Santa Anita Gets Event in 2003

The Breeders’ Cup has announced tentative sites for its races for the next four years, a schedule that will mark the return of the event to Santa Anita and Churchill Downs and give tracks in Illinois and Texas opportunities to serve as hosts for the first time.

The Breeders’ Cup, an eight-race day with purses worth $13 million, will be run next fall at Arlington Park in suburban Chicago. The 2003 site is Santa Anita, followed by Churchill Downs in 2004 and Lone Star Park in suburban Dallas in 2005.

D.G. Van Clief, president of the Breeders’ Cup, said Monday that the selections are contingent on signed contracts with the tracks.

None of the selections was a surprise. Although Arlington and Lone Star have never hosted a Breeders’ Cup, Arlington became the favorite for 2002 when the Oak Tree Racing Assn. at Santa Anita dropped out, and Lone Star has made overtures for the event in recent years.

Oak Tree was prevented from hosting the Breeders’ Cup the last two years because of ongoing construction by its landlord, Santa Anita. The 18th running of the Breeders’ Cup will be Oct. 27 at Belmont Park.