Article by Todd Sidor: Often in sports, success is premised on luck and having the wherewithal to call an audible when necessary. In the National Football League, for instance, a quarterback calling an audible can mean the difference between punting, a first down, or sometimes a touchdown. In European football, a wisely timed substitution can make the difference between winning and losing.
$23 Million In Opening Day Wagers Sets New Record For Santa Anita Sponsored by:
Charlatan and Mike Smith pull away from the opposition in Santa Anita s Malibu Stakes on a record-setting opening day
With an 11-race card that included six stakes, all run in idyllic weather conditions, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., set an all-time opening day record pari-mutuel handle of $23,003,159 on Saturday, eclipsing the previous opening day benchmark of $20,491,016, which was established over 11 races run on Dec. 26, 2018.
Aside from essential licensed personnel, which includes owners, Santa Anita remains closed to the public and thus almost all of its total handle on Saturday was wagered via ADW platforms and a smattering of brick and mortar satellite locations that have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Charlatan
Bob Baffert-trained Charlatan and Nashville, from the Steve Asmussen stable, head a powerful group of probable starters in Santa Anita s Grade 1, $300,000 Runhappy Malibu Stakes at seven furlongs on Santa Anita s opening day, Saturday, Dec. 26. The Arcadia, Calif., track s traditional opening day headliner, the Malibu, the final Grade 1 of the year for 3-year-olds, will be run for the 74th time. (The race was run in divisions in 1972, 1975, 1977 & 1984).
Idle since finishing first in a division of the G1 Arkansas Derby by six lengths on May 2, Charlatan was subsequently disqualified from purse money due to a medication violation, so his official record is two wins from three starts. Including the Arkansas Derby, Charlatan, who broke his maiden and took a first condition allowance at Santa Anita this past winter, has finished first in his three starts by a combined 22 lengths.