Santa Anita will conduct live horse racing on Monday and Wednesday to compensate for the delayed start of the Classic event. Following these days, live racing will continue for four straight days beginning Thursday, New Year’s Day, through the upcoming Sunday as originally scheduled.
Monday features a nine-race lineup starting at noon Pacific Time. The key races include the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez on the hillside turf course and the Blue Noser Stakes for 2-year-old fillies racing a mile on turf.
The Joe Hernandez race includes three contenders with Breeders’ Cup experience: Motorious, Imagination, and Gas Me Up. Motorious, trained by Phil D’Amato, won the Thriller event last year and aims to replicate that success. He is a 3-1 morning line favorite after finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Imagination, ridden by Bob Baffert’s trainee, placed second in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and is the 7-2 second favorite despite never having raced on turf. Gas Me Up, who finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, has switched back to trainer Peter Urton, who handled him earlier in his career.
The Joe Hernandez race will be the seventh race, approximately 3:00 PM PT, with a strong field including Imagination (7-2), Motorious (3-1), and Gas Me Up (5-1), among others.
The Blue Noser Stakes, set for the third race around 1 PM, showcases top contenders Latte Love (5-2) and La Ville Lumiere (8-5), both of whom placed second and third in last month’s Grade 3 Jimmy Durante at Del Mar. Latte Love is trained by Doug O’Neill, and La Ville Lumiere by Michael McCarthy.
On Wednesday, another nine-race card begins at noon, highlighted by the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf and the 2-year-old Eddie Logan Stakes at 1 mile on turf. The Frankel features Public Assembly (8-5 favorite), trained by Phil D’Amato, and Paradise Lake (2-1), trained by Peter Urton, both of whom recently ran well in the Grade 3 Red Carpet at Del Mar.
The Frankel is the seventh race around 3 PM, with a competitive field including Public Assembly and Paradise Lake. The Eddie Logan, starting the fifth race around 2 PM, will spotlight Stark Contrast, the 8-5 morning line favorite who recently placed second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, and Grade 1 winner Plutarch (2-1), trained by Bob Baffert.
This report was first published by Paulick Report on December 28, 2025.
Fan Take: This update keeps horse racing enthusiasts engaged by showcasing top-tier horses with recent Breeders’ Cup experience getting ready to compete again, signaling high-quality fields and thrilling races. It highlights the sport’s resilience and excitement entering the new year, which is great for fans and the future growth of horse racing.
