The Delaware Oaks Stakes 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 July at

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia. Thoroughbred racing ...

in Stanton near

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington (Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

. Part of the Del Cap Festival Weekend that features other races over the two days including the

Delaware Handicap The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade 2 race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one and one-quarter miles o ...

, the Oaks is 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 ...

and is run over one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. Currently, the Grade III race offers a purse of $300,000.

Historical notes

The inaugural running of the Delaware Oaks took place on June 28, 1938 and was won by Isabel Dodge Sloane's filly

Handcuff Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each cuff has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet that ...

. Coming off her June 6, 1941 win in the

Top Flight Handicap The Top Flight Invitational Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Listed race, it is open to fillies and mares, age three and older. The event is contested over a distance of one ...

at New York's Belmont Park,

Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' in the collection of ...

won the Oaks for the Greentree Stable of

Helen Hay Whitney Helen Julia Hay Whitney (March 11, 1875 – September 24, 1944) was an American poet, writer, racehorse owner/breeder, socialite, and philanthropist. She was a member by marriage of the prominent Whitney family of New York. Early life She was ...

. Trained and ridden by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees John Gaver Sr. and

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997), was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...

, the filly beat her closest rival by nine lengths while setting a new track record with a winning time of 1:49 4/5 for a mile and one-eighth on dirt. United States Hall of Fame fillies

Gallorette Gallorette (1942–1959) was a Maryland-bred chestnut thoroughbred filly who became a Hall of Fame race horse. Sired by Challenger II, out of Gallette, Gallorette's damsire was Sir Gallahad III. Breeding Trainer Preston M. Burch bought Gal ...

(1945), Dark Mirage (1968), Gallant Bloom (1969) and

Desert Vixen Desert Vixen (1970–1982) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. She was the leading American filly of her generation, winning an Eclipse Award at the ages of both three and four. She was later inducted into the U. S. Racing Hall of Fame. Ra ...

(1973) have all won this race, as did the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The ...

inductee

Lauries Dancer Lauries Dancer (April 4, 1968 - March, 1991) was a Canadian National Champion and Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racemare who won top races in Canada and the United States. Background She was bred at Angus Glen Farm in Markham, Ontario by owner A ...

in 1971.

Records

Speed record: * 1:41.79 @ 1 1–16 miles: Calamity Kate (2015) * 1:48.20 @ 1 1–8 miles: Cum Laude Laurie (1977) Most wins by a jockey: * 4 -

(1940, 1941, 1945, 1955) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 - James E. Fitzsimmons (1939, 1942, 1946, 1955) Most wins by an owner: * 3 - Belair Stud Stable (1939, 1942, 1946) * 3 - Christiana Stables (1947, 1972, 1974) * 3 -

King Ranch King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the state of Rhode Island and country of Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the Triple Crown winning racehorse Assault. The ranch is lo ...

(1956, 1959, 1969)

Winners

References

{{Reflist Graded stakes races in the United States Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies Horse races in Delaware Recurring sporting events established in 1938 Delaware Park Racetrack 1938 establishments in Delaware