Grade II
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 Ire ...
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 two-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, ...
over a distance of six
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use i ...
s on the dirt track 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 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 ...
. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
History
The event was inaugurated on 7 October 1967 during the then Del Mar Fall meeting and was run over a distance of furlongs on the turf course. It was won by Windsor Honey who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey
Johnny Sellers
Johnny Sellers (July 31, 1937 – July 3, 2010) was an American National Champion jockey. Born in Los Angeles, but raised in Oklahoma, he began his professional career in 1955 and between 1959 and 1968 rode in six Kentucky Derbys. He won the pr ...
with a time of 1:30. The event was idle for two years, and when it resumed the event was scheduled early in the summer meeting in 1970 and needed to be split into two divisions at a distance of six furlongs.
The event has had several changes in distance but returned to the six furlong sprint in 2018.
In 1986 the event was classified as Grade III and was upgraded to Grade II in 1994. However, the event was downgraded back to Grade III in 2004 before being upgraded once more in 2015.
The event's position in the racing calendar at Del Mar has led to the race being a preparatory race for the
Del Mar Debutante Stakes
The Del Mar Debutante Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run each year in early September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 1999, the Debutante is raced on dirt at a distance ...
which is usually scheduled for several weeks later.
The race has produced some prodigious young fillies who have gone on to capture Juvenile honors and even progress as older fillies and mares.
Notable winners of this event include the 1971 winner, Windy's Daughter, whose win in the race was part of an undefeated seven-race season. The following year the filly was crowned the first California-bred Horse of the Year. The 1986 winner
Brave Raj
Brave Raj (1984–2006) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who raced only one year and earned 1986 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly honors and won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.Del Mar Debutante Stakes
The Del Mar Debutante Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run each year in early September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 1999, the Debutante is raced on dirt at a distance ...
Tempera
Tempera (), also known as egg tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as egg yolk. Tempera also refers to the paintings done ...
easily won as the odds-on favorite by nine lengths, the largest victory length in the event and also went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and be crowned the US Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. The last filly to win the Sorrento Stakes and also the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was Champagne Room in 2016.
Lite Light
Lite Light (February 2, 1988 – May 5, 2007) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse.
Background
A daughter of Majestic Light, Lite Light counts Nearco and Princequillo among her ancestors. She was owned by Jack L. Finley at age two and into th ...
Tempera
Tempera (), also known as egg tempera, is a permanent, fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigments mixed with a water-soluble binder medium, usually glutinous material such as egg yolk. Tempera also refers to the paintings done ...
Laffit Pincay Jr.
Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr. (born December 29, 1946, in Panama City, Panama) was once flat racing's winningest all-time jockey, still holding third place many years after his retirement. He competed primarily in the United States.
Career
Pinca ...
(1976, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2000)
* 5 – Bill Shoemaker (1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1984)
* 5 – David Flores (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 7 –
Bob Baffert
Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakne ...
(1991, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2012, 2015)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 – Elmendorf (1974, 1975, 1978)
; Sorrento Stakes –
Del Mar Debutante Stakes
The Del Mar Debutante Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run each year in early September at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. A Grade I event since 1999, the Debutante is raced on dirt at a distance ...
double
* Windy's Daughter (1972), Fleet Peach (1973), Queen to Be (1975), Telferner (1976), Arewehavingfunyet (1985),
Brave Raj
Brave Raj (1984–2006) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who raced only one year and earned 1986 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly honors and won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.Chilukki (1999), Mi Sueno (2009), Executiveprivilege (2012), Bellafina (2018)