The Del Mar Mile Stakes is a
Grade III American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
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 horses aged three years and older run over a distance of one mile 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 agricultu ...
held annually in August 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 foundin ...
in
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 De ...
. The event currently carries a purse of $150,000.
History
The event was inaugurated on 2 September 1987 with additional sponsorship from
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States.
''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...
and the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, ...
at a distance of as a one mile race on the dirt track and was won by the 9-1 shot Good Command who was ridden by
United States' Racing Hall of Fame jockey
Chris McCarron
Christopher John McCarron (born March 27, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He mounted his first horse ever at 16.5 years old and was racing professionally by 18. At only 19 years o ...
in a time of 1:35.
[ The following year the event was by ]Precisionist
Precisionism was a modernist art movement that emerged in the United States after World War I. Influenced by Cubism, Purism, and Futurism, Precisionist artists reduced subjects to their essential geometric shapes, eliminated detail, and often us ...
, the 1985 U.S. Champion Sprint Horse who had come out of retirement after an unsuccessful stud career.[
For the third running the event had been classified as Grade III]Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, part of AB InBev. Introduced in 1876 by Carl Conrad & Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, Budweiser has become a large selling beer company in the United States.
''Budweiser'' may also refer to an unrelat ...
continued sponsorship until 1995 and the Breeders' Cup until 2006.[ After sponsorship ceased the event was renamed by the Del Mar administration to Del Mar Mile Handicap.][
In 2005 the event was moved from the dirt track to 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 agricultu ...
.[
In 2021 the conditions of the event were changed from a handicap to a stakes allowance.][
]
Records
Speed record:
*1 mile (turf): 1:32.10 - Obviously (IRE) (2012)
*1 mile (dirt): 1:33.40 - On The Line (1989)
Margins:
* 5 lengths - Old Trieste (1998)
Most wins:
* 2 - El Corredor (2000, 2001)
* 2 - Obviously (IRE) (2012, 2013)
* 2 - Mo Forza (2020, 2021)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 - Hal J. Earnhardt (2000, 2001)
* 2 - Anthony Fanticola & Joseph Scardino (2012, 2013)
* 2 - Bardy Farm & OG Boss (2020, 2021)
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 ...
:
* 4 - Chris McCarron
Christopher John McCarron (born March 27, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts) is a retired American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He mounted his first horse ever at 16.5 years old and was racing professionally by 18. At only 19 years o ...
(1987, 1988, 1995, 1998)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 - Bob Baffert
Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakne ...
(2000, 2001, 2002)
* 3 - Philip D'Amato (2016, 2019, 2022)
* 3 - John W. Sadler (2007, 2008, 2017)
Winners
''Legend:''
See also
List of American and Canadian Graded races
The List of American and Canadian Graded races is a list of Thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada that meet the graded stakes standards maintained by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders A ...
External site
2020 Del Mar Media Guide
References
{{reflist, 2
Del Mar Racetrack
Horse races in California
Turf races in the United States
Open mile category horse races
Graded stakes races in the United States
Grade 2 stakes races in the United States
1987 establishments in California
Recurring sporting events established in 1987