The Santa Ynez Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track held annually in early January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event currently offers a purse of US$200,000. History The event was named after the location and landmarks in Southern California, known as Santa Ynez in the Santa Ynez Valley and the Santa Ynez Mountains in Santa Barbara County. Santa Ynez is Spanish for the virgin martyr Saint Agnes. The inaugural running of the event was on New Year's Day in 1952 over a distance of six furlongs and was won the C. Ralph West trained coupled entry of Last Greetings and Asiatic. Last Greetings was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro won by lengths over A Gleam with long shot Season's Best was three lengths further back in third. While Last Greetings won one more event in her career, A Gleam had a phenomenal season setting a Hollywood Park Racetrack record winning five straight stakes races in 1952. For the 1952–53 Winter Meeting at Santa Anita the event was held as a two-year-old fillies event on the last day of December in 1952. Hence the event was not held in the 1953 calendar year. In 1954 the distance of the event was extended to 7 furlongs. In 1956 the distance of the event was reverted to six furlongs. The last running of the event at the six furlongs distance was in 1957 and was won by the 2/5 short priced favorite Sully's Trial who completed a six race winning streak. In 1958 the distance was increased to furlongs and was run at this distance for nine years. Of the notable winners during this period include the 1959 winner Silver Spoon who would be the first filly to win the Santa Ynez–Santa Susana Stakes (now Santa Anita Oaks) double as well as the Santa Anita Derby and run fifth in the 1959 Kentucky Derby to winner Tomy Lee. Silver Spoon would be voted as Thoroughbred Racing Association's U.S. Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. The 1964 winner Face The Facts, even money favorite, won by a stakes record lengths and equaled the track record for the furlongs distance. The winning margin continues to be the stakes record margin to date. In 1967 the event's distance was increased to seven furlongs and was