The San Luis Rey Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
Held during the third week of March, the Grade III event is open to horses of either gender, age four and up, willing to race one and one-half miles (12 furlongs) on the turf.
The race normally begins on Santa Anita's downhill chute; from this position horses race down the hill and cross the dirt track before running one complete lap of the main turf course.
The race was transferred to the dirt track in 1975 and in 1989 was started on the backstretch instead of its normal position on the hillside.
In its 66th running in 2013, Bright Thought won with a final time of 2:22.72, a world record time for 1+1⁄2 miles[1] that stood for only one week; Twilight Eclipse lowered the standard at Gulfstream Park one week later.