# El Encino Stakes

The El Encino Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run between 1954 and 2011 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to four-year-old fillies, it was raced over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs) on the synthetic Cushion Track surface. A Grade 2 event, it last offered a purse of $150,000
Part of Santa Anita Park's La Cañada Series of races, the El Encino Stakes was open to newly turning/turned 4-year-old fillies. Run at an increasing distance, the series began 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 Grade 2 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 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 permanently in 1976 to 1+1⁄16 miles and restricted to four-year-old fillies.

## Records

Speed record 1:40.61 @ 1+1⁄16 miles): Zenyatta (2008)
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

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Miles) | Time | Win $ | Gr. |
| 2011 | Always a Princess | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Bob Baffert | Arnold Zetcher | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.47 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2010 | Pretty Unusual | 4 | Chantal Sutherland | Barry Abrams | M. Auerbach, LLC, Marie Goda, Jack Klugman | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.72 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2009 | Life Is Sweet | 4 | Garrett K. Gomez | John Shirreffs | Pam & Martin Wygod | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.30 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2008 | Zenyatta | 4 | David Flores | John Shirreffs | Ann & Jerry Moss | 1-1/16 m | 1:40.61 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2007 | Sugar Shake | 4 | David R. Flores | Robert J. Frankel | Stronach Stables | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.70 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2006 | Proposed | 4 | Pat Valenzuela | John Shirreffs | Pam & Martin Wygod | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.32 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2005 | Girl Warrior | 4 | Victor Espinoza | Neil D. Drysdale | Anthony Speelman | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.76 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2004 | Victory Encounter | 4 | Mike E. Smith | John W. Sadler | Tom Mankiewicz | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.52 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2003 | Got Koko | 4 | Alex Solis | Bruce Headley | Aase Headley & Paul Leung | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.25 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2002 | Affluent | 4 | Ed Delahoussaye | Ron McAnally | Janis R. Whitham | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.60 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2001 | Chilukki | 4 | Gary Stevens | Bob Baffert | Stonerside Stable | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.55 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 2000 | Olympic Charmer | 4 | Chris McCarron | Ron McAnally | Deborah McAnally | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.71 | $97,470 | G2 |
| 1999 | Manistique | 4 | Gary Stevens | John Shirreffs | 505 Farms | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.10 | $90,000 | G2 |
| 1998 | Fleet Lady | 4 | Garrett K. Gomez | Jerry Hollendorfer | Golden Eagle Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.04 | $96,840 | G2 |
| 1997 | Belle's Flag | 4 | Corey Nakatani | Darrell Vienna | Ernest Auerbach | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.61 | $82,650 | G2 |
| 1996 | Jewel Princess | 4 | Alex Solis | Wallace Dollase | Martha J. & Richard J. Stephen | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.94 | $78,800 | G2 |
| 1995 | Klassy Kim | 4 | Kent Desormeaux | Melvin F. Stute | Bill M. Thomas | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.43 | $61,400 | G2 |
| 1994 | Supah Gem | 4 | Corey Nakatani | Wallace Dollase | Martha Perez & Richard Stephen | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.33 | $64,500 | G2 |
| 1993 | Pacific Squall | 4 | Chris McCarron | J. Paco Gonzalez | McCaffery & Toffan | 1-1/16 m | 1:45.67 | $63,900 | G2 |
