Well, I heard some folks talkin’ ’bout that horse race, the Santa Anita Derby. They was sayin’ it’s a big deal, you know? So, I got to thinkin’, when is that darn thing anyway?
Seems like it’s always around the same time each year. This year, that Santa Anita Derby is gonna be on Saturday, April 6th, 2024. Yep, that’s what I heard. They say it’s when all them fancy horses come runnin’ from all over. The best ones, they say. And they run fast, those horses, I tell ya!
They’re gonna have it in a place called Arcadia. Sounds fancy, don’t it? And that Santa Anita place, they gonna have all sorts of races. But this here Santa Anita Derby, that’s the big one. They been doin’ it for a long time, too. Since way back in 1935, someone told me. That’s before my time, even!
Now, these horses, they ain’t just any old nags. Nope. They’re three years old, and they’re thoroughbreds. That means they’re special, I reckon. They run on the dirt, and they go for, let me see if I got this right, one and one-eighth miles. That’s a good stretch, I’d say. Longer than I could walk these days, that’s for sure!
And there is money in this Santa Anita Derby thing, too. Big money. They call it a “purse.” I heard someone say it’s like $750,000! Can you believe that? For runnin’ horses! Back in my day, we just raced for bragging rights. And maybe a pie, if you was lucky.
They say this race is important ’cause it’s like a tryout for another big race. The Kentucky Derby, they call it. These horses in the Santa Anita Derby, they get points. The top five get the most, and it helps ’em get into that Kentucky race. It’s like a ladder, you see? Gotta climb your way to the top.
I also heard that the Santa Anita Derby is happening at Santa Anita Park. That must be a real important place for horse racing, I reckon. Must be quite a sight to see all them horses runnin’ their hearts out, all for a chance at glory and that big ol’ purse of money.
So, if you’re gonna go see that Santa Anita Derby, you best not wear your old, torn-up jeans. Oh no. They say you gotta dress nice. No shorts, no t-shirts, no sandals, and no baseball caps. Jeans are okay, but they can’t be ripped. Gotta look respectable, I guess. It’s a fancy affair, this horse race.
Here is a little list of things I heard about that race, the Santa Anita Derby:
- It’s gonna be on April 6th this year.
- It’s for them three-year-old thoroughbred horses.
- They run on dirt, a good ways, one and one-eighth miles, I think.
- There is a lot of money in it, $750,000.
- It helps them horses get into the Kentucky Derby.
- You gotta dress nice, no old clothes.
- It is at Santa Anita Park.
Now, I ain’t never been to one of these fancy horse races. But I tell ya, it sounds mighty excitin’. All them horses, all that money, all them people dressed up. Maybe one day I’ll get to see it myself. But for now, I’ll just have to imagine it.
The Santa Anita Derby is a big deal in the horse racing world. It’s a Grade 1 race, whatever that means. Must be important though, ’cause everyone’s talkin’ about it. And it’s been goin’ on since 1935, so it’s got history, you know? Like an old quilt, passed down through the years.
If you want to know when is Santa Anita Derby, well it is on April 6th, 2024. That’s the day. Mark it on your calendar if you’re into that sort of thing. Me, I’ll probably just be sittin’ on my porch, sippin’ tea. But I’ll be thinkin’ about them horses, runnin’ like the wind.
They are gonna be showing it on the TV, too. On CNBC and something called Peacock. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds fancy. They’ll start showing it at 7:00 PM, I heard. So you can watch it from home if you can’t make it to that Arcadia place. That’s what I’ll probably do.
Well, I reckon that’s all I know about that Santa Anita Derby. It is a big race, with fast horses and lots of money. It is on April 6th. Remember that. That is when is Santa Anita Derby.