American Oaks

The American Oaks is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the turf held annually in late December Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event currently offers a purse of US$300,000.

American Oaks

Grade 1 race
Location	Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, USA
Inaugurated	2002 (at Hollywood Park Racetrack as American Oaks Invitational)
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Santa Anita Park
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄4 miles
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-old Fillies
Weight	124 lbs.
Purse	$300,000 (2019)

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 6 July 2002 as the American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California with a purse of $500,000. The event was won by the British-bred filly Megahertz who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel on a disqualification of Dublino who had crossed the finishing line first.^[1] Dublino had bumped Megahertz in the stretch drive, and then the whip of jockey Kent Desormeaux hit Megahertz twice in the face, making Megahertz end the race a half-length behind.^[1]

The following year, 2003, with a purse increase to $750,000 the winner was the Irish-trained filly Dimitrova who had previously run third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.^[2]

In 2004 for the third running of the event, American Graded Stakes Committee classified the event with the highest status possible as Grade I.^[3] As an invitational event Hollywood Park attempted to attract fillies from around the world. Entrants in the first time the event held Grade I status included fillies from Great Britain, Ireland, France, New Zealand and Japan. The Japanese filly Dance in the Mood finished second as the 7/5 favorite to the English-bred Ticker Tape.^[4]

Horse racing history was made on July 3, 2005, when Japanese-bred Cesario, a granddaughter of Sunday Silence, trounced the 6/5 favored and previously undefeated Melhor Ainda, racing away with a sizable four-length margin of victory.^[5] Cesario became the first Japanese-bred and Japan-based racehorse in nearly a half-century to win a US stakes race (Hakuchikara won the Washington's Birthday Handicap at Santa Anita in 1959 upsetting US champion Round Table). Cesario's 2005 victory win was big news in Japan, as Japanese media swarmed Cesario and her rider, Yuichi Fukunaga in the winner's circle as the Japanese flag waved over an American holiday weekend. Before the race, Japan TV broadcast a one-hour-long TV show live from Hollywood Park about Cesario and her run at the American Oaks.^[6]

In the 2006 running of the event Arindel Farms's Wait A While sent off as the 3/1 third choice in a field of eight, drew off to an impressive 4+1⁄2-length victory over 8-5 favorite Asahi Rising (JPN) and Arravale (CAN) in the invitational's fifth running. Trained by Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher, Wait A While was making just her second career start on the turf. Jockey Garrett Gomez stalked the early pace set by Attima (GB) and made a sweeping three-wide move around the second turn, clearing the field under mild left-handed urging. The connections had to wait several minutes for the race to be declared official after Alex Bisono, rider of Foxysox, alleged interference against Wait a While. Bisono claimed that Wait a While forced him to take up near the quarter-pole as the winner was making her sweeping move to the front of the pack. However, stewards disallowed it, saying Attima caused the traffic problem.^[7]

By 2009 was the last running of the event as an Invitational. In 2010 purse money of the event was slashed to $250,000.

The 2011 running of the event produced a dead-heat between Nereid and Cambina which was the first in a Grade I at Hollywood Park since the Richard Mandella-trained pair of Beautiful Melody and Reluctant Guest finished on even terms in the Beverly Hills Handicap on June 30, 1990. It was also the first Grade I victory for both fillies.^[8]

With the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack in 2013 the event was moved to Santa Anita Racetrack.^[9]

In 2014 and 2015 the event was scheduled in May and since 2016 in December usually on opening day of the Santa Anita Park Winter Meeting.

The race was originally run at 1+1⁄4 miles but in 2016 was cut back to 1+1⁄8 miles to prevent runners from having to race down the Santa Anita hillside turf course and cross the dirt main track. It returned to 1+1⁄4 miles in 2017.^[3]

In 2021 the race was transferred from the turf surface to dirt for first time in the history of its runnings, which automatically downgraded the status of the race from a Grade I event to a Grade II.^[10] However, after review the Grade I status was reinstated.^[11]

Records

Speed record:

• 1+1⁄4 miles: 1:59.03 – Cesario (JPN) (2005)

Margins:

• 4+1⁄2 lengths – Wait A While (2006)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 – Kent Desormeaux (2004, 2009, 2016)
• 3 – Mike E. Smith (2012, 2013, 2017)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 2 – Todd Pletcher (2006, 2007)
• 2 – John Shirreffs (2010, 2011)
• 2 – Richard Baltas (2015, 2019)
• 2 – Chad C. Brown (2018, 2020)

Most wins by an owner :

• 2 - Klaravich Stables (2018, 2020)
• 2 - Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (2021, 2023)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
At Santa Anita Park
2023	Anisette (GB)	Umberto Rispoli	Leonard Powell	Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.22	$300,000	I	[12]
2022	Rhea Moon (IRE)	Juan J. Hernandez	Philip D'Amato	Rockingham Ranch & Talla Racing	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.75	$301,000	I	[13]
2021	Queen Goddess	Juan Hernandez	Michael McCarthy	Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & TOLO Thoroughreds	1+1⁄4 miles	2:04.72	$302,500	I	Off turf[14]
2020	Duopoly	Flavien Prat	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.70	$302,500	I	[15]
2019	Lady Prancealot (IRE)	Joe Bravo	Richard Baltas	Craig & Josie Arntz, Donald Durando, Jerry McClanahan, Jules & Michael Iavarone, Jerry McClanahan	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.70	$301,053	I	[16]
2018	Competitionofideas	Joel Rosario	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	1+1⁄4 miles	1:59.77	$301,035	I	[17]
2017	Daddys Lil Darling	Mike E. Smith	Kenneth G. McPeek	Normandy Farm	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.11	$301,380	I	[18]
2016	Decked Out	Kent J. Desormeaux	J. Keith Desormeaux	Head of Plains Partners, Big Chief Racing & Gene A. Voss	1+1⁄8 miles	1:47.86	$302,415	I	[19]
2015	Spanish Queen	Brice Blanc	Richard Baltas	Harry Bederian, Harout Kamberian & Hagop Nakkashian	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.93	$400,250	I	[20]
2014	Room Service	Shaun Bridgmohan	Wayne M. Catalano	Gary & Mary West	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.28	$350,750	I	[21]
At Hollywood Park
2013	Emollient	Mike E. Smith	William I. Mott	Juddmonte Farms	1+1⁄4 miles	2:02.38	$350,750	I	[22]
2012	Lady of Shamrock	Mike E. Smith	John W. Sadler	Hronis Racing	1+1⁄4 miles	2:03.19	$350,000	I	[23]
2011	Cambina (IRE)	Martin Garcia	Jeff Bonde	Anthony Bilich, Charles Cline, George Schmitt, Dennis Raihill et al	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.46	$250,000	I	Dead heat[24]
	Nereid	Joseph Talamo	John Shirreffs	Eric N. Kronfeld
2010	Harmonious	Martin Garcia	John Shirreffs	Pam and Marty Wygod	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.77	$250,000	I	[25]
2009	Gozzip Girl	Kent J. Desormeaux	Thomas Albertrani	Farnsworth Stables	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.22	$700,000	I	[26]
2008	Pure Clan	Julien R. Leparoux	Robert E. Holthus	Lewis G. Lakin, IEAH Stables & Pegasus Holding Group Stable	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00.50	$750,000	I	[27]
2007	Panty Raid	Edgar S. Prado	Todd A. Pletcher	Glencrest Farm LLC	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.53	$750,000	I	[28]
2006	Wait A While	Garrett K. Gomez	Todd A. Pletcher	Arindel Farms	1+1⁄4 miles	1:59.38	$750,000	I	[29]
2005	Cesario (JPN)	Yuichi Fukunaga	Katsuhiko Sumii	U Carrot Farm	1+1⁄4 miles	1:59.03	$750,000	I	[5]
2004	Ticker Tape (GB)	Kent J. Desormeaux	James M. Cassidy	Jim Ford, Deron Pearson & Jack Sweesy	1+1⁄4 miles	2:01.54	$750,000	I	[4]
2003	Dimitrova	David R. Flores	Dermot K. Weld	Joseph Higgins	1+1⁄4 miles	1:59.98	$750,000	Listed	[30]
2002	†Megahertz (GB)	Alex O. Solis	Robert J. Frankel	Michael Bello	1+1⁄4 miles	2:00:46	$500,000	Listed	[1]

Legend:
  Dirt   Turf
Notes:
† In the 2002 inaugural running, Dublino was first past the post but was disqualified for interference in the straight and Megahertz (GB) was declared the winner.

See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races

External links

• The 2008 American Oaks at the NTRA
• American Oaks 2007 Brochure

References

1. "2002 American Oaks Invitational Listed - (race 7)". Equibase. 6 July 2002. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
2. "Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas (Group 1) (Fillies)". Racing Post. 25 May 2003. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
3. "American Oaks Profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
4. "2004 American Oaks Invitational Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase. 3 July 2004. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
5. "2005 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 3 July 2005. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
6. "Japanese import Cesario wins American Oaks". ESPN.com. The Associated Press. 4 July 2005. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
7. Shinar, Jack (2 July 2006). "Pletcher's 'Wait' Pays Off in American Oaks". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
8. Shinar, Jack (16 July 2011). "Cambina, Nereid in American Oaks Dead-Heat". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
9. "AMERICAN OAKS STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
10. "Queen Goddess Rules in Off-the-Turf American Oaks". truenicks.com. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
11. King, Byron (30 December 2021). "American Oaks, Mathis Mile Have Grades Restored; The Dec. 26 San Gabriel Stakes (G3) remained downgraded". Retrieved 31 December 2021.
12. "2023 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
13. "2022 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 11)". Equibase. 26 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
14. "2021 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 11)". Equibase. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
15. "2020 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase. 26 December 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
16. "2019 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase. 28 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
17. "2018 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 29 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
18. "2017 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 7)". Equibase. 30 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
19. "2016 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
20. "2015 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
21. "2014 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
22. "2013 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
23. "2012 American Oaks Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
24. "2011 American Oaks Stakes Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase. 16 July 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
25. "2010 American Oaks Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 3 July 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
26. "2009 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
27. "2008 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
28. "2007 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 10)". Equibase. 7 July 2007. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
29. "2006 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase. 2 July 2006. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
30. "2003 American Oaks Invitational Listed - (race 5)". Equibase. 5 July 2003. Retrieved 9 December 2021.