Los Alamitos Derby

The Los Alamitos Derby (formerly the Swaps Stakes) is a race for Thoroughbred horses run annually at Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos, California. The race is open to three-year-old horses and is contested at one and one-eighth miles on the dirt. A Listed event, it currently carries a purse of $125,000.

Los Alamitos Derby
Listed race
LocationLos Alamitos Race Course
Los Alamitos, California, United States
Inaugurated1974 (as Swap Stakes at Hollywood Park Racetrack)
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance1+18 miles (9 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightAssigned
Purse$125,000 (2022)

Before 2014, the race was called the Swaps Stakes and was run at Hollywood Park Racetrack before its closure in 2013. At that point, it moved to Los Alamitos.

Prior to 1973 Hollywood Park's stakes schedule included the Hollywood Derby (prior to 1959 named the Westerner), a 114 mile stakes run on dirt which tended to attract top 3 year olds. Horses such as Round Table, Bold Reason, and Riva Ridge won the Hollywood Derby after competing in the U.S. Triple Crown. When the Hollywood Derby changed to 112 miles on the turf in 1973, there was no 114 mile dirt race to attract top 3 year olds from the Triple Crown series. Management decided to add the Swaps Stakes, named in honor of the notable California-bred 1955 Kentucky Derby winner Swaps, to the 1974 July stakes schedule to fill that void. To lure top 3 year olds to enter the Swaps Stakes, at base a $100,000 added event, provisions were included to increase the purse substantially if one or more Triple Crown race winners participated. This came into play the following year when Belmont Stakes winner Avatar entered which triggered an increase of added purse money to $200,000. In 1977 a $300,000 purse attracted Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, who suffered the first loss of his career when he ran fourth to winner J O Tobin.

The Hollywood Derby continued as a 112 mile turf stakes through 1975, after which it was moved to earlier in the meeting to serve as a Kentucky Derby prep race at 118 miles on dirt. This prep would serve Affirmed well in 1978 as he would win the Hollywood Derby en route to becoming the 11th Triple Crown champion. The Hollywood Derby became a permanent turf stakes in 1981, contested first at the Hollywood Park Fall Meet, then moving to Del Mar racetrack in 2014 after the closing of Hollywood Park.

Although the inaugural running of the Swaps Stakes was ungraded, it would be contested as a Grade I event from 1975 through 1988.[1] The race was downgraded to a Grade II event in 1989. It regained Grade I in 1999, but this was short-lived as it became a Grade II again in 2002. In 2017, the race was downgraded once more to a Grade III level. Downgraded to Listed in 2022.

Records

Speed record:

  • 1:59.20 @ 114 miles : Majestic Light (1976)
  • 1:45.80 @ 118 miles : Free House (1997)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

