California Crown

The California Crown was a $1 million horse race run once in September 2024 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. The race has since been canceled and replaced for the 2025 season.

2024 California Crown winner and race history

• • Winner: The inaugural and only running of the Grade 1 California Crown was won by the Argentine-bred horse Subsanador. In a photo finish, the 5-year-old won by a head over two horses trained by Bob Baffert.
• • Previous race: The California Crown was a rebranding of the $300,000 Awesome Again Stakes, a long-standing "Win and You're In" qualifying race for the Breeders' Cup Classic. The race had a significant increase in purse money as part of an effort to build a major entertainment event around the race.
• • Event elements: The race was part of a larger, one-day event that included live music, celebrity chefs, and other attractions to draw new fans to horse racing.
• • Bonus prize: Subsanador's victory earned his connections an all-expenses-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar.

Race status for 2025

Following its single running, officials announced the cancellation of the California Crown as a branded event for 2025. The race reverted to its previous name and was run as the Goodwood Stakes in September 2025, but with a significantly smaller purse of around $300,000.

The name "Goodwood Stakes" was chosen to honor the track's history with the Oak Tree Racing Association, which held autumn race meetings at Santa Anita from 1969 to 2009.

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