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, p ...
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 is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses.
In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...
held annually in August at
Del Mar Racetrack
The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an event venue in Del Mar, California. It hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It includes the Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroug ...
in
Del Mar, California
Del Mar (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach city 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 population was 3,954 ...
. The event currently carries a purse of $150,000.
History
The event was inaugurated on September 2, 1987, with additional sponsorship from
Budweiser
Budweiser () is an American-style pale lager, a brand of Belgian company 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 is a filte ...
and the
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...
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 ...
in a time of 1:35.
[ The following year the event was by Precisionist, 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, a brand of Belgian company 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 is a filte ...
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 is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses.
In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...
.[
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 (horse racing), 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 ...
:
* 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 ...
(1987, 1988, 1995, 1998)
* 4 - Flavien Prat
Flavien Prat (born August 4, 1992, in Melun, Seine-et-Marne, France) is a French jockey in Thoroughbred racing who was a Champion Apprentice Jockey and Group 1 race winner in France before moving full-time to the United States in 2015 where he ha ...
(2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 4 - Bob Baffert
Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer. He has trained two Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Baffert's horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, tying the record with ...
(2000, 2001, 2002. 2023)
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 race, graded stakes standards maintained by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Ow ...
External links
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
Horse races established in 1987