  • 13 - Bob Baffert (2000, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Miles)
Time
Win$
Gr.
2023 Reincarnate 3 Juan J. Hernandez Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan 118 1:48.72 $75,000 Listed
2022 High Connection 3 Juan J. Hernandez Bob Baffert HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud 118 1:48.98 $75,000 Listed
2021 Classier 3 Mike E. Smith Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, & Madaket Stables 118 1:49.15 $90,000 G3
2020 Uncle Chuck 3 Luis Saez Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman 118 1:47.65 $90,000 G3
2019 Game Winner 3 Joel Rosario Bob Baffert Gary & Mary West 118 1:48.30 $90,000 G3
2018 Once On Whisky 3 Flavien Prat Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman 118 1:48.93 $90,000 G3
2017 West Coast 3 Drayden Van Dyke Bob Baffert Gary & Mary West 118 1:48.65 $120,000 G3
2016 Accelerate 3 Tyler Baze John W. Sadler Hronis Racing (Kosta & Pete Hronis) 118 1:48.48 $120,000 G2
2015 Gimme Da Lute 3 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman 118 1:47.09 $210,000 G2
2014 Shared Belief 3 Mike E. Smith Jerry Hollendorfer Jungle Racing LLC 118 1:47.01 $300,000 G2
2013 Chief Havoc 3 Rafael Bejarano Peter Miller Paul Makin 118 1:50.17 $90,000 G2
2012 Blueskiesnrainbows 3 Joe Talamo Bob Baffert Bad Boy Racing & Whizway Farms 118 1:50.89 $90,000 G2
2011 Dreamy Kid 3 Joe Talamo Neil Drysdale Robert S. Evans 118 1:50.43 $90,000 G2
2010 Skipshot 3 Joel Rosario Jerry Hollendorfer Olympia Star, Inc. 118 1:49.94 $120,000 G2
2009 Misremembered 3 Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert Bob Baffert & George Jacobs 118 1:49.02 $180,000 G2
2008 Tres Borrachos 3 Tyler Baze C. Beau Greely John Greely IV & Phil Houchens 118 1:49.29 $217,650 G2
2007 Tiago 3 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Ann & Jerry Moss 118 1:48.76 $220,950 G2
2006 Arson Squad 3 Alex Solis Bruce Headley Jay Em Ess Stable (Samantha Siegel) 118 1:48.45 $217,050 G2
2005 Surf Cat 3 Alex Solis Bruce Headley Marsha Naify & Aase Headley 118 1:48.07 $192,600 G2
2004 Rock Hard Ten 3 Corey Nakatani Jason Orman Mercedes Stable 118 1:47.47 $252,780 G2
2003 During 3 Jerry Bailey Bob Baffert James McIngvale 118 1:49.38 $240,000 G2
2002 Came Home 3 Mike E. Smith J. Paco Gonzalez Farish, McCaffery et al. 118 1:48:28 $300,000 G2
2001 Congaree 3 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert Stonerside Stable 118 1:48.61 $300,000 G1
2000 Captain Steve 3 Corey Nakatani Bob Baffert Michael Pegram 118 1:48.01 $300,000 G1
1999 Cat Thief 3 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas Overbrook Farm 118 1:47.87 $300,000 G1
1998 Old Trieste 3 Chris McCarron Mike Puype Cobra Farm (Gary & Betty Biszantz) 118 1:47.06 $300,000 G2
1997 Free House 3 Kent Desormeaux J. Paco Gonzalez John Toffan & Trudy McCaffery 118 1:45.80 $300,000 G2
1996 Victory Speech 3 Jerry Bailey D. Wayne Lukas Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor 118 1:48.20 $300,000 G2
1995 Thunder Gulch 3 Gary Stevens D. Wayne Lukas Michael Tabor 118 1:49.00 $275,000 G2
1994 Silver Music 3 Chris Antley Wallace Dollase Lauren Cohen 114 2:00.60 $123,800 G2
1993 Devoted Brass 3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Noble Threewitt Don W. Jordens 114 2:00.60 $124,000 G2
1992 Bien Bien 3 Chris McCarron J. Paco Gonzalez Trudy McCaffery & John Toffan 114 2:02.80 $123,400 G2
1991 Best Pal 3 Pat Valenzuela Gary F. Jones Golden Eagle Farm 114 2:00.60 $120,000 G2
1990 Jovial 3 Gary Stevens Bruce L. Jackson Jack Munari 114 2:01.20 $120,000 G2
1989 Prized 3 Eddie Delahoussaye Neil D. Drysdale Clover Racing & Meadowbrook Farm, et al. 114 2:01.80 $232,400 G2
1988 Lively One 3 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham Thomas J. Curnes (Lessee) 114 2:01.00 $131,200 G1
1987 Temperate Sil 3 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham Frankfurt Stable & Charles E. Whittingham 114 2:02.20 $124,400 G1
1986 Clear Choice 3 Chris McCarron D. Wayne Lukas Eugene V. & Joyce F. Klein 114 2:03.60 $137,000 G1
1985 Padua 3 Pat Valenzuela Gary F. Jones Elmendorf Farm, Inc. (Maxwell Gluck) 114 2:01.40 $123,500 G1
1984 Precisionist 3 Chris McCarron L. Ross Fenstermaker Fred W. Hooper 114 1:59.80 $121,300 G1
1983 Hyperborean 3 Fernando Toro Jerry M. Fanning Craig B. Singer 114 2:01.00 $97,500 G1
1982 Journey At Sea 3 Chris McCarron L. Ross Fenstermaker Fred W. Hooper 114 2:00.20 $91,300 G1
1981 Noble Nashua 3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Jose A. Martin Flying Zee Stable (Carl Lizza, Jr. & Herbert Hochreiter) 114 2:01.20 $127,000 G1
1980 First Albert 3 Francisco Mena Laz Barrera Carmen Barrera 114 2:00.80 $162,200 G1
1979 Valdez 3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Laz Barrera Aaron U. & Marie Jones 114 1:59.40 $124,250 G1
1978 Radar Ahead 3 Darrel McHargue Gary F. Jones Sidney Vail 114 2:00.00 $133,300 G1
1977 J. O. Tobin 3 Bill Shoemaker John H. Adams El Peco Ranch (George A. Pope) 114 1:58.60 $194,900 G1
1976 Majestic Light 3 Sandy Hawley John W. Russell Ogden Mills Phipps 114 1:59.20 $98,200 G1
1975 Forceten 3 Donald Pierce Neil D. Drysdale Saron Stable 114 1:59.80 $119,800 G1
1974 Agitate 3 Bill Shoemaker James R. Jimenez Meeken Stable (John & Paula Kent Meeken) 114 1:59.60 $66,300 G1

References

  1. "Historical Graded Stakes Races". toba.com. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
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