The La Cañada Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age four-years-old and older over a distance of one-and-one-sixteenth miles on the dirt track held annually in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event currently offers a purse of US$100,000.

History

The event was named after a 1843 Mexican land grant known as Rancho La Cañada in the San Rafael Hills and Crescenta Valley of Southern California.Ogden Hoffman, 1862, Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Numa Hubert, San Francisco The name means "ranch of the canyon". The rancho included the current day city of La Cañada Flintridge.Diseno La Cañada

The inaugural running of the event was on 1 February 1975 over a distance of one-and-one-sixteenth miles and was won by the 1974 U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Chris Evert who carried 128 pounds, winning by a nose as the 13/10 favorite over Mercy Dee with Lucky Spell in third place lengths away in a time of 1:41. The winning time recorded for the distance continues today to be the stakes record.

The following year, the distance of the event was increased to miles. The event was run at this distance until 2011.

Given the quality of competition after the first two runnings of the event in 1977 the American Graded Stakes Committee classified the event as Grade II.

In 1978 Santa Anita Park administration created the La Cañada Series, a series of races for newly turning/turned 4-year-old fillies and run at an increasing distance. The series begins with the La Brea Stakes at 7 furlongs followed by the Grade II El Encino Stakes at miles in mid January, then the upgraded Grade I La Cañada Stakes at miles in mid February. Until the series ended in 2011 when the El Encino Stakes was discontinued, only three fillies had ever won all three races: Taisez Vous (1978), Mitterand (1985), and Got Koko (2003). The Santa Anita Park counterpart series for male horses is the Strub Series.

In 1990 the event was downgraded Grade II.

For three years (2008–10) the event was held on the synthetic All-Weather course which had been installed at Santa Anita Park.

With the discontinuation of the El Encino Stakes in 2012 the La Cañada Stakes distance was decreased to miles and the race was scheduled in mid January.

In 2018 the event was run at a distance of one mile.

In 2019 the event was downgraded Grade III.

The 1986 winner Lady's Secret had an outstanding year culminating with a victory in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Distaff and winning the U.S. Champion Older Filly award and being voted as United States Horse of the Year. The 1996 winner Jewel Princess also won the Breeders' Cup Distaff and winning the U.S. Champion Older Filly award and being voted as United States Horse of the Year. While the 2000 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Spain won two legs of the La Cañada Series and finished second in the El Encino Stakes.

Records Speed record: miles: 1:41.60 – Chris Evert (1975) miles: 1:47.60 – Glorious Song (1980), Safe Play (1982)

Margins: lengths – As Time Goes By (2022)

Most wins by a jockey: 5 – Gary Stevens (1987, 1994, 1999, 2002, 2016)

Most wins by a trainer: 6 – Bob Baffert (2004, 2011, 2017, 2022, 2025, 2026)

Most wins by an owner: 2 – Eugene V. Klein (1986, 1987) 2 – The Thoroughbred Corporation (2001, 2004)

