The Sunland Park Oaks (formerly the WinStar Oaks) is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and mares racing one mile (formerly one and one sixteenth miles) on the dirt. The Oaks, an ungraded stakes event, is currently held in February 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 mile (8 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old fillies |
| Purse | $250,000 |
Once sponsored by WinStar Farm in Kentucky where Distorted Humor and Tiznow stand, the race offers a purse of $250,000. Begun as a one and one sixteenth mile race, then taken down to a mile, it went back to a one and one-sixteenth mile and in 2024 returned again to one mile.
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. As of 2024, the Sunland Park Oaks offers Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points of 20-10-6-4-2 to the respective top five finishers. [1]
The race was not run in 2016 due to an outbreak of equine herpesvirus.[2] The race was not run in 2020 or 2021 due to the worldwide pandemic. [3]
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
editSpeed 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)
- 2 - Chris G. Coleman (2004, 2023)
Winners
edit| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Recharge | Joel Rosario | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1 m | 1:37.27 |
| 2023 | Flying Connection | Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. | Todd W. Fincher | Brad King, Randy Andrews, Chris G. Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby & Lee Lewis | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.90 |
| 2022 | Cleopatras Charge | Jorge Carreno | Gary W. Cross | Samuel F. Henderson | 1-1/16 m | 1:46.33 |
| 2021 | Race not held | |||||
| 2020 | ||||||
| 2019 | Chasing Yesterday | Drayden Van Dyke | Bob Baffert | Summer Wind Equine (Jane Lyon) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.18 |
| 2018 | Blamed | Ken S. Tohill | Joel H. Marr | Cleber Massey | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.32 |
| 2017 | Ghalia | José Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | Sumaya U.S. Stable | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.24 |
| 2016 | Race not held | |||||
| 2015 | Maybellene | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Natalie J. Baffert | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.90 |
| 2014 | Awesome Baby | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | Kaleem Shah, Inc. | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.80 |
| 2013 | Midnight Lucky | Rafael Bejarano | Bob Baffert | Karl Watson, Mike Pegram & Paul Weitman | 1-1/16 m | 1:41.06 |
| 2012 | Princess Arabella | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | Peachtree Stable (John P. Fort) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.52 |
| 2011 | Plum Pretty | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | Peachtree Stable (John P. Fort) | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.18 |
| 2010 | Harissa | Tyler Baze | David Hofmans | Gem, Inc. | 1-1/16 m | 1:42.90 |
| 2009 | Gabby's Golden Gal | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Arnold Zetcher | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.31 |
| 2008 | Sky Mom | Garrett Gomez | Steven M. Asmussen | Heather Stark | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.50 |
| 2007 | Tough Tiz's Sis | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | Watson and Weitman Performances, LLC | 1-1/16 m | 1:45.18 |
| 2006 | Sweet Fourty | Victor Espinoza | Jeffrey L. Mullins | Michael House | 1-1/16 m | 1:43.73 |
| 2005 | Cee's Irish | Corey Nakatani | Douglas F. O'Neill | Merv Griffin Ranch Co. | 1-1/16 m | 1:44.66 |
| 2004 | Speedy Falcon | Ricardo Jaime | Henry Dominguez | Chris G. Coleman | 1 m | 1:36.57 |
| 2003 | Island Fashion | Ignacio Puglisi | Nick Canani | Everest Stable, Inc. | 1 m | 1:36.29 |
| 2002 | No Turbulence | Daryl Montoya | J. Eric Kruljac | Frank Lewkowitz, Dennis Grenier & Noreen Grenier | 1 m | 1:38.11 |
| 2001 | Gems and Gold | Daryl Montoya | Ramon Gonzalez | Anthony J. Trujillo & Aimee Trujillo | 1 m | 1:38.60 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Stronghold favored in shortened Sunland Derby". kentuckyderby.com. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Sunland Park Cancels Derby, Oaks". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
- ^ "Sunland Derby canceled; racetrack and casino temporarily closed as a precaution". ktsm.com. Retrieved 13 February 2024.