Budweiser Clydesdale Ready for Opening Day at Santa Anita

A team of the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales are stabled at Santa Anita Racetrack awaiting their scheduled on-track performance on Opening Day of the 75th Anniversary Santa Anita Winter-Spring Meet on Saturday, Dec. 26.

This particular team is from Booneville, Missouri and travels strictly in the western United States. It is one of six traveling hitches of the majestic horses, which are on the road approximately 11 months a year. Clydesdales were once used as workhorses to pull heavy loads, but the Budweiser horses are now just used for appearances at fairs, parades, and other festivities.

Each of the traveling hitches consists of 10 horses. The horses stand about 6 feet at the shoulder and weight about 2,000 pounds. According to Anheuser-Busch regulations, the horses must be bay in color, have four white stocking feet and a white blaze on the face, and a black mane and tail.

They have been a popular opening day tradition at Santa Anita, and it is always a delight to watch these gentle giants perform!

Santa Anita's Opening Day Lives up to Expectations

Gayle Anderson of KTLA-TV interviews Santa Anita's Allen Gutterman.

From the excited buzz at Clockers' Corner early this morning until the last race was run, the opening day of the 2008-09 Winter/Spring Santa Anita meet lived up to all its great expectations. The day began at the morning workouts, where Gayle Anderson of Los Angeles' KTLA-TV Morning News was out to interview Santa Anita's VP of marketing, Allen Gutterman, about the day's activities, including the fan giveaway of a full-color 2009 wall calendar.

The weather was picture perfect, although a bit chilly for Southern California, with temperatures in the low sixties and breezy conditions. Fans lucky enough to be here in person were treated to a first-hand look at pageantry of the sport, world-class racing including three stakes races, a full Mariachi band, and a performance by the famous Budweiser Clydesdales.

Budweiser Clydesdales performing on the track at Santa Anita, Opening Day.

Attendance topped 33,100 -- an increase from last year's opening day crowd of 30,156. The Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, first leg of the prestigious Strub Series, was won by Bob Black Jack for trainer James Kasparoff, jockey David Flores, and owners Harmon & Kasparoff.