# Honeybee Stakes

The Honeybee Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in late February or early March at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event currently offers a purse of $500,000.

## History

The inaugural running of the event was on 1 April 1988 and was won by the US Hall of Fame trained D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey José A. Santos, Lost Kitty who defeated the 1987 US Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Epitome by 4+1⁄2 lengths in a time of 1:434⁄5. D. Wayne Lukas continued his streak in this event training the first four winners.
The event was upgraded to Grade III status in 1990. In 2003, it was downgraded to listed status and held this status until 2008 when it was reclassified as Grade III
The 2008 winner Eight Belles won the event as a short 3/5 odds-on favorite. Later that spring Eight Belles would be tragically euthanized after finishing second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby.
The 2020 winner Shedaresthedevil continued her good form to win the Kentucky Oaks.
The event is part of Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:42.61 - It Tiz Well (2017)
Margins:
* 10 lengths – Imaginary Lady (1989)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 - Donald Pettinger (2002, 2003, 2004)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 7 - D. Wayne Lukas (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007, 2022, 2024)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 - Fox Hill Farms, Inc. (2005, 2008, 2011)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| 2025 | Quietside | José Ortiz | John Ortiz | Shortleaf Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.63 | $500,000 | III |
| 2024 | Lemon Muffin | Keith Asmussen | D. Wayne Lukas | Aaron Sones | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.60 | $400,000 | III |
| 2023 | Wet Paint | Flavien Prat | Brad H. Cox | Godolphin | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.35 | $300,000 | III |
| 2022 | Secret Oath | Luis Contreras | D. Wayne Lukas | Briland Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.74 | $300,000 | III |
| 2021 | Will's Secret | Jon Court | Dallas Stewart | Willis Horton Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.61 | $300,000 | III |
| 2020 | Shedaresthedevil | Joseph Talamo | Brad H. Cox | Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited & Big Aut Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.38 | $300,000 | III |
| 2019 | Chocolate Kisses | Orlando Mojica | Mark E. Casse | Debby M. Oxley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.78 | $200,000 | III |
| 2018 | Cosmic Burst | Richard E. Eramia | Donnie K. Von Hemel | Norma Lee Stockseth & Todd Dunn | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.19 | $200,000 | III |
| 2017 | It Tiz Well | Corey Nakatani | Jerry Hollendorfer | Tommy Towns Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.61 | $200,000 | III |
| 2016 | Terra Promessa | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steven M. Asmussen | Stonestreet Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:47.14 | $200,000 | III |
| 2015 | Sarah Sis | Julio E. Felix | Ingrid Mason | Joe Ragsdale | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.94 | $150,000 | III |
| 2014 | † Euphrosyne | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steven M. Asmussen | Gillian S. Campbell, Ralph & Shelly Stayer, Dan Clark & Greg Skoda | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.68 | $150,000 | III |
| 2013 | Rose to Gold | Calvin H. Borel | Sal Santoro | Kathleen Amaya & Raffaele Centofanti | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.06 | $150,000 | III |
| 2012 | On Fire Baby | Joe M. Johnson | Gary G. Hartlage | Anita Cauley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.64 | $125,000 | III |
| 2011 | Joyful Victory | Mike E. Smith | J. Larry Jones | Fox Hill Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.83 | $125,000 | III |
| 2010 | No Such Word | Terry J. Thompson | Cindy Jones | Brereton C. Jones | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.74 | $125,000 | III |
| 2009 | Just Jenda | Gabriel Saez | J. Larry Jones | Cindy Jones | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.95 | $100,000 | III |
| 2008 | Eight Belles | Ramon A. Dominguez | J. Larry Jones | Fox Hill Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.91 | $100,000 | III |
| 2007 | Time's Mistress | John Jacinto | D. Wayne Lukas | Charles L. Kidder | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.49 | $100,000 | Listed |
| 2006 | Ermine | Calvin H. Borel | Ronny W. Werner | Oxbow Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.48 | $75,000 | Listed |
| 2005 | Round Pond | Stewart Elliott | John C. Servis | Fox Hill Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.16 | $75,000 | Listed |
| 2004 | Yoursmineours | Donald R. Pettinger | Donnie K. Von Hemel | Stan Burnstein & Jim E. Nelson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.14 | $75,000 | Listed |
| 2003 | My Trusty Cat | Donald R. Pettinger | David R. Vance | Carl F. Pollard | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.00 | $75,000 | Listed |
| 2002 | Bedanken | Donald R. Pettinger | Donnie K. Von Hemel | Pin Oak Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.41 | $75,000 | III |
| 2001 | Xtreme Bid | David C. Nuesch | W. Bret Thomas | Glen Hendon | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.07 | $75,000 | III |
| 2000 | Fiesty Countess | Timothy T. Doocy | Steven M. Asmussen | Heiligbrodt Racing Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.60 | $75,000 | III |
| 1999 | Dreams Gallore | Glen Murphy | Steven M. Asmussen | Keith I. Asmussen | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.49 | $75,000 | III |
| 1998 | Roza Robata | Fabio A. Arguello Jr. | Henry B. Johnson Jr. | Fletcher B. Clement & S. H. Mayes, Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.95 | $75,000 | III |
| 1997 | Valid Bonnet | Timothy T. Doocy | Steven M. Asmussen | Ackerly Brothers Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.60 | $75,000 | III |
| 1996 | Jetto | Larry Melancon | David R. Vance | Carl F. Pollard | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.20 | $75,000 | III |
| 1995 | Humble Eight | David Guillory | James E. Danaher | Danaher Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.20 | $75,000 | III |
| 1994 | Shadow Miss | Willie Martinez | Peter M. Vestal | John R. & Martha J. Mulholland | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.60 | $75,000 | III |
| 1993 | Aztec Hill | Aaron Gryder | Thomas K. Bohannan | Loblolly Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.40 | $75,000 | III |
| 1992 | Totemic | David Roy Miller | Thomas K. Bohannan | Loblolly Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.20 | $75,000 | III |
| 1991 | Be Cool | David Guillory | D. Wayne Lukas | Sugar Maple Farms & D. Wayne Lukas | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.80 | $75,000 | III |
| 1990 | Train Robbery | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.60 | $75,000 | III |
| 1989 | Imaginary Lady | Jerry D. Bailey | D. Wayne Lukas | Lloyd French & D. Wayne Lukas | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.00 | $75,000 | |
| 1988 | Lost Kitty | Jose A. Santos | D. Wayne Lukas | Eugene V. Klein | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.80 | $75,000 | |
Notes:
† Sugar Shock, was first past the post but was disqualified from her neck victory for lugging out and impeding runner-up Euphrosyne a furlong from the wire and placed second.