While the Kentucky Derby is an unbeatable day of horse racing, this year, the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic was an event for the books! The annual Breeder’s cup, famous in the realm of horse racing, took place on November 4th at Arcadia’s own, Santa Anita Park. While the Breeder’s cup is an annual event, the day of racing rotates between tracks throughout America. This year, visitors from all over the world came to Arcadia in hopes for a shot to win the classic.

 I’ve been around horse racing all my life. I’ve been to a few days of Breeder’s Cup races, two Kentucky Derbys, and an uncountable amount of various days of racing. On Saturday, November 4th,  energy filled the stands with excitement that I had not seen at Santa Anita in a while. Aaron Rodgers, Miles Teller, Elizabeth Banks, and other celebrities made appearances to the big day and the excitement that is sometimes missing at Santa Anita Park was fully present. 

During the week leading up to the races, I visited Santa Anita’s Clocker’s Corner to have breakfast and watch workouts on the track. Breakfast, coffee, hot chocolate, and more were available. The “backside” of the racetrack is usually quiet, empty, and doesn’t  have many visitors. However, the stands were filled with so many people, it was even hard to find parking! 

The 2023 Breeder’s Cup from my point of view was a successful event. It was organized and well promoted. People were excited to be there and see one another. There were great food options ranging from specialty fries, sandwiches, and much more. It was also a day of fashion! Fascinators, dresses, and suits of many colors and prints painted a beautiful scene in the grandstands. 

Santa Anita is truly underrated as “The Great Race Place”!