Santa Anita postpones Saturday’s races because of expected rainstorm

Santa Anita is postponing Saturday’s important thoroughbred racing card to Sunday in anticipation of heavy rain, track executives were preparing to announce Thursday morning.

A postponement had been under consideration since Wednesday for the Saturday program that features the Santa Anita Handicap, one of Santa Anita’s signature events, and the San Felipe Stakes, which includes 3-year-olds vying to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.

Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress canceled its Saturday night quarter-horse races and said it would resume Sunday with a 5 p.m. first post time.

Santa Anita is adding a Monday program. Racing is planned for Friday. The first post is 12:30 p.m. each day.

Entries for Sunday were to be finalized Thursday, and entries for Monday would be taken later Thursday.

A Weather Channel forecast Thursday morning put the chance of rain in Arcadia at 53% on Friday, with “occasional rain showers,” and 89% Saturday, with “rainfall near a half an inch.”

Trainer Bob Baffert, who entered Nysos, Wine Me Up and Imagination in the San Felipe, and Newgate and Reincarnate in the Santa Anita Handicap, praised Santa Anita’s decision.

“I think I’d rather run on a nice day and a nice track,” Baffert said. “That was the right move (to postpone).”