The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for

thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

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, ...

and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Raci ...

, the

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 ...

$500,000 stakes race was moved to

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

in 2010. Run as a handicap prior to 1928, the race is named in honor of the Coaching Club of New York. One of the requirements for membership in this club was the ability to handle a coach and four horses with a single group of reins.

August Belmont Jr. August Belmont Jr. (February 18, 1853 – December 10, 1924) was an American financier. He financed the construction of the original New York City subway (1900–1904) and for many years headed the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which ran ...

set the original conditions in order to emulate The Oaks in England. From 1963 to 1967 the Coaching Club American Oaks was run at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

. Over the years, it has been raced at various distances: *1917, 2010–present : 9 furlongs *1990–1997, 2003–2009 : 10 furlongs *1919–1941, 1944–1958 : 11 furlongs *1942–1943, 1971–1989, 1998–2003 : 12 furlongs

Historical notes

Future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Mom's Command won the 1985 Oaks under jockey

Abigail Fuller Abigail Fuller (born 1959 or 1960) is an American retired Thoroughbred jockey who primarily competed between the early 1980s to early 2000s. While competing in graded stakes races, Fuller won two Grade III events, one Grade II event and four Grad ...

, daughter of the horse's owner, Peter Fuller.

Records

Speed record:
(at distance of 12f) * 2:27.80 – Ruffian (1975); Magazine (1973) (at distance of 10f) * 2:00.40 –

Ajina {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Ajina , image = , caption = , sire = Strawberry Road , grandsire = Whiskey Road , dam = Winglet , damsire = Alydar , sex = Mare , foaled = 1994 , country = United States , colour = Dark Bay , breede ...

(1997) (at distance of 9f) * 1:49.15 – It's Tricky (2011) Most wins by a jockey: * 5 –

Mike E. Smith Michael Earl Smith (born August 10, 1965) is an American jockey who has been one of the leading riders in U.S. Thoroughbred racing since the early 1990s, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2003, and has won the m ...

(1993, 1997, 2000, 2016, 2017) * 5 –

John R. Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both y ...

(2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2015) * 4 – Jorge Velásquez (1974, 1977, 1979, 1988) * 4 –

Jerry D. Bailey Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957 in Dallas, Texas) is an NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst and a retired American Hall of Fame jockey. Early years Bailey was born in Dallas but raised in El Paso. He had a pony as a child and became in ...

(1996, 1998, 1999, 2003) Most wins by a trainer: * 8 –

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967 in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award seven times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming ( ...

(2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022) Most wins by an owner: * 6 –

Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegra ...

(1944, 1949, 1952, 1958, 1977, 1979)

Winners

References

June 17, 1917 ''New York Times'' article on the inaugural running of the Coaching Club Handicap

The 2009 Coaching Club American Oaks at the NTRA
{{short description, American Thoroughbred stakes horse race Graded stakes races in the United States Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Horse races in New York (state) Belmont Park Recurring sporting events established in 1917 Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing 1917 establishments in New York (state)

Historical notes

Records

Winners

See also

References