The Daytona Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older run over the distance of about 6+1⁄2 furlongs on the downhill turf scheduled annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
The event was inaugurated in 1968 as the San Simeon Handicap[1] The race has been run at a variety of distances and track surfaces.
[1] The event was originally scheduled in April but the Los Angeles Turf Club in 2017 moved the race to the Memorial Day weekend at Santa Anita.
In that same year the Los Angeles Turf Club renamed the race to the current name of Daytona Stakes.
[4] The event was named after the Irish bred horse Daytona who a three year old won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby and a four year old won the Grade I Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita.