Los Alamitos Derby

Last updated
Los Alamitos Derby
ClassListed
Location Los Alamitos Race Course
Los Alamitos, California, United States
Inaugurated1974 (as Swap Stakes at Hollywood Park Racetrack)
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance1+18 miles (9 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightAssigned
Purse$100,000 (2024)

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 $100,000.

Contents

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:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Miles)
Time
Win$
Grade
2025Nevada Beach3Juan J. Hernandez Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman1181:47.59$100,000Listed
2024Wynstock3Kyle Frey Bob Baffert Edward C. Allred & Jack Liebau1181:50.51$100,000Listed
2023Reincarnate3Juan J. Hernandez Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital & Catherine Donovan1181:48.72$75,000Listed
2022High Connection3Juan J. Hernandez Bob Baffert HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud1181:48.98$75,000Listed
2021Classier3 Mike E. Smith Bob Baffert SF Racing, Starlight Racing, & Madaket Stables1181:49.15$90,000G3
2020Uncle Chuck3Luis Saez Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman1181:47.65$90,000G3
2019 Game Winner 3 Joel Rosario Bob Baffert Gary & Mary West 1181:48.30$90,000G3
2018Once On Whisky3 Flavien Prat Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman1181:48.93$90,000G3
2017 West Coast 3 Drayden Van Dyke Bob Baffert Gary & Mary West 1181:48.65$120,000G3
2016 Accelerate 3 Tyler Baze John W. Sadler Hronis Racing (Kosta & Pete Hronis)1181:48.48$120,000G2
2015 Gimme Da Lute 3 Martin Garcia Bob Baffert Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, & Paul Weitman1181:47.09$210,000G2
2014 Shared Belief 3 Mike E. Smith Jerry Hollendorfer Jungle Racing LLC 1181:47.01$300,000G2
2013Chief Havoc3 Rafael Bejarano Peter Miller Paul Makin1181:50.17$90,000G2
2012Blueskiesnrainbows3 Joe Talamo Bob Baffert Bad Boy Racing & Whizway Farms1181:50.89$90,000G2
2011Dreamy Kid3 Joe Talamo Neil Drysdale Robert S. Evans1181:50.43$90,000G2
2010Skipshot3 Joel Rosario Jerry Hollendorfer Olympia Star, Inc.1181:49.94$120,000G2
2009 Misremembered 3 Victor Espinoza Bob Baffert Bob Baffert & George Jacobs1181:49.02$180,000G2
2008Tres Borrachos3 Tyler Baze C. Beau GreelyJohn Greely IV & Phil Houchens1181:49.29$217,650G2
2007 Tiago 3 Mike E. Smith John Shirreffs Ann & Jerry Moss 1181:48.76$220,950G2
2006Arson Squad3 Alex Solis Bruce Headley Jay Em Ess Stable (Samantha Siegel)1181:48.45$217,050G2
2005Surf Cat3 Alex Solis Bruce Headley Marsha Naify & Aase Headley1181:48.07$192,600G2
2004 Rock Hard Ten 3 Corey Nakatani Jason Orman Mercedes Stable 1181:47.47$252,780G2
2003During3 Jerry Bailey Bob Baffert James McIngvale1181:49.38$240,000G2
2002 Came Home 3 Mike E. Smith J. Paco Gonzalez Farish, McCaffery et al.1181:48:28$300,000G2
2001 Congaree 3 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert Stonerside Stable 1181:48.61$300,000G1
2000 Captain Steve 3 Corey Nakatani Bob Baffert Michael Pegram 1181:48.01$300,000G1
1999 Cat Thief 3 Pat Day D. Wayne Lukas Overbrook Farm 1181:47.87$300,000G1
1998 Old Trieste 3 Chris McCarron Mike PuypeCobra Farm (Gary & Betty Biszantz)1181:47.06$300,000G2
1997 Free House 3 Kent Desormeaux J. Paco Gonzalez John Toffan & Trudy McCaffery 1181:45.80$300,000G2
1996Victory Speech3 Jerry Bailey D. Wayne Lukas Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor 1181:48.20$300,000G2
1995 Thunder Gulch 3 Gary Stevens D. Wayne Lukas Michael Tabor 1181:49.00$275,000G2
1994Silver Music3 Chris Antley Wallace Dollase Lauren Cohen1142:00.60$123,800G2
1993Devoted Brass3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Noble Threewitt Don W. Jordens1142:00.60$124,000G2
1992 Bien Bien 3 Chris McCarron J. Paco Gonzalez Trudy McCaffery & John Toffan1142:02.80$123,400G2
1991 Best Pal 3 Pat Valenzuela Gary F. Jones Golden Eagle Farm 1142:00.60$120,000G2
1990Jovial3 Gary Stevens Bruce L. JacksonJack Munari1142:01.20$120,000G2
1989Prized3 Eddie Delahoussaye Neil D. Drysdale Clover Racing & Meadowbrook Farm, et al.1142:01.80$232,400G2
1988Lively One3 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham Thomas J. Curnes (Lessee)1142:01.00$131,200G1
1987Temperate Sil3 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham Frankfurt Stable & Charles E. Whittingham1142:02.20$124,400G1
1986Clear Choice3 Chris McCarron D. Wayne Lukas Eugene V. & Joyce F. Klein 1142:03.60$137,000G1
1985Padua3 Pat Valenzuela Gary F. Jones Elmendorf Farm, Inc. (Maxwell Gluck)1142:01.40$123,500G1
1984 Precisionist 3 Chris McCarron L. Ross Fenstermaker Fred W. Hooper 1141:59.80$121,300G1
1983Hyperborean3 Fernando Toro Jerry M. Fanning Craig B. Singer1142:01.00$97,500G1
1982Journey At Sea3 Chris McCarron L. Ross Fenstermaker Fred W. Hooper 1142:00.20$91,300G1
1981 Noble Nashua 3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Jose A. Martin Flying Zee Stable (Carl Lizza, Jr. & Herbert Hochreiter)1142:01.20$127,000G1
1980First Albert3Francisco Mena Laz Barrera Carmen Barrera1142:00.80$162,200G1
1979Valdez3 Laffit Pincay Jr. Laz Barrera Aaron U. & Marie Jones1141:59.40$124,250G1
1978Radar Ahead3 Darrel McHargue Gary F. Jones Sidney Vail1142:00.00$133,300G1
1977 J. O. Tobin 3 Bill Shoemaker John H. Adams El Peco Ranch (George A. Pope)1141:58.60$194,900G1
1976Majestic Light3 Sandy Hawley John W. Russell Ogden Mills Phipps 1141:59.20$98,200G1
1975Forceten3 Donald Pierce Neil D. Drysdale Saron Stable 1141:59.80$119,800G1
1974Agitate3 Bill Shoemaker James R. JimenezMeeken Stable (John & Paula Kent Meeken)1141:59.60$66,300G1

References

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