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Originally Posted by Spalding No!
Eliminating the Strub series for newly turned 4yos & the purse reduction precluding much interest from top level East Coast shippers helped put the nail in the coffin.
They gutted & retooled the Santa Margarita series as well just on the off chance that a dominant mare like Bayakoa or Serena's Song might have wanted in on the race.
Par for the course with the ridiculously illogical stakes schedule at Santa Anita (look at the deranged prep schedule for the SA Derby).
Also, the Tiznow Stakes was supposed to be run 2 weeks ago on February 19, but uber-CA bred The Chosen Vron was scaring away the competition. The streaking Kings River Knight was pointing for that race, too. The last time they met (March 2023), they were separated by a whisker.
But SA decided to pass on the race.
Yeah, no one would have come out to watch that match race...(Kings River Knight found another race to run in...and won).
I'm sure the $10k claimer full of Los Al horses they used as a replacement probably netted them more money & publicity.
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The big things that killed the SA stakes schedule were (1) Dubai/Saudi Arabia and (2) trainers wanting 4-6 weeks or more between races.
