Vancouver and he asked me if I'd like to go with him to Santa Anita that fall,” said Shear in an interview prior to his 99th birthday in January 2020. “I said 'Sure,' and as soon as I stepped off that van in the Stable Area here, I said 'Lord, this is where I want to be.' The place was so incredibly beautiful and I've never gotten tired of it.”

A diminutive five feet, four inches, Shear checks in at about 115 pounds. “I'm gonna get to 120,” he quipped in the Paddock ceremony in which posed with many fellow employees, fans and Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.

With birthday number 101 looming on Jan. 17, Shear, who still participates in a daily exercise regimen that includes push-ups, will certainly hope to be on hand to present the John Shear Mile trophy on April 10.

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Santa Anita, Thoroughbred Owners Of California Announce 10 Percent Purse Boost For Fall Meet

Santa Anita's 2021 Autumn Meeting, which opens Friday, Oct. 1, will now offer owners and horsemen a 10 percent increase in all overnight races as Santa Anita and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) have reached an agreement that will enable Santa Anita to provide a comprehensive purse increase for the third consecutive race meeting, dating back to the 2020 Autumn Meet.

“This is a very significant development and we want to thank everyone at TOC for helping to make this happen,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “To be able to offer a purse increase for the third meet in-a-row clearly demonstrates we are trending in the right direction and that's important when owners and horsemen are making plans not only for racing, but breeding as well.

“Our Autumn stall applications are very encouraging as is the success of the current meet at Del Mar. I think people around the country and here in California are realizing this is a tremendous place to race and train and we hope to keep the momentum going into the new year.”

With the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships scheduled for Nov. 5 & 6 at Del Mar, there will be added interest in a variety of Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifying races, the first of which will be contested on opening day, Oct. 1.

With four stakes planned, three of them, the Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah, the Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier and the $100,000 Speakeasy, are all Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” events and they'll be complemented by the Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs on turf.

“This purse increase is significant not only to our owners and horsemen, but to all of us in the Thoroughbred industry here in California,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager. “There's no question we're moving in the right direction and we're hopeful this is going to help with field size which will provide better gambling opportunities for our fans.”

For additional information, including complete details on overnight purse increases for the 2021 Autumn Meet, please visit santaanita.com or call the Santa Anita Racing Office at (626) 574-RACE.

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Ten Percent Purse Hike at Upcoming Santa Anita Meeting

Santa Anita's 2021 Autumn Meeting, which opens Friday, Oct. 1, will now offer a 10% increase in all overnight races as Santa Anita and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) have reached an agreement that will enable Santa Anita to provide a comprehensive purse increase for the third consecutive race meeting, dating back to the 2020 Autumn Meet.

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Santa Anita Releases Fall Stakes Schedule

Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meeting will get off to a flying start on Friday, Oct. 1, as four graded stakes will highlight what figures to be a tremendous card. The Autumn Meet, which will run through Oct. 31, will again provide “Ship & Win” incentives to attract out-of-state connections and will showcase some of the best horses in the world as they complete final preparations for the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar on Nov. 5 and 6.

Three Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” Challenge Race qualifiers, along with the Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, will highlight an afternoon of world-class racing on opening day, with first post time at 1 p.m. PT.

The Grade 1, $300,000 American Pharoah, for 2-year-olds at a mile and one sixteenth, will serve as a prep to the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile; the Grade 2, $200,000 Chandelier Stakes, for 2-year-old fillies pointing to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and the $100,0000 Speakeasy Stakes, for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on turf, will serve as a prep to the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf.

The Eddie D, named for the all-time great retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, is for 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs on turf and will provide a launching pad to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 6.

“Our intention is to get the Autumn Meet off to a fast start,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “With the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar this year, we want the word to go out, far and wide, that we're offering tremendous opportunities for owners and horsemen to prep here and have their best possible chances for Championship success on Nov. 5 & 6.

“We anticipate great weather with optimal conditions for both training and racing. When you factor in that we're just a 90-minute van ride away from Del Mar, we're hopeful a good many folks will choose to race here this fall. We look forward to welcoming everyone and to providing lucrative gambling opportunities to our fans as well.”

On Saturday, Oct. 2, four pivotal Breeders' Cup prep races will be offered: The Grade 1, $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes at a mile and one eighth for horses considering the Grade 1, $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6; the Grade 1, $300,000 Rodeo Drive Stakes at a mile and one quarter on turf for fillies and mares three and up that are pointing to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and the Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Sprint Championship at six furlongs—a Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifier to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Additionally, the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile (turf), a potential showcase for those horses eyeing the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Mile, will also be run on Oct. 2.

On Sunday, Oct. 3, a total of five stakes will be carded, including one additional “Win & You're In” qualifier–the Grade 2, $200,000 Zenyatta, which will be contested by fillies and mares three and up at 1 1/16 miles. The Zenyatta will serve as a prep to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. A pair of $200,000 stakes for juveniles at one mile on turf, the Surfer Girl and the Zuma Beach, will also be offered, as will the Grade 3, $100,000 Chillingworth Stakes and the $75,000 Unzip Me.

The popular 'Ship & Win' program will again be available to participating horses who started at Del Mar and to eligible newcomers making their first start at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet.

Santa Anita's complete 2021 Autumn Stakes Schedule is available online at santaanita.com/horsemen. For additional information regarding ticketing, dining reservations or racing opportunities, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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