The Las Virgenes Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over the distance of one mile on the dirt scheduled annually in late January or early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.

The event is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

History

The event was named after the Rancho Las Virgenes land grant in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills. The event was inaugurated on 26 February 1983 with Saucy Bobbie victorious, who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Lazaro S. Barrera in a time of 1:36.

The event was scheduled in Southern California as a natural progression for three-year-old fillies with the Santa Ynez Stakes over 7 furlongs in January, Las Virgenes Stakes over one mile in February and the Santa Susana Stakes, later renamed as the Santa Anita Oaks over miles in March.

Althea, winner of the second running in 1984 later that spring became the first filly to win the Arkansas Derby.

The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1985. The winner that year was Fran's Valentine who was first over the line in her first race, the inaugural 1984 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Hollywood Park but was disqualified and place tenth. With the obvious quality of the runners in 1987 the event was upgraded to Grade II and the following year in 1988 the event reached Grade I status.

These include Goodbye Halo and Lite Light who went on to win the Kentucky Oaks and Coaching Club American Oaks. Serena's Song went on to defeat colts in the Jim Beam Stakes and Haskell Invitational Handicap en route to becoming US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for 1995. The 2000 winner Surfside defeated older horses in the Grade II Clark Handicap also capturing US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly honors. The 2007 winner Rags to Riches became a US Classic winner when she won the Belmont Stakes and going on to capture US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly honors. The US Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Champion Beholder won this race and went on to win the 2013 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was named US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly that year.

In 2016 the event was downgraded to Grade II and again in 2021 to Grade III. In 2026 the event would again be downgraded to Listed.

Records Speed record: 1:34.86 – Zazu (2011)

Margins: 13 lengths – Adare Manor (2022)

Most wins by a jockey: 4 – Corey Nakatani (1991, 1995, 1997, 2005) 4 – Gary Stevens (1987, 1992, 1993, 2014)

Most wins by a trainer: 9 – Bob Baffert (1999, 2003, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

Most wins by an owner: 3 – Robert & Beverly Lewis (1995, 2003, 2004) 3 – Spendthrift Farm (2013, 2015, 2021) 3 – Michael Lund Peterson (2022, 2023, 2024)

Las Virgenes Stakes – Santa Anita Oaks double: Althea †(1984), Fran's Valentine †(1985), Timely Assertion (1987), Lite Light (1991), Lakeway (1994), Serena's Song (1995), Antespend (1996), Sharp Cat (1997), Excellent Meeting (1999), Surfside (2000), Golden Ballet (2001), You (2002), Composure (2003), Balance (2006), Rags to Riches (2007), Stardom Bound (2009), Beholder (2013), Fashion Plate (2014), Songbird (2016), Bellafina (2019)

Notes:

† Santa Anita Oaks was known as the Santa Susana Stakes.

