The Santa Barbara Stakes is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually in mid April at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of t ...

. A Listed event open to fillies and

mares A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...

, age four and older, it is contested of

turf Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

over a distance of one and a half miles. Inaugurated in 1935, through 1941 it was a race for two-year-olds. In 1952 and again in 1954 it was restricted to three-year-old

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

-foaled fillies and in 1953 for three-year-old California foals of either sex. From 1955 through 1965, it was open to horses age three-year-olds and up and then since 1966 for fillies and mares age four and older. The race was known as the Santa Barbara Juvenile Championship in 1937 and then as the Santa Barbara Stakes in 1935 and 1936, 1938, 1941, 1946 and 1952 through 1954. Since inception it has been contested at a variety of distances: * 3 furlongs : 1935–1938, 1941 * 7 furlongs : 1946, 1952 * 6 furlongs : 1953, 1954 * about 6.5 furlongs on turf : 1958 * 8.5 furlongs ( miles) : 1955–1957 * 9 furlongs ( miles) : 2007 * 10 furlongs on turf: 1962–2006, 2008–2015 * 12 furlongs on turf: 2017–present In 1958, the race was run at "about" distance. In 1973, 1977 and 1982, it was run on dirt. It was run in two divisions on three occasions: 1941, 1967, and 1968. There was no race run in 1939, 1940, 1942 through 1945, 1947 through 1951, 1959 through 1961 and 2016. This race was downgraded to a Grade III for its 2014 running and to a Listed event in 2023.

Records

Speed record: * 2:27.65 – Queen Blossom (at current distance of miles on turf) * 1:57.40 –

Bequest A devise is the act of giving real property by will, traditionally referring to real property. A bequest is the act of giving property by will, usually referring to personal property. Today, the two words are often used interchangeably due to thei ...

(1991) (at distance of miles on turf) Most wins: * 3 –

Megahertz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base ...

(2003, 2004, 2005) Most wins by an owner: * 3 – Alfred G. Vanderbilt II (1936, 1937, 1938) * 3 – Michael Bello (2003, 2004, 2005) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 8 – Laffit Pincay Jr. (1968, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1993) Most wins by a trainer: * 7 – Charles Whittingham (1956, 1964, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1985, 1987) * 6 – Robert J. Frankel (1994, 1995, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)

Winners

References

{{Reflist

External links

The 2008 Santa Barbara Handicap at the NTRA
Horse races in California Santa Anita Park Flat horse races for four-year-old fillies Middle distance horse races for fillies and mares Turf races in the United States Horse races established in 1935 1935 establishments in California Previously graded stakes races in the United States