The Del Mar Oaks is an 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 ...
run annually in mid August at the
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 ...
. Open to three-year-old
fillies
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...
, it is contested at a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs) 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 ...
. Since 1994 it has been a
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
event.
From its inception in 1957 through 1964, the Del Mar Oaks was raced at a distance of one mile on dirt.
It was raced in two divisions in 1966 and again in 1970.
Records
Speed record: (at current distance of miles)
* 1:46.26 –
Amorama (2004)
Most wins by an owner:
* 4 –
Howard B. Keck
Howard Brighton Keck (September 20, 1913 – December 14, 1996) was an American businessman. He was also a Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse owner and breeder, and the owner of an auto racing team that twice won the Indianapolis 500.
Early ...
(1970, 1971, 1975, 1986)
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 –
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 ...
(1970, 1971, 1985, 1986)
* 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 ...
(1979, 1984, 1989, 1991)
* 4 –
Corey Nakatani
Corey S. Nakatani (born October 21, 1970 in Covina, California, United States) is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He got his big break in 1990 when he rode Itsallgreektome to win big stakes races.
Nakatani has long resided on the S ...
(1998, 2003, 2007, 2014)
Most wins by a
trainer:
* 7 –
Charlie Whittingham
Charles Edward Whittingham (April 13, 1913 – April 20, 1999) was an American Thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history.
Early career
Born in Chula Vista, California, Whittingham began w ...
(1970, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1991)
Winners
References
Del Mar Oaks details at Del Mar websiteThe 2008 Del Mar Oaks at the NTRA{Dead link, date=July 2019 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
Turf races in the United States
Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies
Grade 1 stakes races in the United States
Horse races in California
Recurring sporting events established in 1957
Del Mar Racetrack
1957 establishments in California