The Desert Stormer Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age four and older run over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt held annually in March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.

The inaugural running of the event was on 8 November 1997 as the Desert Stormer Handicap over a distance of 6+1⁄2 furlongs at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California as the first race on the undercard for the Breeders' Cup program.^[1] The event was named in honor of Desert Stormer, winner of the 1995 Breeders' Cup Sprint.^[2] The following year the event was moved to the spring meeting and held in late April.^[3]

In 1999 the distance of the event was decreased to six furlongs.^[1]

The event was upgraded to Grade III in 2001.^[3]

However, the event was downgraded to a non-graded stakes after the 2005 Grade III edition.^[3]

In 2014 with the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack the event was moved to Santa Anita Park and continued to be scheduled in June as stakes race with allowances.^[3]

The event was reinstated with Grade III status for the 2017 running.^[4]

In 2023 the event was scheduled in March and the conditions of entry were changed from three-year-olds and over to four-year-olds and over.^[5]

Speed record:

• 1:07.75 - Shh She's Ours (2016)

Margins:

• 7+1⁄4 lengths – Marley's Freedom (2018)

Most wins:

• No horse has won this race more than once.

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 - Mike E. Smith (2005, 2009, 2010, 2017)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 - Richard Mandella (1997, 1998, 2017)
• 3 - Bob Baffert (2006, 2011, 2018)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Mr. & Mrs. Jerome S. Moss (1998, 2009)
• 2 - Marsha Naify (2007, 2010)

• List of American and Canadian Graded races

• 2012 Hollywood Park Media Guide