San Simeon Stakes

The San Simeon Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of about six and one-half furlongs on the turf scheduled annually in March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

San Simeon Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, United States
Inaugurated	2004 as Daytona Handicap
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.santaanita.com
Race information
Distance	6 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds & older
Weight	124 lbs with allowances
Purse	$100,000

History

The event was inaugurated in 2004 as the Daytona Handicap.^[1]

Due to course conditions, several runnings of the Daytona Handicap were taken off the turf and run on the dirt track.

The event was upgraded to a Grade III event for 2009.^[2]

In 2011 the race was renamed to the Daytona Stakes.^[1]

The event was originally scheduled in February but the Los Angeles Turf Club in late 2012 moved the race to the start of the winter racing meet at Santa Anita whereby the race was run twice in the calendar year.^[1]

In 2016 the Los Angeles Turf Club renamed the race to the current name.^[3] The original San Simeon Stakes was renamed to the Daytona Stakes.^[4]

2020 saw the race shortened to 5+1⁄2 furlongs on turf, using the backstretch start, but since 2021, the distance was extended to the current six furlongs.

Records

Speed record:

• 6+1⁄2 furlongs: 1:11.21 – Law Abidin Citizen (2019)
• 5+1⁄2 furlongs: 1:02.68 – Cistron (2020)

Margins:

• 2+1⁄2 lengths – Desert Code (2009)

Most wins:

• 2 – Bettys Bambino (2014, 2016)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable & Ciaglia Racing (2014, 2016)
• 2 – Gary Barber (2012, 2018)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 – Garrett Gomez (2005, 2011)
• 2 – Tiago Josue Pereira (2015, 2019)
• 2 – Juan J. Hernandez (2021, 2024)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – Philip D'Amato (2015, 2021, 2023)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
San Simeon Stakes
2024	Mucho Del Oro	6	Juan J. Hernandez	Doug F. O'Neill	Purple Rein Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.76	$101,500	III	[5]
2023	Motorious (GB)	4	Flavien Prat	Philip D'Amato	Anthony Fanticola	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.34	$101,000	III	[6]
2022	Barraza	4	Daisuke Fukumoto	Vladimir Cerin	Holly & David Wilson	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.66	$101,500	III	[7]
2021	Gregorian Chant (GB)	6	Juan Hernandez	Philip D'Amato	Old Bones Racing Stable, Slam Dunk Racing & Michael Nentwig	6 furlongs	1:08.79	$100,500	III	[8]
2020	Cistron	6	Victor Espinoza	John W. Sadler	Hronis Racing	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.68	$101,000	III	[9]
2019	Law Abidin Citizen	5	Tiago Josue Pereira	Mark Glatt	Dan J. Agnew, Gerry Schneider & John V. Xitco	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.21	$100,702	III	[10]
2018	ƒ Belvoir Bay (GB)	6	Tyler Baze	Peter L. Miller	Team Valor International & Gary Barber	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.37	$100,345	III	[11]
2017	Race not held
2016	Bettys Bambino	6	Joel Rosario	Peter Eurton	Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable & Ciaglia Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.95	$102,415	III	[12]
Daytona Stakes
2015	Toowindytohaulrox	4	Tiago Josue Pereira	Philip D'Amato	Queen Bee Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.26	$101,750	III	[13]
2014	Bettys Bambino	4	Martin Garcia	Peter Eurton	Sharon Alesia, Bran Jam Stable & Ciaglia Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.49	$101,000	III	[14]
2013	Unbridled's Note	4	Corey Nakatani	Steven M. Asmussen	Mike McCarty	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.89	$100,500	III	[15]
2012	Comma to the Top	4	Edwin A. Maldonado	Peter L. Miller	Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum & Kevin Tsujihara	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.55	$100,000	III	December[16]
2012	Caracortado	5	Rafael Bejarano	Michael Machowsky	AJL Productions, Blahut Racing & Lo Hi Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.59	$98,000	III	January[17]
2011	Dilemma	7	Garrett K. Gomez	Thomas F. Proctor	Glen Hill Farm	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.28	$100,000	III	[18]
2010	Race not held
Daytona Handicap
2009	Desert Code	5	Aaron Gryder	David E. Hofmans	Tarabilla Farms	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.58	$100,000	III	[19]
2008	Cheroot	7	Martin A. Pedroza	Darrell Vienna	Charlotte M. Wrather	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.82	$98,650	Listed	[20]
2007	Night Chapter (GB)	6	Brice Blanc	Robert J. Frankel	Robert J. Frankel & Diamond Pride	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.57	$80,000	Listed	[21]
2006	Siren Lure	5	Alex O. Solis	Art Sherman	Stuart Kesselman, Tony & Marilyn Melkonian	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:16.20	$85,140	Listed	Off turf[22]
2005	Royal Place	5	Garrett K. Gomez	Rafael Becerra	K. K. Sangara	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.03	$78,600	Listed	Off turf[23]
2004	Tsigane (FR)	5	David R. Flores	Julio C. Canani	Prestonwood Farm	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.49	$71,000		[24]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt
Notes:
ƒ Filly or Mare

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races