The La Jolla Handicap is a Grade III 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-year-olds over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles 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 ...

scheduled 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 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 $150,000.

History

The event is named for the city of La Jolla, California, which is not far from Del Mar. The event was inaugurated on July 11, 1937, as an event for three-year-olds and older and was won by the five-year-old mare Topsy Omar by the shortest of margins defeating the favorite Grey Count in a time of 1:45. The event was not run in 1939 but moved to early February 1940 to Santa Anita as a seven furlong event for four-year-olds and older on the turf. The champion

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 ...

resumed in this event after a long layoff carrying 128 pounds after injury and was placed third to Heelfly. Later in the year the event was run at Del Mar at the set distance of one mile. The event was idle during 1942–1944 due to World War II, resuming in 1945 as a three-year-olds and older

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

bred handicap. In 1950 the event's conditions were set for three-year-olds at the distance. In 1973 the event was classified as Grade III and in 1975 was moved to the turf track and has been run since then on that surface. In 1987 the event's distance was extended from one mile to miles. From 2004 to 2013 the event was run as a Grade II. The event's position in the racing calendar at Del Mar has led to the race being a preparatory race for the

Del Mar Derby The Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually during the first week of September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade II race open to three-year-old horses, it is contested on turf over ...

which is scheduled usually several weeks later. The event has been split into division four times, the last being in 1982. Two fillies or mares have won this event. The inaugural running in 1937 and Henpecker in 1948 when the event was restricted to three-year-old fillies.

Records

Speed record: * miles: 1:39.52 – Sidney's Candy (2010) *1 mile (dirt): 1:34.20 – Groshawk (1973) *1 mile (turf): 1:34.60 – Floating Reserve (1985) Margins: * lengths – Sidney's Candy (2010) Most wins by a jockey: * 7 –

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 ...

(1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 – Farrell Jones (1962, 1971, 1974, 1975) Most wins by an owner: * 3 –

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 ...

(1958, 1961, 1977) * 3 –

Glen Hill Farm Leonard H. Lavin (October 29, 1919 – August 2, 2017) was an American businessman, racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist, who, in 1955 founded the Alberto-Culver Company.

(1979, 2012, 2014) La Jolla Handicap –

double:

Winners

''Legend:''

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry
ƒ Filly or Mare
₫ In the 2021 running of the event Sword Zorro (

IRE Ire or IRE may refer to: Ire * Extreme anger; intense fury * Irē, the Livonian name for Mazirbe, Latvia * A town in Oye, Nigeria * ''Ire'' (album), a 2015 album by the Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive * Ire (Iliad), a town mentioned in ...

) finished first by a nose in a photo finish but bumped the second-placed finisher Zoffarelli (

) from his inside when drifting out under left-handed urging by his jockey

Umberto Rispoli Umberto Rispoli (born 31 August 1988 in San Severino Marche, Italy) is a horse racing jockey. He commenced his apprenticeship in 2005 and graduated to the senior ranks in 2010. He was a member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club until December 2019 when h ...

and was disqualified. Zoffarelli (

) was declared the winner.
† In the 2007 running of the event Medici Code was first past the post and wagering was paid out as the winner, however the horse returned a positive swab for an excess amount of Clenbuterol and consequently was disqualified from the prizemoney and was placed eighth (last). Worldly was declared the official winner of the event.
‡ In 1948 the event was for three-year-old fillies
♯ In August 1940 and 1947 the event was for three-year-olds that were bred in California
¶ In 1941, 1945 and 1946 the event was for three-year-olds and older that were bred in California
°In February 1940 for four-year-olds and older

External links

2022 Del Mar Media Guide

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Flat horse races for three-year-olds Horse races in California Turf races in the United States Del Mar Racetrack Recurring sporting events established in 1937 1937 establishments in California Grade 3 stakes races in the United States

History

Records

Winners

See also

External links

References