Location | Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, United States |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1935 |
Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
Website | www.santaanita.com |
Race information | |
Distance | about 1¾ miles (about 14 furlongs) |
Track | Grass, left-handed |
Qualification | Four-years-old & up |
Weight | Assigned |
Purse | $250,000 |
The San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap is an American invitational handicap Thoroughbred horse race run annually on turf at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is North America's longest graded stakes race. Open to horses age four and older, the Grade II event currently offers a purse of $250,000. Run during the second half of April as the traditional closing-day feature at Santa Anita Park, at about 1¾ miles it is the longest grass race in America. Since 1965 it has been an invitational handicap.
Inaugurated in 1935, for 1940 only it was limited to three-year-olds and for three-year-olds and older in all other years prior to 1968. From its inception through 1953, the race was contested on dirt, then in 1954 it was converted to a turf event. Over the years, it has been run at various distances:
In 1964, the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap was run in two divisions.
With the increasing emphasis on speed horses bred to compete in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic distance of 1¼ miles on dirt, during the last two decades longer races run on grass or dirt in North America have been in decline. Once a Grade I event, the about 1¾ miles San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap now holds a Grade II classification. Since 2007, the winner of the San Juan Capistrano has received ballot free entry into Australia's greatest horse race and the staying championship of the world, the Melbourne Cup. As of 2008, no San Juan Capistrano winner has made the trip to Flemington for the Melbourne Cup.
At age eight, Niarkos (1968) and Mashkour (1991) are the oldest horses to win the event.
The March 11, 1966 edition of the San Juan Capistrano Invitational Handicap was seen by 60,792 fans, the largest crowd of the season, who turned out to say farewell to retiring U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden. Fittingly, without ever using the whip as he always did, Longden guided George Royal from fifteen lengths back in last place to a thrilling photo-finish win. [1]
Contents |
Speed record:
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Trainer |
Owner |
Time |
2011 | Juniper Pass | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Ray Bell | Betty & Robert Irvin | 2:47.74 |
2010 | Bourbon Bay | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Neil Drysdale | Jill Heerensperger | 2:44.52 |
2009 | Midships | 4 | Victor Espinoza | Bobby Frankel | Juddmonte Farms | 2:49.26 |
2008 | Big Booster | 7 | Rafael Bejarano | Mike Mitchell | S. & W. Anastasi/J. Ukegawa | 2:45.50 |
2007 | On the Acorn | 6 | Victor Espinoza | Mike Mitchell | Indizguys Stable | 2:48.02 |
2006 | T. H. Approval | 5 | Alex Solis | Eduardo Inda | Tadahiro Hotehama | 2:45.29 |
2005 | T. H. Approval | 4 | Rene Douglas | Eduardo Inda | Tadahiro Hotehama | 2:45.02 |
2004 | Meteor Storm | 5 | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | Wallace Dollase | Jarvis, Margolis, et al. | 2:45.98 |
2003 | Passinetti | 7 | Brice Blanc | Ben D. A. Cecil | Gary A. Tanaka | 2:46.97 |
2002 | Ringaskiddy | 6 | Ed Delahoussaye | Juan J. Garcia | Garcia/L. L. Scofield | 2:44.49 |
2001 | Bienamado | 5 | Chris McCarron | J. Paco Gonzalez | McCaffery & Toffan/Sangster | 2:42.96 |
2000 | Sunshine Street | 5 | Jerry Bailey | Neil D. Drysdale | Pat Garvey | 2:49.06 |
1999 | Single Empire | 5 | Kent Desormeaux | Neil D. Drysdale | R. Sangster/G. Tanaka | 2:45.93 |
1998 | Amerique | 4 | Ed Delahoussaye | Ron McAnally | VHW Stables | 2:47.08 |
1997 | Marlin | 4 | Ed Delahoussaye | D. Wayne Lukas | Michael Tabor | 2:44.56 |
1996 | Raintrap | 6 | Alex Solis | Robert J. Frankel | Juddmonte Farms | 2:46.40 |
1995 | Red Bishop | 7 | Mike E. Smith | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin Racing | 2:48.02 |
1994 | Bien Bien | 5 | Chris McCarron | J. Paco Gonzalez | McCaffery & Toffan | 2:46.69 |
1993 | Kotashaan | 5 | Kent Desormeaux | Richard Mandella | La Presle Farm | 2:45.00 |
1992 | Fly Till Dawn | 6 | Patrick Valenzuela | Darrell Vienna | Josephine T. Gleis | 2:46.53 |
1991 | Mashkour | 8 | Chris McCarron | Robert J. Frankel | Dale & Morley Engleson | 2:47.60 |
1990 | Delegant | 6 | Kent Desormeaux | Michael Whittingham | Evergreen Farm | 2:46.60 |
1989 | Nasr El Arab | 4 | Patrick Valenzuela | Charles Whittingham | Sheikh Mohammed | 2:51.40 |
