During the Oak Tree era, fans knew it as the Goodwood Breeders' Cup Handicap and later the Goodwood Stakes. Once Santa Anita began its own autumn meet, it became the Awesome Again Stakes, which was the name the race retained for the next thirteen seasons. But 2024 brought forth yet another new name.

In an effort to give Southern California racing a day like Florida has with the annual Pegasus World Cup program, California Crown Day was invented for Santa Anita's autumn meet.

Previously known as Super Saturday given the bundle of stakes races with spots at various Breeders' Cup contests on the line, California Crown Day still had that as part of the program. However, the California Crown now became the centerpiece of the card thanks to its $1 million purse, far more than it ever had as the Goodwood or Awesome Again.

The first California Crown Stakes happened on September 28, 2024. Many bettors agreed that trainer Bob Baffert would saddle the winner of the event, but were split on whether it would be Muth or National Treasure. Muth, recent winner of Del Mar's Shared Belief Stakes off a five month layoff, won favoritism over his stablemate with 3-2 odds. But National Treasure, the 2023 Preakness Stakes and 2024 Grade I Met Mile champion, was not far behing at 8-5. Joining the duo was another Baffert trainee in Newgate, the reigning Grade I Santa Anita Handicap titlist; Katonah, who took the Pleasanton Mile in July before finishing second in Grade II San Diego Handicap at Del Mar; 2024 Group I Saudi Cup winner Senor Buscador; and Subsanador, an Argentine-bred with multiple Group stakes scores who came into the California Cup off a victory in Monmouth Park's Grade III Philip H. Iselin Stakes.

After all six horses went into the starting gate for the ninth race of the day, they all left in a good line as they began their mile and one-eighth battle. By the time they finished the first furlong, National Treasure and jockey Flavien Prat headed the pack with Katonah and Tiago Pereira a neck behind on their outside. Muth and Juan Hernandez were on the outside of Katonah, a half-length in arrears. Subsanador and Mike Smith stayed on the inside while Newgate and John Velazquez were trailing them along the rail. Senor Buscador and Joe Talamo were in the back, separated a couple of lengths from the group.

National Treasure was the clear leader in the clubhouse turn, having put a little distance between himself and Katonah. But the latter got back to within a length as they started down the backstretch. Muth was still on Katonah's right as Subsanador continued his inside path. Newgate, who had gotten off the inside going into the first turn, stayed in fifth, about a half-length while on the right of Subsanador. Senor Buscador continued to be out of touch with his opponents as the five-eighths pole approached.

After fractions of 22.89 and 47.19, no positions changed as the far turn loomed. Subsanador and Katonah were level afterwards, and Muth continued on the outside of the latter. National Treasure clocked six furlongs in 1:11.26 as Katonah put his head in front of Subsanador for second. Muth made his bid as Newgate chased the top four. Senor Buscador was still alone at the back, several lengths down.

The top five all had the look of being the winner at the quarter pole. National Treasure continued to guide the way as he completed the turn for home. Newgate, who had the highest odds of the Baffert trio at 7-1, made a big move on the turn to catch up with Muth, Katonah and Subsanador. He was on the grandstand side and widest of the four horses in a line chasing the leader. Inside of Newgate was Muth, then Katonah and Subsanador, who was now off the inside with a clear path in front of him. National Treasure had the inside, but the lead was small. With the stretch run left to run, the California Crown was entrenched in excitement and suspense.

In a brief moment, Subsanador and Newgate emerged as the challengers to National Treasure. Newgate charged past Muth and Katonah as he went after Subsanador. National Treasure still had the lead after one mile in 1:36.17. The jockeys riding the top three horses all asked their mounts for more. National Treasure kept on, but Subsanador and Newgate narrowed that lead as the sixteenth pole was nearby. When the trio got to that marker, they were all together. National Treasure had the narrow lead, Subsanador in the middle and just a neck down to the pacesetter, and Newgate roughly a neck behind Subsanador. The California Crown was going to be a close one as the big crowd watched. With just yards remaining, Subsanador came up with more resolve as he got his nose ahead of National Treasure. Newgate was just a head behind on the outside, but could not catch his rival at the wire.

The first California Crown went to Buscador after nine furlongs in 1:48.68. National Treasure held on for the runner up spot, while Newgate's bid in the stretch netted him a gutty third place. In a race where it was predicted that Bob Baffert would be the winning trainer, fellow Hall of Fame inductee Richard Mandella's chestnut horse surprised the crowd at 6-1 odds. But Subsanador had class in his own right, given his time in South America and victory in the Iselin.

As he stood in the winners' circle, Subsanador had another high level stakes win and an enormous payday. Mandella and Smith each added another major Grade I to their brilliant resumes. The fans saw a tremendous finish. And Santa Anita got what it wanted as the main event lived up to the hype.

On a day when Southern California racing sought a memorable moment, it got exactly that as the West Coast's version of the Pegasus World Cup card gave everyone that watched it thrills, surprises and fun. And fittingly, that moment came in an old race that now owned a new name and began a new era.