Rain to wipe out Santa Anita horse racing this weekend

In the fourth time this year the track's schedule has been affected by weather, racing is canceled Saturday and Sunday, with a card added next Thursday

With rain coming, Santa Anita has canceled racing Saturday and Sunday and added a card Thursday, April 4, the track announced.

Racing for Friday is still on. The $100,000, Grade III Wilshire Stakes and $100,000, Grade III American Stakes, scheduled for this weekend, will be held next Thursday. Extra races will be run next Friday thru Sunday.

The Weather Channel forecasts a 100% chance of rain, potentially heavy, and a high temperature of 54 in Arcadia during the day Saturday, and an 86% chance of rain and thunderstorms and a high of 57 on Sunday.

This is the fourth time the anticipation of bad weather has affected Santa Anita’s racing schedule during the season that opened Dec. 26. The last time it happened, Santa Anita Handicap day was postponed from Saturday, March 2, to Sunday, March 3.

Such moves have become more common in California since an outbreak of fatal injuries to horses in races and workouts in 2019 coincided with an unusually wet winter.

Entries for next Thursday’s races are to be taken Saturday.

Santa Anita’s next major race is the $750,000, Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 6. The Weather Channel forecasts a 24% chance of rain and a high of 61 that day.