Summer has already been left in the dust; horse players, like the rest of the country, are dreaming of California. That’s where the best autumn and winter racing can be found, specifically at Santa Anita Park.

We’ll get a taste of Santa Anita on Sept. 29 when the Goodwood Handicap makes the leap from Grade II to Grade I status as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge. With the Lady’s Secret Handicap getting the same upgrade on Oct. 7, there are now 15 Grade I stakes races on the Santa Anita schedule.

The Goodwood will get extra attention this year, not just because the winner will qualify for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but also because the main one-mile dirt track at Magna-owned Santa Anita has just been replaced with a “Cushion Track.” The Goodwood will be the first Grade I race on the new $10-million course, fulfilling the state racing board’s mandated conversion to synthetic surfaces.