Puneet Varma (Editor)

Santa Maria Handicap

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Inaugurated
  
1934

Surface
  
Dirt

Website
  
www.santaanita.com

Purse
  
200,000 USD

Location
  
Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, United States

Race type
  
Thoroughbred – Flat racing

Distance
  
1 ⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)

1996 santa maria handicap


The Santa Maria Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A race for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles (8.5 furlongs).

Contents

Since the inaugural running in 1934, the Santa Maria Handicap has been contested at various distances:

  • 6 furlongs: 1934–1936, 1938–1940
  • 3 furlongs: 1941
  • 8 furlongs (1 mile): 1946, 1947, 1952–1953
  • 7 furlongs: 1954–1956
  • 8.5 furlongs ( 1 1⁄16 miles): 1957–present

    • The Santa Maria was run as a stakes from 1938 through 1947 and was raced in two divisions in 1983 and 1984.

    There was no race in 1937, nor from 1948 through 1951.

    The Santa Maria has been downgraded from a Grade I to a Grade II stakes race.

    Santa maria handicap gr1 300 140209 santa teresita


    Records

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

  • 1:40.95 – Exotic Wood (1998) (on natural dirt)

    • Most wins:

  • 2 – Gay Style (1975, 1976)
  • 2 – Star Parade (2004, 2006)

    • Most wins by a jockey:

  • 6 – Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1973, 1974, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985)

    • Most wins by a trainer:

  • 5 – Charlie Whittingham (1958, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978)
  • 5 – Ron McAnally (1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2001)

    • Most wins by an owner:

  • 3 – Gary A. Tanaka (2001, 2004, 2006)

    • References

    Santa Maria Handicap Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA