Santa Anita to Host Tokyo City Cup, Japan Family Day April 2

ARCADIA — Santa Anita Park, a sister thoroughbred racetrack of TCK Ohi Racetrack in Japan, will host the 22nd annual Tokyo City Cup on Sunday, April 2.

This $100,000 Grade III Tokyo City Cup race brings together some of the top thoroughbreds in the nation. Along with this race, the annual spring event Japan

Family Day will be held on the site. It celebrates a long partnership between two of the premier tracks in the world with a wide variety of Japanese cultural exhibitions, food booths and travel information on Japan.

The Tokyo City Cup, won last year by Big John B, is the sole graded stakes race named for a major city outside of the United States.

Free Tokyo City Cup T-shirts and Japanese towels will be given to the first 1,000 patrons, and more gifts for fans who complete a survey at the drawing tables are available. The Tokyo City Cup Game will be held and a splendid prize will be given to the winner.

The website (www.tokyocitycup.com) provides more information about the specific event schedule.

Gates open at Santa Anita at 10:30 a.m., with first post at 12:30 p.m.

Japan Family Day features Japanese cultural exhibition booths such as karate, sado (tea ceremony), shodo (calligraphy), kendo (Japanese swordsmanship), origami (paper folding), anime and stage shows like minyo (Japanese folk songs), sumo, Ryukyu buyo (Okinawa traditional dance), Tsugaru shamisen (three-stringed instrument), and a taiko drumming performance.

Visitors can take photos with ladies dressed in beautiful kimono. If you want to know more about Japan, Visit Japan will provide tourism information on an attractive travel destination for your next vacation.

Also at the park, there will be lots of entertainment such as games, pony rides and face-painting for kids, so they won’t get bored.

If you are hungry, various Japanese foods like sushi, curry, okonomiyaki, Japanese tea, barbecue, takoyaki, yakisoba, and baked goods will be available. At the beer garden, Japanese beer will be served.

Santa Anita Park (www.santaanita.com) is located in Arcadia, 14 miles northeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is famous not only for horse racing, but also as a filming location for the movie “Seabiscuit.”

Santa Anita Park opens each year on Dec. 26, with daily racing continuing through July 4, Thursday through Sunday.

Photos courtesy Santa Anita Park