The John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (renamed for John Henry who won it three times) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the

Oak Tree Racing Association The Oak Tree Racing Association is an American nonprofit corporation that exists to conduct live thoroughbred horse racing in Southern California. Graded Stakes races at the Oak Tree meet Since Oak Tree Racing moved to Hollywood Park in 2010, some ...

's Autumn Meeting at Santa Anita Park in

Arcadia, California Arcadia is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It contains a series of adjacent parks consisting of th ...

. It is raced over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the turf and is one of the final prep races leading to the

Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...

. Once a Grade I event, it is now a Grade II and open to horses three years old and up. It currently offers a purse of $200,000. Inaugurated as the Oak Tree Stakes in 1969, from 1971 through 1995 it was called the Oak Tree Invitational Stakes, and from 1996 through 1999, the Oak Tree Turf Championship Stakes. From 2000 through 2011 it was called the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes. The race, now named for John Henry, remains at Santa Anita although the Oak Tree Autumn Meeting was held at Hollywood Park until its closure in December, 2013. From 1969 through 1994 it was raced at a distance of miles. In winning the 2008 edition,

Red Giant A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0.3–8 solar masses ()) in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius large and the surface temperature around or ...

set a world record time of 1:57.16 for miles on turf.

Records

Time record: (at current miles distance) * 1:57.16 –

(2008) Most wins: * 3 – John Henry (1980, 1981, 1982) Most wins by an owner: * 3 –

Dotsam Stable Dotsam Stable was an American Thoroughbred racing stable owned by New York City businessman Sam Rubin and his wife Dorothy. Sam Rubin (February 23, 1914- February 13, 2006) was a successful bicycle importer and a fan of Thoroughbred horse racing. I ...

(1980, 1981, 1982) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 8 – Bill Shoemaker (1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982) Most wins by a trainer: * 9 – Charles Whittingham (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1986)

Winners

± In 1987 the winning time may have been affected because the race was started on the backstretch instead of from its normal hillside position.
† In 1996, Bon Point finished first but was disqualified and set back to fifth place.
‡ In 2010 run at Hollywood Park.

Notes

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References

The Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship at Pedigree Query
Open middle distance horse races Grade 1 turf stakes races in the United States Horse races in California 1969 establishments in California Turf races in the United States Santa Anita Park Sports in Los Angeles County, California Recurring sporting events established in 1969