What is the Triple Bend Stakes?
The Triple Bend Stakes is a Grade III Thoroughbred race held annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Contested at 7 furlongs on the dirt for horses aged four and older, it is one of the premier sprint tests for older horses on the West Coast and a key early-summer benchmark for sprinters targeting Del Mar and beyond. The race was inaugurated in 1952 as the Lakes and Flowers Handicap at Hollywood Park and renamed in 1979 to honor Triple Bend, Frank McMahon's brilliant colt who set a world record of 1:19.80 for 7 furlongs in winning the 1972 Los Angeles Handicap. The all-time track record of 1:19.40 was set by Rich Cream in 1980. A Grade I event for 16 years, the race was downgraded to Grade II in 2019 and to Grade III in 2025. Trainer Bob Baffert holds the record for most wins with eight, including Nysos in 2025 and Magic On Tap in 2021.
When is the Triple Bend Stakes in 2026?
The 2026 Triple Bend Stakes is scheduled for June at Santa Anita Park during the Hollywood Meet. Contested at 7 furlongs on the main track with a purse of $100,000, the race draws the top older dirt sprinters on the West Coast targeting the summer stakes circuit at Del Mar.
Triple Bend Stakes History & Notable Winners
The Triple Bend has produced some of the most celebrated West Coast sprinters of each generation. Nysos gave Bob Baffert a record eighth Triple Bend win in 2025, dominating by 5½ lengths under Juan Hernandez in 1:21.28 — the largest winning margin in the race's modern era. Happy Jack gave trainer Doug O'Neill and jockey Edwin Maldonado a 2024 score in 1:21.32 for Calumet Farm. Trainer George Papaprodromou won back-to-back editions with Spirit of Makena in 2023 under Joe Bravo in 1:23.07, following American Theorem's 13-1 upset under Bravo in 2022 in 1:22.17. Magic On Tap gave Baffert and Juan Hernandez a 2021 win in 1:23.54 for Summer Wind Equine, continuing the trainer's remarkable dominance of this event.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nysos | Juan Hernandez | 1:21.28 |
| 2024 | Happy Jack | Edwin Maldonado | 1:21.32 |
| 2023 | Spirit of Makena | Joe Bravo | 1:23.07 |
| 2022 | American Theorem | Joe Bravo | 1:22.17 |
| 2021 | Magic On Tap | Juan Hernandez | 1:23.54 |
The Triple Bend Stakes is one of the most historic sprint events on the West Coast and a premier attraction of Santa Anita Park's Hollywood Meet each June.
