The Zenyatta Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, age three and older the distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

History The event was inaugurated on 11 October 1993 as the Lady's Secret Handicap, named after Hall of Famer Lady's Secret who had won the 1986 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park. The race was won by the odds-on favorite Hollywood Wildcat who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye in a time of 1:41.05. In her following start Hollywood Wildcat won the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita Park. The following year Hollywood Wildcat repeated her victory leading all the way to a comfortable length margin.

After two runnings of the event was classified by the American Graded Stakes Committee as Grade III and was upgraded to Grade II status in 1996. In 2007 the event was upgraded to Grade I.

After the 2009 running, it was announced that the race would be renamed the Zenyatta Stakes, on the assumption that Zenyatta (who had won the race in 2008 and 2009) would retire at the end of 2009. That change, however, was held off for 2010 at the behest of the mare's connections. For 2010, it was again run as the Lady's Secret Stakes because Zenyatta was in the field, winning the race for the third time. The race was again run as the Lady's Secret Stakes in 2011 but was then run under its new name in 2012.

Beholder was able to equal Zenyatta's record of winning the event three times in 2015. After winning the 2012 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, Beholder won this event as a three-year-old before winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff which also was held at Santa Anita. After winning this event in 2014 and 2015 Beholder did not enter the Breeder's Cup. In the 2016 running of the event, Beholder ran for the fourth time and was beaten by a nose by Stellar Wind, however she turned the tables winning the Breeders' Cup Distaff for a second time in her last career start.

In 2019 the event was downgraded to Grade II.

Records Speed record: 1:40.30 - Zenyatta (2008)

Margins: lengths – Adare Manor (2023)

Most wins: 3 - Zenyatta (2008, 2009, 2010) 3 - Beholder (2013, 2014, 2015)

Most wins by a jockey: 5 - Mike E. Smith (2002, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014)

Most wins by a trainer: 7 - Bob Baffert (1998, 2007, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)

Most wins by an owner: 4 - Ann & Jerry Moss (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAt Santa Anita Park – Zenyatta Stakes 2026Super Corredora 3 Joel Rosario John W. Sadler Spartan Equine Racing LLC, West Point Thoroughbreds, Gardiner, Robert C. and Olszewski, Michael W. miles1:42.93$200,000II2025Cavalieri 4Juan J. HernandezBob BaffertSpeedway Stables miles1:42.64$200,000II2024Sugar Fish 4Tyler BazeJeff Mullins Sweetwater Stable & Talla Racing miles1:43.53$200,000II2023Adare Manor 4Juan HernandezBob Baffert Michael Lund Petersen miles1:43.70$196,000II2022Midnight Memories3Ramon VazquezBob Baffert Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman miles1:45.07$200,000II2021Private Mission 3Flavien PratBob BaffertBaoma Corporation miles1:43.77$201,500II2020Harvest Moon 5Flavien PratSimon CallaghanAlice Bamford & Michael Tabor miles1:43.03$196,000 II2019Paradise Woods5Abel CedilloJohn ShirreffsHS Stable & Martin J. & Pam Wygod miles1:44.31$200,351II2018Vale Dori (ARG)6Joseph TalamoBob BaffertSheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum miles1:44.88$300,345I2017Paradise Woods3Flavien PratSteven Sarkowsky & Martin J. & Pam Wygod miles1:44.34$294,000I2016Stellar Wind4Victor EspinozaJohn W. SadlerHronis Racing miles1:41.80$300,000I2015Beholder5Gary L. StevensRichard E. MandellaSpendthrift Farm miles1:42.83$300,750I2014Beholder4Mike E. SmithRichard E. MandellaSpendthrift Farm miles1:42.19$300,000I2013Beholder3Gary L. StevensRichard E. MandellaSpendthrift Farm miles1:42.11$250,500I2012Love and Pride4Martin GarciaTodd A. PletcherGreen Hills Farm miles1:43.09$250,000ILady's Secret Stakes2011Zazu3Joel RosarioJohn W. SadlerAnn & Jerry Moss miles1:41.59$250,000IAt Hollywood Park – Lady's Secret Stakes2010Zenyatta6Mike E. SmithJohn ShirreffsAnn & Jerry Moss miles1:42.97$250,000IAt Santa Anita Park 2009Zenyatta5Mike E. SmithJohn ShirreffsAnn & Jerry Moss miles1:42.89$299,000I2008Zenyatta4Mike E. SmithJohn ShirreffsAnn & Jerry Moss miles1:40.30$245,000I2007Tough Tiz's Sis3Victor EspinozaBob BaffertWatson & Weitman Performances miles1:41.64$196,500ILady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap2006Healthy Addiction5Victor EspinozaJohn W. SadlerPamela C. Ziebarth miles 1:43.60$233,500II2005Healthy Addiction4Garrett K. GomezJohn W. SadlerPamela C. Ziebarth miles 1:43.23$235,000II2004§ Island Fashion4Kerwin JohnMarcelo PolancoEverest Stables miles 1:43.43$235,000II2003Got Koko4Alex O. SolisBruce HeadleyAase Headley & Paul Leung miles 1:42.92$300,000II2002Azeri4Mike E. SmithLaura de SerouxAllen E. Paulson Trust miles 1:41.10$217,500II2001Queenie Belle4Brice BlancBen D. A. CecilGary Seidler miles1:43.64$209,400II2000Smooth Player4Eddie DelahoussayeDan L. HendricksJohn Spohler & Martin J. Wygod miles1:42.27$204,600II1999Manistique4Corey NakataniJohn Shirreffs505 Farms miles1:42.39$197,500II1998Magical Allure3David R. FloresBob BaffertGolden Eagle Farm miles1:42.55$173,800II1997Sharp Cat3Alex O. SolisD. Wayne LukasThe Thoroughbred Corporation miles1:41.45$179,400II1996Top Rung5Earlie FiresWillard L. ProctorGlen Hill Farm miles1:41.84$178,450IILady's Secret Handicap1995Borodislew5Gary L. StevensEduardo Inda505 Farms miles1:41.61$130,250III19944Eddie DelahoussayeNeil D. Drysdale Irving & Marjorie Cowan miles1:40.61$106,400 1993Hollywood Wildcat3Neil D. Drysdale Irving & Marjorie Cowan miles1:41.05$106,700

Legend:

Notes: § Ran as an entry

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

External links Oak Tree Honors Zenyatta with Grade 1 race

References