| 1992 | Exchange | 4 | Laffit Pincay Jr. | William Spawr | Sidney H. Craig | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.32 | $67,000 | G2 |
| 1991 | A Wild Ride | 4 | Chris McCarron | D. Wayne Lukas | Calumet Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.40 | $63,500 | G2 |
| 1990 | Akinemod | 4 | Gary Stevens | Jerry M. Fanning | El Rancho de Jaklin | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.20 | $62,900 | G2 |
| 1989 | Goodbye Halo | 4 | Pat Day | Charles Whittingham | Alex Campbell Jr. & Arthur B. Hancock III | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.80 | $60,200 | G3 |
| 1988 | By Land By Sea | 4 | Fernando Toro | Gary F. Jones | Jayeff "B" Stable & Gary F. Jones | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.60 | $64,300 | G3 |
| 1987 | Seldom Seen Sue | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | Gary F. Jones | Christopher Drakos, Issac F. Fredrick, John D. Howard | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.00 | $61,850 | G3 |
| 1986 | Lady's Secret | 4 | Chris McCarron | D. Wayne Lukas | Joyce F. Klein | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.80 | $65,850 | G3 |
| 1985 | Mitterand | 4 | Ed Delahoussaye | Randy Winick | Silver Star Stable & Randy Winick | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.00 | $61,600 | G3 |
| 1984 | Lovlier Linda | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | Willard L. Proctor | William R. Hawn | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.00 | $51,250 | G3 |
| 1983 | Beautiful Glass | 4 | Chris McCarron | Gary F. Jones | Golden Eagle Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.20 | $50,550 | G3 |
| 1982 | Edge | 4 | Cash Asmussen | Willard L. Proctor | William Haggin Perry | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.20 | $68,000 | G3 |
| 1981 | Princess Karenda | 4 | Ed Delahoussaye | Gene Cleveland | William S. Farish III & Warner L. Jones Jr. | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.00 | $49,650 | G3 |
| 1980 | It's In The Air | 4 | Laffit Pincay Jr. | Laz Barrera | Harbor View Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.20 | $38,750 | G3 |
| 1979 | B. Thoughtful | 4 | Donald R. Pierce | Robert L. Wheeler | Mrs. Walter Haefner | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.60 | $38,250 |
| 1978 | Taisez Vous | 4 | Donald R. Pierce | Robert L. Wheeler | Vernon D. & Ann Eachus | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.80 | $30,200 |
| 1977 | Woodsome | 4 | Mark Sellers | Stephen A. DiMauro | Robert E. Sangster | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.20 | $27,450 |
| 1976 | Fascinating Girl | 4 | Sandy Hawley | A. Thomas Doyle | Golden Eagle Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.40 | $18,850 |
| 1975 | Triggairo | 6 | Donald R. Pierce | John Coffee | Roy Rogers | 1-1/8 m | 1:49.40 | $19,700 |
| 1974 | Wild World | 5 | Bill Shoemaker | Robert J. Frankel | Marion R. Frankel | 1-1/8 m | 1:49.80 | $18,150 |
| 1973 | Class A | 5 | Dennis Tierney | Farrell W. Jones | Cossack Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.60 | $18,950 |
| 1972 | Thorn | 4 | Johnny Sellers | Pancho Martin | Sigmund Sommer | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.00 | $19,550 |
| 1971 | Efa | 5 | Donald R. Pierce | Gordon C. Campbell | R. G. "Bob" Shaw | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.80 | $16,900 |
| 1970 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1969 | Gene's Dancer | 4 | Earlie Fires | J. Bert Sonnier | Verna Lea Farm (Gene Goff) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.40 | $15,200 |
| 1968 | Hill Shine | 4 | Álvaro Pineda | William B. Finnegan | El Peco Ranch | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.60 | $14,650 |
| 1958 | - 1967 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1957 | Blue Volt | 8 | Bill Shoemaker | Edward D. Cox | Altandor Stable (Albert Yank) & Edward D. Cox | 1-1/4 m (t) | 2:07.40 | $14,150 |
| 1956 | Free Stride | 4 | Rogelio Trejos | C. Ralph West | M/M Bert W. Martin | 1-1/4 m (t) | 2:00.40 | $14,350 |
| 1955 | Surgente | 6 | Rogelio Trejos | G. M. Small | Argentine Turf Stable | 1-1/4 m (t) | 2:04.00 | $15,400 |
| 1954 | Dixie Lad | 5 | Eddie Arcaro | Horace A. Jones | Calumet Farm | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.40 | $10,950 |