ARCADIA — Santa Anita Park, a sister thoroughbred race track of TCK Ohi Racetrack in Japan, will host the 20th annual Tokyo City Cup on Saturday, March 28.
This $100,000 Grade III Tokyo City Cup race brings together some of the top thoroughbreds in the nation.
Along with this race, Japan Family Day, an annual spring event, 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 Majestic Harbor, is the sole graded stakes race named for a major city outside of the U.S.
The race celebrates the relationship between Santa Anita Park and Tokyo City Keiba (TCK)’s Ohi Racetrack.
Free Tokyo City Cup bag for the first 2,000 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 prizes will be given to the winners.
The website 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), kado (flower arranging), shodo (calligraphy), kendo, origami, anime and stage shows like shishimai (Japanese lion dance), minyo (Japanese folk songs), sumo, Ryukyu buyo (Okinawan traditional dance), Tsugaru shamisen, and taiko drumming.
Among them, you can’t miss “Ramen Yokocho.” Famous ramen restaurants from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Japan will be serving their delicious noodles.
This is their second appearance at Japan Family Day. They will hold a Ramen Championship in which those chefs create their unique ramen bowls and the world ramen champion will be decided.
Tourism information will be available at the Visit Japan booth. There will also be entertainment and games for the kids, including pony rides and face painting.
If you are hungry, various Japanese food booths will be available, including sushi, curry, okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pizza), Japanese tea, Japanese barbecue, and Japanese baked goods. At the beer garden, Japanese beer will be served.
Santa Anita Park is located in Arcadia, a residential community14 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is famous as a filming location for the movie “Seabiscuit.” The park opens each year on Dec. 26, with daily racing continuing through late June, from Thursday through Sunday.
For more information, visit www.tokyocitycup.com.