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref2026Meaning Flavien PratMichael W. McCarthyBridlewood Farm & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners1 mile1:38.39$98,000Listed2025TenmaJuan J. HernandezBob BaffertBaoma Corp1 mile1:38.31$92,000III2024Kinza Juan J. HernandezBob BaffertMichael Lund Peterson1 mile1:37.03$100,000 III2023Faiza Ramon VazquezBob BaffertMichael Lund Peterson1 mile1:38.46$200,000III2022Adare ManorJohn VelazquezBob BaffertMichael Lund Peterson1 mile1:37:11$200,000III2021Moonlight d'OroFlavien PratRichard E. MandellaMyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm1 mile1:38:01$200,000III2020Flavien PratRichard BaltasCiaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm & Domenic Savides1 mile1:37.51$200,000II2019BellafinaFlavien PratSimon CallaghanKaleem Shah1 mile1:35.99$200,000II2018Dream TreeDrayden Van DykeBob BaffertPhoenix Thoroughbred 1 mile1:39.45$200,345II2017Unique BellaMike E. SmithJerry HollendorferDon Alberto Stable1 mile1:35.66$196,000II2016SongbirdMike E. SmithJerry HollendorferFox Hill Farms1 mile1:36.84$300,345II2015CallbackMartin GarciaBob BaffertSpendthrift Farm1 mile1:36.92$301,000I2014Fashion PlateGary L. StevensSimon CallaghanArnold Zetcher & Michael Tabor1 mile1:37.22$300,000I2013BeholderGarrett K. GomezRichard E. MandellaSpendthrift Farm1 mile1:36.14$250,750I2012Eden's MoonMartin GarciaBob BaffertKaleem Shah1 mile1:35.27$250,000I2011ZazuJoel RosarioJohn W. SadlerAnn & Jerry Moss1 mile1:34.86$250,000I2010Blind LuckRafael BejaranoJerry HollendorferMark DeDomenico, John Carver & Jerry Hollendorfer1 mile1:35.98$250,000I2009Stardom BoundMike E. SmithRobert J. FrankelIEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr., Michael Dubb & Golden Goose Ent.1 mile 1:36.43$300,000I2008Golden Doc ARafael BejaranoBarry AbramsRon McCauley1 mile1:35.86$250,000I2007Rags to RichesGarrett K. GomezMichael W. McCarthyDerrick Smith & Michael Tabor1 mile1:37.85$250,000I2006BalanceVictor EspinozaDavid E. HofmansAmerman Racing1 mile1:36.54$250,000I2005Sharp LisaCorey NakataniDoug F. O'NeillJ. Paul Reddam, Suarez Racing & Mark Schlesinger 1 mile1:35.64$250,000I2004A. P. AdventureAlex O. SolisWallace DollaseRobert & Beverly Lewis1 mile1:36.50$250,000I2003ComposureJerry D. BaileyBob BaffertRobert & Beverly Lewis1 mile1:36.13$200,000I2002YouJerry D. BaileyRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann1 mile1:38.84$200,000I2001Golden BalletChris McCarronJenine SahadiTeam Valor & Heiligbrodt Racing Stable1 mile1:36.89$200,000I2000SurfsidePat DayD. Wayne LukasOverbrook Farm1 mile1:37.00$196,000 I1999Kent J. DesormeauxBob BaffertGolden Eagle Farm1 mile1:35.35$200,000I1998Keeper HillDavid R. FloresRobert J. FrankelDr. John A. Chandler1 mile1:36.94$200,000I1997Sharp CatCorey NakataniD. Wayne LukasThe Thoroughbred Corp.1 mile1:35.52$158,800I1996AntespendChris AntleyRon McAnallyJack Kent Cooke1 mile1:36.45$156,900I1995Serena's SongCorey NakataniD. Wayne LukasRobert & Beverly Lewis1 mile1:35.46$160,200I1994LakewayGary F. JonesMike Rutherford1 mile1:35.14$161,100I1993Likeable StyleGary L. StevensRichard E. MandellaGolden Eagle Farm1 mile1:36.67$158,500I1992Magical MaidenGary L. StevensWarren StuteClement L. Hirsch1 mile1:36.23$164,300I1991Lite LightCorey NakataniHenry MorenoJack L. Finley1 mile1:35.60$161,300I1990Cheval VolantAlex O. SolisKenneth J. JumpsKenneth J. Jumps, Steve Shapiro, David Stark & Bill Stratton1 mile1:38.00$134,400I1989Kool ArrivalLaffit Pincay Jr.Melvin F. Stute John Coelho, Phillip Fields & Peter Valenti1 mile1:36.20$133,450I1988Goodbye HaloJorge VelasquezArthur B. Hancock III1 mile1:36.80$126,500I1987Timely AssertionGary L. StevensHenry MorenoGeorge Aubin1 mile1:36.80$126,600II1986Life At The TopRafael Q. MezaD. Wayne Lukas Lloyd R. French Jr. & Eugene V. Klein1 mile1:36.20$131,050III1985Fran's ValentinePat ValenzuelaJoseph ManziGreen Thumb Farm Stable1 mile1:36.40$133,650III1984AltheaLaffit Pincay Jr.D. Wayne LukasDavid Aykroyd, Helen Alexander & Helen Groves1 mile1:37.00$86,600 Listed1983Saucy BobbieLaffit Pincay Jr.Laz BarreraLeslie Combs II & Francis Kernan1 mile1:36.20$83,850

Legend:

See also Road to the Kentucky Oaks List of American and Canadian Graded races

References