El Encino Stakes

The El Encino Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to four-year-old fillies, it is raced over a distance of ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles (8.5 furlongs) on the synthetic Cushion Track surface. A Grade II event, it currently offers a purse of $150,000

El Encino Stakes

Grade II race
Location	Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California
Inaugurated	1954
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.santaanita.com
Race information
Distance	​1 ^1⁄16 miles
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Four-year-old Fillies
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$150,000

Part of Santa Anita Park's La Cañada Series of races, the El Encino Stakes is open to newly turning/turned 4-year old fillies. Run at an increasing distance, the series begins with the Grade I La Brea Stakes at 7 furlongs at the end of December followed by the El Encino Stakes at ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles (8.5 furlongs) in mid January, then the G-II La Cañada Stakes at ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles (9 furlongs) in mid February. Created in 1975, only three fillies have ever won the series: Taisez Vous (1978), Mitterand (1985), and Got Koko (2003). The Santa Anita Park counterpart series for male horses is the Strub Series.

Prior to 1976, the race was open to horses of either sex aged four and up.

The El Encino was inaugurated in 1954 as a handicap race on dirt at ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles. From 1955 through 1957 it was raced on turf at a distance of ​1 ¹⁄₄ miles after which it was suspended until 1968 when it returned as a ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles claiming stakes. There was no race in 1970 but returned the following year. In 1974 and 1975 it was modified to a distance ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles before being changed in 1976 to its current ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles and restricted to four-year-old fillies.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles)

• Zenyatta (2008) 1:40.61

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 - Chris McCarron (1983, 1986, 1991, 2000)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 - John Shirreffs (1999, 2006, 2008, 2009)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 - Golden Eagle Farm (1976, 1983, 1998)

Winners of the El Encino Stakes

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Always a Princess	4	Rafael Bejarano	Bob Baffert	Arnold Zetcher	1:41.47
2010	Pretty Unusual	4	Chantal Sutherland	Barry Abrams	Auerbach/Goda/Klugman	1:43.72
2009	Life Is Sweet	4	Garrett K. Gomez	John Shirreffs	Pam & Martin Wygod	1:41.30
2008	Zenyatta	4	David Flores	John Shirreffs	Ann & Jerry Moss	1:40.61
2007	Sugar Shake	4	David R. Flores	Robert J. Frankel	Stronach Stables	1:43.70
2006	Proposed	4	Pat Valenzuela	John Shirreffs	Pam & Martin Wygod	1:44.32
2005	Girl Warrior	4	Victor Espinoza	Neil D. Drysdale	Anthony Speelman	1:42.76
2004	Victory Encounter	4	Mike E. Smith	John W. Sadler	Tom Mankiewicz	1:42.52
2003	Got Koko	4	Alex Solis	Bruce Headley	Aase Headley/Paul Leung	1:42.25
2002	Affluent	4	Ed Delahoussaye	Ron McAnally	Janis R. Whitham	1:42.60
2001	Chilukki	4	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	Stonerside Stable	1:42.55
2000	Olympic Charmer	4	Chris McCarron	Ron McAnally	Deborah McAnally	1:42.71
1999	Manistique	4	Gary Stevens	John Shirreffs	505 Farms	1:43.10
1998	Fleet Lady	4	Garrett K. Gomez	Jerry Hollendorfer	Golden Eagle Farm	1:43.04
1997	Belle's Flag	4	Corey Nakatani	Darrell Vienna	Ernest Auerbach	1:41.61
1996	Jewel Princess	4	Alex Solis	Wallace Dollase	R. J. & M. J. Stephen	1:41.94
1995	Klassy Kim	4	Kent Desormeaux	Melvin F. Stute	Bill M. Thomas	1:42.43
1994	Supah Gem	4	Corey Nakatani	Wallace Dollase	Perez & Stephen	1:41.33
1993	Pacific Squall	4	Chris McCarron	J. Paco Gonzalez	McCaffery & Toffan	1:45.67
1992	Exchange	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	William Spawr	Sidney H. Craig	1:43.32
1991	A Wild Ride	4	Chris McCarron	D. Wayne Lukas	Calumet Farm	1:42.40
1990	Akinemod	4	Gary Stevens	Jerry M. Fanning	El Rancho de Jaklin	1:41.20
1989	Goodbye Halo	4	Pat Day	Charles Whittingham	A. Campbell, Jr./Hancock III	1:41.80
1988	By Land By Sea	4	Fernando Toro	Gary F. Jones	Jayeff "B" Stable & G. F. Jones	1:41.60
1987	Seldom Seen Sue	4	Bill Shoemaker	Gary F. Jones	Drakos/Frederick/Howard	1:43.00
1986	Lady's Secret	4	Chris McCarron	D. Wayne Lukas	M/M Eugene V. Klein	1:41.80
1985	Mitterand	4	Ed Delahoussaye	Randy Winick	Silver Star Stable & Winick	1:42.00
1984	Lovlier Linda	4	Bill Shoemaker	Willard L. Proctor	William R. Hawn	1:42.00
1983	Beautiful Glass	4	Chris McCarron	Gary F. Jones	Golden Eagle Farm	1:41.20
1982	Edge	4	Cash Asmussen	Willard L. Proctor	William Haggin Perry	1:41.20
1981	Princess Karenda	4	Ed Delahoussaye	Gene Cleveland	Farish III & Jones	1:42.00
1980	It's In The Air	4	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	1:41.20
1979	B. Thoughtful	4	Donald R. Pierce	Robert L. Wheeler	Mrs.Walter Haefner	1:41.60
1978	Taisez Vous	4	Donald R. Pierce	Robert L. Wheeler	Vernon D. & Ann Eachus	1:41.80
1977	Woodsome	4	Mark Sellers	Stephen A. DiMauro	Robert E. Sangster	1:42.20
1976	Fascinating Girl	4	Sandy Hawley	A. Thomas Doyle	Golden Eagle Farm	1:42.40
1975	Triggairo	6	Donald R. Pierce	John Coffee	Roy Rogers	1:49.40
1974	Wild World	5	Bill Shoemaker	Robert J. Frankel	Marion R. Frankel	1:49.80
1973	Class A	5	Dennis Tierney	Farrell W. Jones	Cossack Farm	1:44.60
1972	Thorn	4	Johnny Sellers	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	1:42.00
1971	Efa	5	Donald R. Pierce	Gordon C. Campbell	R. G. Shaw	1:41.80
1969	Gene's Dancer	4	Earlie Fires	J. Bert Sonnier	Verna Lea Farm	1:43.40
1968	Hill Shine	4	Alvaro Pineda	William B. Finnegan	El Peco Ranch	1:42.60
1957	Blue Volt	8	Bill Shoemaker	Edward D. Cox	Altandor Stable & Cox	2:07.40
1956	Free Stride	4	Rogelio Trejos	C. R. West	M/M Bert W. Martin	2:00.40
1955	Surgente	6	Rogelio Trejos	G. M. Small	Argentine Turf	2:04.00
1954	Dixie Lad	5	Eddie Arcaro	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	1:43.40

*In 1998, I Ain't Bluffing won the race but was disqualified and set back to third.

References

• El Encino Stakes at Pedigree Query