The turf race for juvenile fillies was first run in 2005 and was named after Hall of Fame trainer Philip George Johnson, who died the previous year. Johnson, a native of Chicago, bought his first horse in 1942 for $75 and won his first race with him two years later, the first victory in a career than spanned six decades. He was the leading trainer at Saratoga in 1983 and according to the National Museum of Racing, won at least one race each year at the Spa from 1962 to 2003. His biggest career victory came in 2002 with a horse he co-owned named Volponi, who pulled off a 43-1 upset of the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The P.G. Johnson Stakes was not run in 2007 or 2008.
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