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref 2026Nafisa Kazushi KimuraBob BaffertZedan Racing Stables miles1:44.77$100,500III2025Cavalieri Juan J. HernandezBob BaffertSpeedway Stables miles1:44.15$100,500III2024Desert Dawn Flavien PratPhilip D'AmatoH & E Ranch miles1:44.05$100,000III2023Kirstenbosch Kazushi KimuraJohn W. SadlerKeith Abrahams miles1:44.19$200,500III2022As Time Goes ByFlavien PratBob BaffertMichael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith miles1:44.31$200,000III2021Sanenus (CHI)Umberto RispoliMichael W. McCarthyMatriarca miles1:45.44$201,000III2020Ruben FuentesAndrew LernerAn Equal Amount Of Blueberries & Adam Vali miles1:44.36$200,500III2019Escape ClauseTyler BazeDon SchnellDon Schnell miles1:41.89$100,351III2018MopotismMario GutierrezDoug F. O'NeillReddam Racing 1 mile1:37.29$201,035II2017Vale Dori (ARG)Mike E. SmithBob BaffertSheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum miles1:44.95$200,000II2016TarisGary L. StevensSimon CallaghanDerrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor miles1:44.38$196,250II2015ThegirlinthatsongRafael BejaranoJerry HollendorferTim & Peter Russo, Jerry Hollendorfer & Daniel J. Gatto miles1:43.84$200,500II2014SpellboundVictor EspinozaRichard E. MandellaRamona Bass, Claiborne Farm & Adele Dilschneider miles1:43.14$200,500II2013More ChocolateGarrett K. GomezJohn W. SadlerMichael Talla miles1:42.59$150,250II2012Include Me OutJoseph TalamoRonald W. EllisJay Em Ess Stable miles1:41.89$150,000II2011Always a PrincessMartin GarciaBob BaffertArnold Zetcher miles1:48.36$147,000II2010Striking DancerAlex O. SolisKenneth G. McPeekSteve Stan Stables miles1:48.48$150,000II2009Life Is SweetGarrett K. GomezJohn ShirreffsPam & Martin Wygod miles1:49.70$200,000II2008Dawn After DawnGarrett K. GomezJohn W. SadlerIke & Dawn Thrash miles1:50.37$200,000II2007BalanceVictor EspinozaDavid E. Hofmans Amerman Racing miles1:49.41$200,000II2006SeafreePat ValenzuelaRobert J. FrankelEdmund A. Gann miles1:50.04$200,000II2005TarlowPat ValenzuelaJohn ShirreffsAnn & Jerome Moss miles1:48.64$200,000II2004§ Cat FighterAlex O. SolisBob BaffertThe Thoroughbred Corporation miles1:50.41$200,000II2003Got KokoAlex O. SolisBruce HeadleyAase Headley & Paul Leung miles1:48.41$200,000II2002Summer ColonyGary L. StevensMark A. HennigEdward P. Evans miles1:49.26$200,000II2001SpainVictor EspinozaD. Wayne LukasThe Thoroughbred Corporation miles1:49.74$200,000II2000Scholars StudioCorey NakataniMartin F. JonesKing Edward Racing Stable miles1:49.14$200,000II1999Manistique Gary L. StevensJohn Shirreffs505 Farms miles1:48.81$200,000II1998Fleet LadyGarrett K. GomezJerry HollendorferGolden Eagle Farm miles1:48.59$200,000II1997Belle's FlagCorey NakataniDarrell ViennaErnest Auerbach miles1:48.28$213,200II1996Jewel PrincessAlex O. SolisWallace DollaseRichard J. & Martha J. Stephen miles1:49.42$209,900II1995Dianes HaloCorey NakataniDavid C. Cross Jr.Diane Garber miles1:49.35$213,800II1994StalcreekGary L. StevensDavid BernsteinGaylord Ailshie & Joseph Shields miles1:48.85$205,000II1993AlysbelleJack Van BergClarence Scharbauer Jr. miles1:49.85$220,850II1992ExchangeLaffit Pincay Jr.William SpawrSidney Craig miles1:49.96$218,250II1991Fit to ScoutJulio A. GarciaJack Van BergRobert M. Snell miles1:48.50$216,700II1990GorgeousEddie DelahoussayeNeil D. Drysdale Robert N. Clay miles1:50.00$212,000II1989Goodbye HaloPat Day Alex G. Campbell Jr. & Arthur B. Hancock III miles1:54.40$215,300I 1988Hollywood GlitterLaffit Pincay Jr.Gary F. JonesJoanne Batchelor miles1:49.20$161,700I1987Family StyleGary L. StevensD. Wayne LukasEugene V. Klein miles1:49.60$162,300I1986Lady's SecretChris McCarronD. Wayne LukasMr. & Mrs. Eugene V. Klein miles1:49.80$205,700I1985MitterandEddie DelahoussayeRandy WinickSilver Star Stable & Arnold Winick miles1:48.80$208,200I1984Sweet DianeRay SibilleRobert J. FrankelHarry W. Stone, Pinwheel Farm & Milton Bronson miles1:49.20$198,950I1983AvigaitionEddie DelahoussayeVivian M. PulliamC. Norman Pulliam miles1:49.80$169,400I1982Safe PlayDon BrumfieldHarvey L. VanierDr. Carl Lauer & Nancy A. Vanier miles1:47.60$168,300I1981Summer SirenMarco CastanedaLouis R. CarnoMr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Cavanagh miles1:48.60$142,500I1980Glorious Song (CAN)Chris McCarronGerald W. Belanger Jr.Frank Stronach miles1:47.60$136,600I1979B. ThoughtfulDonald PierceRobert L. WheelerMrs. Walter Haefner miles1:48.80$114,900I1978Taisez VousDonald PierceRobert L. WheelerVernon D. & Ann Eachus miles1:49.80$110,000I1977Lucie ManetBill ShoemakerJaime VillagomezJohn & Donald Valpredo miles1:48.20$113,300II1976Raise Your SkirtsBill ShoemakerBarney WillisHarris Farms, Virginia Willis & Kemper Marley miles1:48.40$83,900 1975Chris EvertJorge Velasquez Joseph A. Trovato Carl Rosen miles1:41.60$57,900

Legend:

Notes:

§ Ran as an entry

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

External links 2020 Santa Anita Media Guide

References