Santa Anita Park, Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, United States

Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, with a one-mile dirt main track of 1,609 metres and a 274-metre home straight, plus a 1,408-metre turf course. A white pipe railing with curved posts borders the dark brown dirt oval, and a white inner rail encloses the green turf course behind it. Architect Gordon Kaufmann designed the buildings in Colonial Revival and Streamline Moderne styles, painted Persian Green and Chiffon Yellow.

The facility opened on December 25, 1934, after California legalized parimutuel wagering, and was designed by Gordon Kaufmann in Art Deco style. Between 1942 and 1945, the site served as an assembly center for over 18,000 Japanese Americans and later as an Army Ordnance base.

The name comes from Rancho Santa Anita, a Mexican-era ranch named after Anita Cota; its owner Hugo Reid was a Scotsman, and Lucky Baldwin later built a track beside the present site in 1904. Since 1995 the course has been twinned with Oi Racecourse in Tokyo: Santa Anita runs the Tokyo City Cup, Oi runs the Santa Anita Trophy, and Japan Family Day presents Japanese culture on race day.

The venue opens during the racing season from early fall through spring and offers several dining and beverage areas at different price levels. Visitors should expect larger crowds on race days and can reach the facility by both car and public transit.

The grounds served as an assembly center for over 18,000 Japanese Americans during World War II before being repurposed as a military base. Several film shoots over the decades, including scenes with the Marx Brothers, introduced the grandstands and stabling areas to audiences outside the racing world.