Sunland Park Oaks
The Sunland Park Oaks (formerly the WinStar Oaks) is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and mares willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The Oaks, an ungraded stakes event, is held in March at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino (founded in 1959) in New Mexico.
| Listed stakes race | |
| Location | Sunland Park Racetrack, Sunland Park, New Mexico, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2001 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old fillies |
| Purse | $200,000 |
Once sponsored by WinStar Farm in Kentucky where Distorted Humor and Tiznow stand, the race offers a purse of $200,000. Begun as a one and one sixteenth mile race, then taken down to a mile, it is now back to one and one-sixteenth.
Since 2013, the Oaks has been part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, a series of races through which fillies qualify for the Kentucky Oaks.
The race was not run in 2016 due to an outbreak of equine herpesvirus.[1]
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey and Mike E. Smith, as well as jockeys Patrick Valenzuela and Cash Asmussen, all began their careers at Sunland Park.
Records
Speed record:
- 1:41.06 @ 1 1/16 miles: Midnight Lucky (2013) (new track record)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 4 - Victor Espinoza (2006, 2007, 2009, 2015)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 8 - Bob Baffert (2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019)
Most wins by an owner:
- 2 - Karl Watson, Paul Weitman (2007, 2013)
- 2 - Peachtree Stable (2011, 2012)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
Dist. (Miles) |
Time | Purse$ | Gr. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Chasing Yesterday | 3 | Drayden Van Dyke | Bob Baffert | Summer Wind Equine (Jane Lyon) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.18 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2018 | Blamed | 3 | Ken Tohill | Joel H. Marr | Cleber Massey | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.32 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2017 | Ghalia | 3 | José Ortiz | Todd Pletcher | Sumaya U.S. Stable | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.24 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2016 | Race not held | ||||||||
| 2015 | Maybellene | 3 | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Natalie J. Baffert | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.90 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2014 | Awesome Baby | 3 | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | Kaleem Shah, Inc. | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.80 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2013 | Midnight Lucky | 3 | Rafael Bejarano | Bob Baffert | Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.06 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2012 | Princess Arabella | 3 | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | Peachtree Stable (John P. Fort) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.52 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2011 | Plum Pretty | 3 | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | Peachtree Stable (John P. Fort) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.18 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2010 | Harissa | 3 | Tyler Baze | David Hofmans | Gem, Inc. | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.90 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2009 | Gabby's Golden Gal | 3 | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Arnold Zetcher | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.31 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2008 | Sky Mom | 3 | Garrett Gomez | Steve Asmussen | Heather Stark | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.50 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2007 | Tough Tiz's Sis | 3 | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Watson and Weitman Performances, LLC | 1-1/16 m | 1:45.18 | $200,000 | L/R |
| 2006 | Sweet Fourty | 3 | Victor Espinoza | Jeffrey L. Mullins | Michael House | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.73 | $250,000 | L/R |
| 2005 | Cee's Irish | 3 | Corey Nakatani | Douglas F. O'Neill | Merv Griffin Ranch Co. | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.66 | $259,000 | L/R |
| 2004 | Speedy Falcon | 3 | Ricardo Jaime | Henry Dominguez | Chris Coleman | 1 m | 1:36.57 | $260,193 | L/R |
| 2003 | Island Fashion | 3 | Ignacio Puglisi | Nick Canani | Everest Stable, Inc. | 1 m | 1:36.29 | $256,450 | L/R |
| 2002 | No Turbulence | 3 | Daryl Montoya | J. Eric Kruljac | Frank Lewkowitz, Dennis & Noreen Grenier | 1 m | 1:38.11 | $77,700 | L/R |
| 2001 | Gems and Gold | 3 | Daryl Montoya | Ramon Gonzalez | Anthony J. & Aimee Trujillo | 1 m | 1:38.60 | $42,300 | |
See also
References
- "Sunland Park Cancels Derby, Oaks". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.