1988 | Great Communicator | 5 | Ray Sibille | Thad Ackel | Class Act Stable | 2:51.60 |
1987 | Rosedale | 4 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | Charles Whittingham | Nelson Bunker Hunt | 2:49.00 |
1986 | Dahar | 5 | Alex Solis | Charles Whittingham | Summa Stable | 2:48.20 |
1985 | Prince True | 4 | Chris McCarron | Charles Whittingham | Mrs. Howard B. Keck | 2:47.80 |
1984 | Load The Cannons | 4 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | Charles Whittingham | Summa Stable | 2:48.00 |
1983 | Erins Isle | 5 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | Charles Whittingham | Brian Sweeney | 2:48.60 |
1982 | Lemhi Gold | 4 | Walter Guerra | Laz Barrera | Aaron U. Jones | 2:45.60 |
1981 | Obraztsovy | 6 | Patrick Valenzuela | Charles Whittingham | Pascoe III & Sweeney | 2:50.40 |
1980 | John Henry | 5 | Darrel McHargue | Ron McAnally | Dotsam Stable | 2:46.80 |
1979 | Tiller | 5 | Angel Cordero, Jr. | David A. Whiteley | William Haggin Perry | 2:48.00 |
1978 | Exceller | 5 | Bill Shoemaker | Charles Whittingham | Belair Stud Ltd. & Hunt | 2:51.00 |
1977 | Properantes | 4 | Darrel McHargue | Tommy Doyle | Getty/Richards/Riordan | 2:47.60 |
1976 | One on the Aisle | 4 | Sandy Hawley | J. Elliott Burch | Rokeby Stable | 2:50.00 |
1975 | La Zanzara | 5 | Donald Pierce | Charles Whittingham | Aaron U. Jones | 2:52.20 |
1974 | Astray | 5 | Jacinto Vasquez | David A. Whiteley | William Haggin Perry | 2:45.40 |
1973 | Queen’s Hustler | 4 | Rudy Rosales | Gene Cleveland | Laguna Seca & Ward | 2:46.40 |
1972 | Practicante | 6 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | Charles Whittingham | Claiborne Farm | 2:45.60 |
1971 | Cougar II | 5 | Bill Shoemaker | Charles Whittingham | Mary F. Jones | 2:46.20 |
1970 | Fiddle Isle † | 5 | Bill Shoemaker | Charles Whittingham | Howard B. Keck | 2:46.40 |
1970 | Quicken Tree † | 7 | Fernando Alvarez | William T. Canney | L. R. Rowan/W. Whitney | 2:46.40 |
1969 | Petrone | 5 | Johnny Sellers | Robert L. Wheeler | Flag Is Up Farms/Constantine | 2:47.40 |
1968 | Niarkos | 8 | Alvaro Pineda | Johnny Adams | Hasty House Farm | 2:47.80 |
1967 | Niarkos | 7 | Alvaro Pineda | Johnny Adams | Hasty House Farm | 2:50.20 |
1966 | George Royal | 5 | Johnny Longden | Donald Richardson | R. W. Hall / E. Hammond | 2:48.80 |
1965 | George Royal | 4 | Johnny Longden | George Dunn | R. W. Hall / E. Hammond | 2:46.80 |
1964 | Cedar Key | 4 | Manuel Ycaza | Don McCoy | Jerry Basta | 2:48.00 |
1964 | Mr. Consistency | 6 | Kenneth Church | James I. Nazworthy | Mrs. Ann Peppers | 2:49.00 |
1963 | Pardao | 5 | Ismael Valenzuela | William J. Hirsch | Ray Bell (Lessee) | 2:48.20 |
1962 | Olden Times | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | Mesh Tenney | Rex C. Ellsworth | 2:53.00 |
1961 | Don't Alibi | 5 | Bill Shoemaker | Matt Dragna | Dragna & Son & Santoro | 2:48.00 |
1960 | Amerigo | 5 | William Hartack | Harris Brown | Mrs. Tilyou Christopher | 2:47.80 |
1959 | Royal Living | 4 | Ralph Neves | Charles Whittingham | Llangollen Farm | 2:45.40 |
1958 | Promised Land | 4 | Ismael Valenzuela | Hirsch Jacobs | Ethel D. Jacobs | 2:52.00 |
1957 | Corn Husker | 4 | Eddie Arcaro | Charles Whittingham | Llangollen Farm | 2:55.00 |
1956 | Bobby Brocato | 5 | George Taniguchi | William Molter | M/M Travis M. Kerr | 2:49.40 |
1955 | St. Vincent | 4 | Johnny Longden | Vance Longden | Gardiner/Alberta Ranches | 2:46.80 |
1954 | By Zeus | 4 | Raymond York | William J. Hirsch | Mrs. Edward Lasker | 2:26.00 |
1953 | Intent | 5 | Eddie Arcaro | William J. Hirsch | Brookfield Farm | 2:55.60 |
1952 | Intent | 4 | Eric Guerin | William J. Hirsch | Brookfield Farm | 2:55.00 |
1951 | Be Fleet | 4 | Johnny Longden | George E. Mayberry | Andrew J. Crevolin | 2:56.00 |
1950 | Noor | 5 | Johnny Longden | Burley Parke | Charles S. Howard | 2:52.80 |
1949 | Miss Grillo | 7 | Johnny Adams | Horatio Luro | Mill River Stable | 2:29.00 |
1948 | no race | |||||
1947 | no race | |||||
1946 | Triplicate | 5 | Job Dean Jessop | Clyde Phillips | Fred Astaire | 2:28.40 |
1945 | Bric-A-Bac | 4 | Conn McCreary | J. H. Logan | Freeman & Church | 2:29.20 |
1944 | no race | |||||
1943 | no race | |||||
1942 | no race | |||||
1941 | Mioland | 4 | Leon Haas | Tom Smith | Charles S. Howard | 2:30.80 |
1940 | Mioland | 3 | Johnny Adams | Tom Smith | Charles S. Howard | 1:45.20 |
1939 | Cravat | 4 | Jack Westrope | Walter Burrows | Townsend. B. Martin | 2:30.40 |
1938 | Indian Broom | 5 | Harry Richards | Darrell Cannon | Austin C. Taylor | 1:51.40 |
1937 | Seabiscuit | 4 | Red Pollard | Tom Smith | Charles S. Howard | 1:48.80 |
1936 | Whopper | 4 | Willie Saunders | Duval A. Headley | Hal Price Headley | 1:50.00 |
1935 | Head Play | 5 | Charles Kurtsinger | J. Thomas Taylor | Mrs. Silas B. Mason | 1:51.40 |
On dirt:
On turf: