The Bel Air Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race run in mid July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Open to horses age three and older, it was contested on dirt at a distance of a mile and a sixteenth. In its final year it was a Grade III event offering a purse of U.S$.$100,000.
First run in 1939, the Bel Air Handicap was not run again until 1968. From 1980 through 1982 there was no race run.
In 1997, winner Crafty Friend equaled the Hollywood Park track record for a mile and a sixteenth with a time of 1:40 flat.
Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
2001 | Smile Again | 6 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | Ron McAnally | Sidney & Jenny Craig | 1:41.74 |
2000 | Euchre | 4 | Alex Solis | Robert J. Frankel | Frank Stronach | 1:41.76 |
1999 | River Keen | 7 | Chris Antley | Bob Baffert | Hugo Reynolds | 1:40.69 |
1998 | Free House | 4 | Chris McCarron | J. Paco Gonzalez | Toffan & McCaffery | 1:41.60 |
1997 | Crafty Friend | 4 | Alex Solis | Wallace Dollase | The Thoroughbred Corp. | 1:40.00 |
1996 | Cleante | 7 | Chris McCarron | Ron McAnally | Janis R. Whitham | nf |
1995 | Soul of the Matter | 4 | Gary Stevens | Richard Mandella | Burt Bacharach | 1:41.00 |
Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to the racetrack complex. Horse racing and training were shut down in December 2013 though the casino operations continued until a new state of the art casino building, the new Hollywood Park Casino, opened in October 2016.
The Seabiscuit Handicap is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf track scheduled annually in late November at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
The American Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for horses age four and older over a distance of one mile on the turf track held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in April. The race currently offers a purse of $100,000.
The Great Lady M Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older run over a distance of six and one half furlongs on the dirt held annually in July at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California.
The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid July at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade 2 race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one mile and three-sixteenths on the dirt.
The Bayakoa Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three and older run over a distance of one and one sixteenth miles on the dirt held annually in early December at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, California. The event currently offers a purse of $100,000.
The Honeymoon Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf course scheduled annually in late May or early June at Santa Anita Park. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.
The Precisionist Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event open to horses, age three and up, it was contested over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on Cushion Track synthetic dirt. The race was named for the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame horse, Precisionist who won this race in 1985 in which he set a Hollywood Park track record for the then one mile distance.
The Awesome Again Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three years old or older over the distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $300,000.
The San Juan Capistrano Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of 1 mi 1,232 yd (2.736 km) run on the turf track held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in June. The event currently offers a purse of $100,000. It is one of the longest graded grass races in the United States.
The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $200,000.
The King Edward Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The Grade II turf race is open to horses aged three and older and is raced over a distance of one mile. Run in late June or early July, it currently offers a purse of CAD$200,000.
Rahy was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and the United States.
The Native Diver Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older over a distance of one and one eighth miles on the dirt held annually in late November at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event offers a purse of $100,000.
The Hawthorne Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in May from 1974 thru 2008 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. The race was open to fillies and mares age three and older and regularly drew from the West Coast's top female runners.
The Los Angeles Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California during the spring racing season. It was previously run at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California), which closed in 2013. A Grade III sprint race run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs, it is open to horses aged three and older.
The Affirmed Stakes is a Listed American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in late-June. The race currently offers a purse of $100,000.
The Wilshire Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age four and older. The race runs over a distance of one mile on turf track and is scheduled annually in May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California.
The Trenton Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Open to horses age three and older, the race was contested on dirt at various distances during its tenure:
William B. Finnegan was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.