The Santa Margarita 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 early 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 races ...

in Arcadia, California for

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

and mares age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one and one-eighths miles. A

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

event for most of its history, in 2019 it was downgraded to Grade II. Inaugurated in 1935, the race was open to all horses age three and older until 1938 when it was restricted to fillies and mares. Since inception, the Santa Margarita Handicap has been raced at various distances: * 7 furlongs : 1935–1936 * 6 furlongs : 1937 * 8.5 furlongs ( miles) 1938–1941, 1945–1948, 1953–1954. * 9 furlongs ( miles) : 1949–1952, 1955 present There was no race from 1942 through 1944 as a result of World War II. The Santa Margarita Handicap was run in two divisions in 1964. The first time it was run as an invitational event was in 1968.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of miles) * 1:47.00 –

Lady's Secret Lady's Secret (April 8, 1982 – March 4, 2003) was an American Eclipse Award winning Thoroughbred horse racing, racemare that was listed in the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. Lady's Secret was bred by Robert H. Spreen at Lucas ...

(1986) Most wins: * 2 – Our Betters (1956, 1957) * 2 – Curious Clover (1964, 1965) * 2 – Tizna – (1974, 1975) * 2 –

Bayakoa Bayakoa (October 10, 1984 – June 14, 1997) was a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse bred in Argentina. After racing successfully in that country, Bayakoa was sold to Janis and Frank Whitham and subsequently raced in the United States, mainly in C ...

(1989, 1990) * 2 –

Paseana Paseana (August 23, 1987 – June 21, 2006) was an Argentine-bred Thoroughbred racemare who competed very successfully in Argentina and in the United States, where she won 10 Grade 1 races. She received two Eclipse Awards and was also elected t ...

(1992, 1994) Most wins by a jockey: * 6 –

Bill Shoemaker William Lee Shoemaker (August 19, 1931 – October 12, 2003) was an American jockey. For 29 years he held the world record for total professional jockey victories. Early life Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Sho ...

(1951, 1952, 1954, 1966, 1972, 1979) * 6 – Laffit Pincay Jr. (1967, 1971, 1973, 1981, 1982, 1989) * 6 –

Chris McCarron Christopher John McCarron (born March 27, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He mounted his first horse ever at 16.5 years old and was racing professionally by 18. At only 19 years o ...

(1980, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996) Most wins by a trainer: * 6 –

Ron McAnally Ronald L. McAnally (born July 11, 1932, in Covington, Kentucky) is an American Hall of Fame trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing. Called "one of the most honored and respected of North American trainers" by Thoroughbred Times Co., Inc, as a chi ...

(1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1998) Most wins by an owner: * 3 – C. V. Whitney (1947, 1959, 1960) * 3 –

Ethel D. Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs (March 18, 1910 - November 9, 2001) was a prominent American Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder who was a three-time leading owner in North America. Married to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Hirsch Jacobs, Ethel Jacobs us ...

(1961, 1966, 1984) * 3 –

William Haggin Perry William Haggin Perry (December 5, 1910 - November 12, 1993) was an American owner and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses. Early life Perry was the son of Henry Pierrepont Perry, a Wall Street stockbroker, and Edith Lounsbery, who was the daughte ...

(1964, 1968, 1969)

Winners of the Santa Margarita Stakes since 1935

References

{{Commons category, Santa Anita Park
The 2008 Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap at the NTRA
Horse races in California Santa Anita Park Flat horse races for four-year-old fillies Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1935