Snow Chief Stakes

Purse $125.00 – For Three Year Olds Foaled In CA

1 1/8 Miles – Turf

Santa Anita Park – May 23, 2026

Three-Year-Old California-Breds get their time to shine on the turf this Saturday in the 19th edition of the Snow Chief Stakes. This race is named after the 1986 Champion Three-Year-Old and California Thoroughbred Breeders Association Hall of Famer Snow Chief. Purse money for this stakes race has steadily decreased since 2012, falling from $300.00 to $125.00. This race was originally contested on dirt during the running of Hollywood Park, but it was switched to the turf in 2014 when racing consolidated at Santa Anita Park. We all witnessed a dead heat in the 2021 Snow Chief Stakes as General Principal and Grayte Trois hit the wire together. Mb Stables and Australia Wide have set the standard among owners, sitting tied atop the standings with two wins each. Estero Farms’ Sunlander set the stakes record in 2019 with a blazing 1:45.20 clocking for the 1 1/8-mile distance. With limited résumés across the field and two horses still untested on turf, this year’s edition shapes up as a difficult race to handicap. Let’s take a deep dive into this year’s contenders!

1. Love Yourself – (Pennsville Farm, K. Kimura) A rapidly progressing runner who comes in this race with back-to-back wins. This son of Commanding broke his maiden at Belterra Park by a commanding two lengths after sitting off the pace. Connections came out west for his next start in a N3X and used the same tactics. Love Yourself sat a little further back, just two lengths off the pace in third and came with a big run down the lane for another two-length victory. No question this gelding is trending in the right direction, especially knocking out the third-level allowance condition after his first win. This entry makes sense, and I don’t think the added distance will be a problem. Major contender.

2. Perfect Doubt – (Bigchief Stables, U. Rispoli) Found a lot of early success after just missing on debut and breaking his maiden in his second start. Perfect Doubt lost by a neck in his first race after setting the pace early, going five furlongs on the grass. Connections stretched him out to a mile where he was two lengths ahead of the field and just held on at the wire by a head. This colt showed a new dimension in his third start, coming from off the pace in a N2X. There were fast fractions upfront, and jockey Antonio Fresu gave a great ride for a quarter-length victory. The grade three Transylvania Stakes was his next start and was swallowed up in the stretch to finish last. Watch out for this one.

3. Final World Gullis – (Pan Farms, V. Del-Cid) Bought privately for $19.99 earlier this year and is making his turf debut. This son of Final Hour has run three times on the dirt and has never finished off the board. Connections entered him first time out going a route of ground, which ended up resulting in a third-place finish. Final World Gullis dropped in class and cut back in distance for his next start to win by a head going six furlongs. Last time out, this colt drew the rail in a N1X at Churchill Downs and was sitting second to last the whole way around the track. He came with a big run down the stretch to make up four lengths and finish second. With a recent bullet turf workout, the turf may be his new friend.

4. Shin Lim – (Riggins Racing, H I. Berrios) The most experienced runner entered this year with six career starts. All of those races have been on the grass, and Shin Lim is coming in this race seeking his third-straight victory. He started off breaking his maiden as the favorite at Turf Paradise in late February. This son of Magical Sunset was in eighth place rounding the far turn and closed five-wide to get up by a neck. His next start was even more impressive as connections entered Shin Lim in a starter allowance, and the turf came up soft. This gelding didn’t care about a little moisture in the ground and ended up closing eight lengths from the 5/16 pole to the wire. Although a step up is needed here to turn the tables.

5. Bronx Copper – (Langley Farms, J J. Hernandez) Strung together consecutive victories in his first two starts. Connections then took Bronx Copper to the West Coast and ran second in an N2X at Santa Anita. He had a perfect inside trip, saving every bit of ground and just didn’t have enough late kick to catch the leaders. We didn’t see this colt until early January, when Langley Farms added Bute and tried two turns. It wasn’t a success as it resulted in an even sixth-place finish. Bronx Copper was thrown to the wolves in his last start in the Jeff Ruby Stakes, drawing post fourteen. He had never gone the 1 ⅛ mile distance, and he never closed out of last place. I think this guy will do his best sprinting.

6. Strategic Charm – (Mb Stables, E. Jaramillo) Lightly raced with three career starts and two turf outings. This grey gelding broke his maiden in wire-to-wire fashion at Tampa Bay Downs after a big equipment change. Connections removed Bute and added blinkers, and it obviously did the trick, running the mile in 1:33.64. Strategic Charm was gelded two months later and entered in a N1X. He drew the rail in a field of six and looked to be in perfect striking distance just off the pace. Jockey Irad Ortiz had his horse on the rail saving all the ground but just couldn’t make up enough ground late to catch the leaders. With a bullet work on the grass last weekend, I could see him taking a step forward.

– AJM

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded