| Class | Grade III |
|---|---|
| Location | Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, United States |
| Inaugurated | 2012 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | Santa Anita |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Two-years-old |
| Weight | 122 lbs. with allowances |
| Purse | $100,000 (since 2024) |
The Zuma Beach Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the turf track scheduled annually in October at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.
The event is named after a popular beach, Zuma Beach, located in Los Angeles County, California.
The inaugural running of the event was inaugurated on October 8, 2012, and was won by the California-bred Gervinho who was trained by Carla Gaines and ridden by the Rafael Bejarano by half-a-length in a time of 1:34.59. [1] Gervinho had a short but impressive career performing well in the Californian turf Derbys and winning the Grade II Sir Beaufort Stakes to be voted Californian Three-Year-Old of the Year in 2013. [2]
The event is a preparatory race for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Although no horse has won both events, 2014 winner of the Zuma Beach Stakes, Luck of the Kitten finished second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf to Hootenanny which was held also at Santa Anita Park.
The 2019 winner Hit The Road as a four-year-old went on to win a Grade 1 event (Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes) [3]
In 2022 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III. [4]
Speed record:
Margins:
Most wins by an owner:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | †Iron Man Cal | Antonio Fresu | Philip D'Amato | Little Red Feather Racing & Madaket Stables | 1 mile | 1:34.45 | $101,500 | III | [5] |
| 2023 | Endlessly | Juan J. Hernandez | Michael McCarthy | Amerman Racing | 1 mile | 1:34.52 | $201,500 | III | [6] |
| 2022 | Packs a Wahlop | Mike E. Smith | Jeff Mullins | Red Baron's Barn & Rancho Temescal | 1 mile | 1:34.07 | $203,000 | III | [7] |
| 2021 | Mackinnon | Juan J. Hernandez | Doug F. O'Neill | ERJ Racing, Madaket Stables & Dave Kenney | 1 mile | 1:33.80 | $202,500 | Listed | [8] |
| 2020 | Ebeko (IRE) | Ricardo Gonzalez | Peter L. Miller | Altamira Racing Stable, CYBT, Marc Lantzman & Michael Nentwig | 1 mile | 1:36.55 | $101,000 | Listed | [9] |
| 2019 | Hit the Road | Victor Espinoza | Dan Blacker | D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables & Rick Gold | 1 mile | 1:34.33 | $100,702 | Listed | [10] |
| 2018 | King of Speed | Gary L. Stevens | Jeff Bonde | Del Secco DCS Racing | 1 mile | 1:34.35 | $101,035 | Listed | [11] |
| 2017 | My Boy Jack | Kent J. Desormeaux | J. Keith Desormeaux | Don't Tell My Wife Stables & Monomoy Stables | 1 mile | 1:33.84 | $101,725 | Listed | [12] |
| 2016 | Big Score | Flavien Prat | Tim Yakteen | George Krikorian | 1 mile | 1:33.56 | $102,415 | Listed | [13] |
| 2015 | Dressed in Hermes | Gary L. Stevens | Janet Armstrong | Budget Stable | 1 mile | 1:35.76 | $101,250 | Listed | [14] |
| 2014 | Luck of the Kitten | Corey Nakatani | Wesley A. Ward | Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey | 1 mile | 1:34.84 | $101,250 | Listed | [15] |
| 2013 | Aotearoa | Corey Nakatani | Leonard Powell | Paul A. Viskovich | 1 mile | 1:34.42 | $100,250 | [16] | |
| 2012 | Gervinho | Rafael Bejarano | Carla Gaines | Keith Brackpool | 1 mile | 1:34.59 | $100,000 | Listed | [1] |
Legend:
Turf
Notes:
† In the 2024 Artislas was first past the post but was disqualified and placed third due to interference in the stretch run. Iron Man Cal was declared the winner and Sabertooth was promoted to second.