The Seabiscuit Handicap is a Grade II American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for three-years-old and older over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles (

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hor ...

s) on the

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...

track scheduled annually in late November at

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundi ...

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach town in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The Del Mar Horse Races are hosted on the ...

. The event currently carries a purse of $250,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 17 July 1977 as the Citation Handicap at

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to t ...

in Inglewood, California over a distance of miles on the dirt track. The event was named after the eighth winner of the

American Triple Crown In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three r ...

in 1948, Citation. Citation had won the

Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $400,000 ...

at the

in last victory of his career. In 1979 for the third running of the event,

American Graded Stakes Committee {{short description, Organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) based in Lexington, Kentucky is a trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeder ...

classified the event as Grade III. In 1980 the event was run over a mile and was won by the Irish-bred Caro Bambino who equalled the course record set by Swaps in 1956. In 1991 the event was downgraded and moved to the Hollywood Park autumn meeting and run at a distance of miles. In 1983 the event was scheduled on the turf track over a distance of miles and was split into two divisions. The event also was run in split divisions in 1991. In 1984 the event was upgraded back to Grade III but due to the unexpected wet weather the race was run on the dirt track which was rated as sloppy. US Hall of Fame jockey

Bill Shoemaker William Lee Shoemaker (August 19, 1931 – October 12, 2003) was an American jockey. For 29 years he held the world record for total professional jockey victories. Early life Referred to as "Bill", "Willie," and "The Shoe", William Lee Sho ...

teamed up with US Hall of Fame trainer Charles E. Whittingham to easily win on the Argentine-bred Lord At War by three lengths in a slow time of 1:50. In 1987 the event was upgraded once more to Grade II and once again Charles E. Whittingham would train an Argentine-bred Forlitano to victory. Forlitano would win again in 1988. In 1999 the distance of the event was decrease to back to the original miles. In 2004 the event was upgraded to the highest classification of Grade I. The race was not run in 2005 due to problems with Hollywood Park's grass course not being ready after the turf course was reseeded. The event was downgraded back to Grade II for the 2010 renewal. With the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack in 2013 the event was moved to Del Mar Racetrack. With the relocation of the event the Del Mar Administration renamed the event to the Seabiscuit Handicap in honor of the 1938 US Horse of the Year,

Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-horse ...

as set by Daily Racing Form and Turf & Sport Digest Awards.

Records

Speed record: * miles: 1:39.67 – Ashkal Way (2006) * miles: 1:44.78 – Fastness (IRE) (1995) Margins: * lengths – Al Mamoon (1986) Most wins: * 2 - Forlitano (ARG) (1987, 1988) * 2 - Good Journey (2001, 2002) Most wins by a jockey: * 4 - Garrett K. Gomez (1998, 2006, 2011, 2012) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 - Charles E. Whittingham (1980, 1984, 1987, 1988) * 4 -

Wallace Dollase Wallace Arthur "Wally" Dollase (August 1, 1937 – October 30, 2015) was an American trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. Among his numerous Graded stakes race wins, Dollase won the 1996 Breeders' Cup Distaff with Jewel Princess who was ...

(1994, 1998, 2001, 2002) Most wins by an owner : * 3 - Evergreen Farm (1987, 1988, 1995)

Winners

''Legend:''
''Notes:''
§ Ran as an

entry Entry may refer to: *Entry, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States *Entry (cards), a term used in trick-taking card-games *Entry (economics), a term in connection with markets *Entry (film), ''Entry'' (film), a 2013 Indian ...

External links

2021 Del Mar Media Guide

References

{{reflist, 2 Horse races in California Del Mar Racetrack Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 2 stakes races in the United States Open mile category horse races Turf races in the United States 1977 establishments in California Recurring sporting events established in 1977

History

Records

Winners

See also

External links

References