Photo:

Zoe Metz / Santa Anita

The largest opening day crowd in eight years ushered in Santa Anita Park’s 91st year Thursday, joining horseplayers around the world in betting on the races with a total all-sources mutuel handle of more than $21.4 million. The handle was the third-highest in the track’s history for an opening day and an increase of 17.4 percent from last year, marking the fourth time in the last seven years that the opening day handle topped $20 million.

The on-track attendance of 41,562 was the largest non-weekend or holiday crowd on opening day since 1990. This was the 11th Thursday opening for Santa Anita, which traditionally opens on the day after Christmas.

“Our racing office offered an exceptional program, the owners and trainers supported it, and the horseplayers and fans strongly responded,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita’s senior vice president and general manager. “We are thankful to everyone who worked hard to make it a success, especially those who joined us to not only witness terrific racing but enjoy the events on track. The Southern California weather could not have been more cooperative, and this was a terrific way to start the celebration at the great race place.”

Santa Anita’s jockey colony was the star of the day, with leading Eclipse Award contender Flavien Prat setting a record with his 86th graded stakes win of the year when he won the Grade 2 Mathis Mile aboard King of Gosford. International superstar jockey Frankie Dettori, who postponed his retirement two years ago to spend the winter at Santa Anita Park, won the day’s first stakes race, named in honor of riding legend Laffit Pincay Jr. Pincay, who turns 78 this weekend, was on hand to present the trophy to the connections of Janie Buss’ J B Strikes Back, surrounded by family and friends. Buss is the daughter of the late Dr. Jerry Buss, owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Santa Anita Park’s first opened on Christmas Day in 1934, less than 12 months after the newly formed California Horse Racing Board granted the Los Angeles Turf Club a permit to build the racetrack, with the guarantee that it would be in operation by the end of that year. Since 1949, Santa Anita’s opening day has been Dec. 26, with few exceptions. The season continues through mid-June.