The Buena Vista Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old or older over the distance of one mile on the turf scheduled annually in February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

History The inaugural running of the event was on 5 March 1988 as the Buena Vista Handicap with the Julio Canani trained Davie's Lamb ridden by Fernando Toro winning comfortably by lengths in a time of 1:39 flat.

In 1990 the event was classified as a Grade III.

The Buena Vista Handicap was run in two divisions in 1992.

The event was upgraded to Grade II status in 1995.

The event run as a handicap through 2012 but since has been run under allowance weight conditions and renamed to the Buena Vista Stakes.

It was taken off the turf and run on the dirt course in 2017 due to poor conditions on the turf course. When a graded stakes is taken off the turf, the race is automatically downgraded one level for that running only. After the race, the American Graded Stakes Committee meets to review the race's running and determine if its former status should be reinstated. In the case of the 2017 Buena Vista Stakes, it was decided that the race's status would not be reinstated and as such it was recorded as a Grade III event.

Records Speed record: 1:33.33 - Pontchatrain (2014)

Margins: lengths – Wild At Heart (2017)

Most wins: No horse has won this race more than once.

Most wins by an owner: 4 - Juddmonte Farms (1994, 1997, 2008, 2009)

Most wins by a jockey: 5 - Gary Stevens (1996, 2004, 2014, 2015, 2016)

Most wins by a trainer: 5 - Robert J. Frankel (1994, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2009)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefBuena Vista Stakes2026Thought Process4Hector BerriosPhilip D'AmatoEstate of Brereton C. Jones, Little Red Feather Racing & Madaket Stables 1 mile1:34.20$200,500II2025Liguria 5Flavien PratMichael W. McCarthyAlpha Delta Stables1 mile1:34.31$200,500II2024Ruby Nell 4Edwin MaldonadoRichard E. MandellaSpendthrift Farm1 mile1:35.01$202,000II2023Quattroelle (IRE)5Hector BerriosJeff MullinsRed Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal1 mile1:35.74$201,000II2022Leggs Galore5Ricardo GonzalezPhilip D'AmatoWilliam J. Sims1 mile1:34.29$200,000II2021Charmaine's Mia 4Flavien PratPhilip D'AmatoAgave Racing Stable & Rockin Robin Racing Stables1 mile1:33.93$202,000II2020Keeper Stars4Abel CedilloJonathan WongTommy Town Thoroughbreds1 mile1:34.15$202,000II2019Vasilika5Flavien PratJerry HollendorferAll Schlaich Stables, Jerry Hollendorfer, Gatto Racing & G. Todaro 1 mile1:33.35$201,404II2018Fault4Geovanni FrancoPhilip D'AmatoAgave Racing Stable & Little Red Feather Racing1 mile1:33.49$201,380II2017Wild At Heart5Flavien PratRichard E. MandellaRamona S. Bass 1 mile1:36.48$200,000III2016Paulina's Love4Gary L. StevensRichard BaltasKM Racing Enterprise & Head of Plains Partners1 mile1:36.06$202,070II2015Diversy Harbor4Gary L. StevensThomas F. ProctorGlen Hill Farm1 mile1:34.33$200,250II2014Pontchatrain4Gary L. StevensThomas F. ProctorGlen Hill Farm1 mile1:33.33$200,000II2013Mizdirection5Mike E. SmithMike PuypeJungle Racing, W. Strauss, J. Grohs, B. Beljak, KMN Racing et al.1 mile1:33.50$150,000IIBuena Vista Handicap 2012City to City5Corey NakataniJerry HollendorferWilliam DeBurgh, Mark Dedomenico & Jerry Hollendorfer1 mile1:34.19$150,000II2011Cozi Rosie4Mike E. SmithJohn W. SadlerJerry & Ann Moss1 mile1:35.94$150,000II20105Rafael BejaranoJerry HollendorferWilliam de Burgh1 mile1:33.47$150,000II2009Jibboom5Garrett K. GomezRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms1 mile1:38.68$150,000II2008Costume (GB)4Garrett K. GomezRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms1 mile1:34.57$150,000II2007Conveyor's Angel5Saul AriasChristopher S. PaaschCharles Cono1 mile1:35.77$150,000II2006Silver Cup (IRE)4Victor EspinozaPatrick L. BianconeMartin S. Schwartz1 mile1:34.92$150,000II2005Uraib (IRE)5Jon CourtSanford ShulmanRonald L. Charles & Clear Valley Stables1 mile1:33.72$150,000III2004Fun House5Gary L. StevensRon McAnallyWinchell Thoroughbreds1 mile1:36.13$150,000II20035Victor EspinozaRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann1 mile1:35.99$150,000II2002Blue Moon (FR)5Brice BlancRonald W. EllisB. Wayne Hughes1 mile1:35.54$150,000II2001Rare Charmer6Laffit Pincay Jr.Craig DollaseNick Cafarchia1 mile1:36.67$150,000II2000Lexa (FR)6Brice BlancRonald W. EllisB. Wayne Hughes1 mile1:36.17$162,150II1999Tuzla (FR)5Corey NakataniJulio C. CananiDavid S. Milch1 mile1:35.79$150,000II1998Dance Parade4Kent J. DesormeauxNeil D. DrysdalePrince Fahd bin Salman1 mile1:36.83$169,200II1997Media Nox (GB)4Corey NakataniRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms1 mile1:33.48$135,250II1996Matiara4Gary L. StevensRichard E. MandellaAlec Head1 mile1:35.74$131,800II1995Lyin to the Moon6Kent J. DesormeauxRichard E. MandellaEdward Allred & Randall D. Hubbard1 mile1:36.77$106,700II1994† Skimble5Corey NakataniRobert J. FrankelJuddmonte Farms1 mile1:34.85$111,300III1993Marble Maiden (GB)4Gary F. JonesDarley Racing1 mile1:36.23$110,000III1992Gold Fleece4Alex O. SolisJohn W. SadlerJoe Alvarez & Lise Ham1 mile1:33.48$85,850IIIAppealing Missy5Chris McCarronRon McAnallyMr. & Mrs. Jerome Brody1:34.25$85,8501991Taffeta and Tulle5Chris McCarronMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum1 mile1:34.30$112,200III1990Saros Brig6Pat ValenzuelaDominick ManziGreen Thumb Farm1 mile1:34.20$113,300III1989 Annoconnor5Corey BlackRichard C. MetteeMorton Fink & Roy Gottlieb1 mile1:36.40$110,800 1988Davie's Lamb4Fernando ToroJulio C. CananiDeals On Stable1 mile1:39.00$105,800

Legend:

Notes:

† In 1994, Lady Blessington (FR) won the race but was disqualified later after a positive swab of scopalamine and placed ninth (last). All prize money was redistributed with first place awarded to Skimble

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

References