Santa Anita Park will stage a compelling nine-race meeting on Thursday, 8th January 2026, as the winter season continues to gather momentum in Southern California. With a programme stretching from noon through to 4:14 PM, the card will blend competitive mile races, sharp sprints, and two significant stakes contests that promise to define the afternoon.
The curtain will rise at 12:00 PM with Race 1, a 1-mile contest worth $70,000, setting an early tone of stamina and tactical riding. It will be the first chance for jockeys to test the pace of the surface and for trainers to see how their runners handle conditions on the day. Just over half an hour later, Race 2 at 12:33 PM will also be run over 1 mile, but with a $26,000 purse, presenting a different kind of challenge where precision and timing may outweigh raw power.
The first major highlight of the afternoon will arrive at 1:06 PM with Race 3, the Eddie Logan Stakes (Listed). Run over 1 mile and carrying $100,000 in prize money, this stakes contest will lift the meeting onto a higher plane. The Eddie Logan Stakes will not only reward quality but also hint at future stars, with connections eager to see how their horses perform under black-type pressure.
Momentum will continue to build through the middle of the card. Race 4 at 1:37 PM will shift the emphasis to speed over 6 furlongs, with $70,000 on offer, followed closely by Race 5 at 2:09 PM, another 6-furlong sprint worth $71,000. These back-to-back dashes will bring urgency and intensity, where a fast break and sharp handling will likely decide outcomes in seconds rather than strides. Race 6 at 2:40 PM will complete the sprint sequence, again over 6 furlongs with a $70,000 purse, ensuring no room for error as the afternoon reaches its most competitive stretch.
As the shadows lengthen, attention will turn firmly toward elite company. Race 7 at 3:11 PM will feature the Robert J. Frankel Stakes (Grade III), a race that will command respect and anticipation. Contested over 1 1/8 miles for $100,000, this Grade III event will test class, stamina, and composure, and is expected to be the emotional heartbeat of the meeting. Performances here will resonate well beyond the day, shaping reputations and future campaigns.
The closing stages will return to the mile distance that frames the card so elegantly. Race 8 at 3:42 PM, offering $70,000, will demand one final blend of speed and endurance, before the meeting draws to a conclusion with Race 9 at 4:14 PM, another 1-mile race with $35,000 at stake. Though the final contest may be more modest in prize money, it will still carry the weight of last chances and lingering ambitions.
By the time the final winner returns to scale, Santa Anita Park will once again have delivered a full afternoon of racing emotion—hope in the early races, intensity through the middle, and quality at the top. Thursday’s card will not simply be about results, but about the stories that will begin, continue, and quietly shape the season ahead at one of America’s most cherished racecourses.
Santa Anita Park racecards 8 Janaury outline a compelling nine-race Thursday featuring sprint contests and two key stakes events. For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to Racebuzz.