Santa Anita Park plans twilight racing on Fridays during spring meet

Santa Anita Park plans to hold twilight horse racing on most Fridays, with a first post time of 3 p.m., during its 40-day spring meet that starts Friday.

One exception to the new Friday schedule is May 2, on the eve of the Kentucky Derby, when Santa Anita’s first race will go off at 12:30 p.m.

In the past, Santa Anita’s winter meet that begins the day after Christmas had ended in April. But when Hollywood Park in Inglewood closed last year, its racing dates were picked up by Santa Anita and other Southern California tracks.

As a result, Santa Anita’s current meet will extend through June 29, with racing generally Thursday through Sunday.

Except for Fridays, first post time typically will be 1 p.m. There are exceptions on the days of the Triple Crown races and some other dates.

In an effort to reverse a long decline in live attendance, Santa Anita also recenly announced it’s offering free weekend admission to its infield area during the spring meet, along with free parking in the north parking lot at Gate 6 that provides access to the infield.

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