Kona Gold Stakes


The Kona Gold Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for horses that are three years old or older with allowance conditions, over a distance of six and one half furlongs on the dirt. It is held annually in April at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.

History

The event was inaugurated on Wednesday, 2 March 1983 as the Potrero Grande Handicap for horses four years old and older. It was won by Hi-Yu Stable's Washington State bred Chinook Pass, who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in a time of 1:14. Chinook Pass would continue on a superb season with several more wins on the Southern California circuit, culminating in him being crowned as U.S. Champion Sprint Horse for that year.
The event was named after Rancho Potrero Grande, a Mexican land grant in modern-day Los Angeles County, California. Today, the event is located in Rosemead and South El Monte, about 6 miles from Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia.
The event was upgraded to a Grade III in 1988. That year, the event attracted only three starters, with Gulch winning in an upset victory over the 1987 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and 1/2 odds favorite Very Subtle by a length margin. Gulch went on to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint and was crowned the U.S. Champion Sprint Horse.
Noticing the quality of horses who were winning, the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association upgraded the event to a Grade II in 1997.
Between 1996 and 2007, the Breeders' Cup sponsored the event, which was reflected in the name of the event.
The event was held on the All Weather synthetic track between 2008 and 2010. When they returned to holding the event on the dirt track in 2011, the conditions of the event were modified from handicap to an allowance.
In 2015 the administration of the Los Angeles Turf Club renamed the event to the Kona Gold Stakes in honor of the dual winner of the event Kona Gold and third place winner of the 2003 race. Kona Gold held an outstanding record at Santa Anita Park, with many wins on the Southern California circuit. His most important win was in the 2000 Breeders' Cup Sprint. This win was vital in him being awarded the U.S. Champion Sprint Horse.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Santa Anita closed their track and the event was cancelled. In 2021, Cezanne defeated three other starters by a new record margin of lengths breaking a 31 year record that was set by Olympic Prospect in 1990 of seven lengths.
Other horses that have won this event and have gone on to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint later in their career include Cardmania, Lit de Justice and Amazombie. The 2002 winner Kalookan Queen is the only mare to have won the event.
In 2024 the event was downgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Listed status.

Records

Speed record:
  • 1:13.71 – Son Of A Pistol
Margins:
  • lengths – Cezanne
Most wins:
  • 2 – Kona Gold
  • 2 – Amazombie
  • 2 – Brickyard Ride
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Legend:




Notes:


§ Ran as part of an entry