Vernon O. Underwood Stakes

Last updated
Midnight Lute Stakes
ClassGrade III
Location Hollywood Park Racetrack
Inglewood, California, United States
Inaugurated1981
Race type Thoroughbredflat racing
Website www.hollywoodpark.com
Race information
DistanceSix and a half-furlong sprint
Surface Cushion Track synthetic dirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree-years-old and up
WeightAssigned
Purse$100,000

The Vernon O. Underwood Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Raced in late November, the Grade III event is open to horses age three and older. It is contested on Cushion Track synthetic dirt at a distance of six furlongs.

Contents

Inaugurated as the National Sprint Championship Stakes, in 1990 the name was changed to honor Vernon O. Underwood (1907–1990), a California businessman. [1] After Hollywood Park closed, the race is run as the Midnight Lute Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

In 2001, H. Eugene Reed's eight-year-old gelding Men's Exclusive became the first back-to-back winner of the race and its oldest winner.

The race was run in two divisions in 1981, 1982, 1984,1986, and in 2016

Records

Speed record:

Most wins:

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners since 1989

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
2017Silent Bird5 Kent Desormeax Mark GlattNorman Stables, LLC1:09.39
2016Solid Wager,ST Joe Bay (Dead Heat)5,4 Kent Desormeax, Victor Esponoza Peter MillerBarber, Gary and Cecil and Stanford Stable,Al Tamira Racing Stable and David A. Bernsen1:15.03
2016San Onofre6 Alex Solis Karen HeadleyMatson Racing1:14.82
2014Distinctiv Passion4 Mike E Smith Jeff Bonde Peter Redekop B. C., Ltd.1:14.55
2013 Majestic Stride 4 Edwin Maldonado Jeff Bonde Brown/Klein/Lebherz1:08.87
2012 Smiling Tiger 5 Rafael Bejarano Jeff Bonde Alan Klein/Philip Lebherz1:11.24
2011Pacific Ocean4 Joel Rosario Mike Mitchell JMJ Racing Stable1:08.48
2010Cost of Freedom7 Joe Talamo John W. Sadler Gary & Cecil Barber1:08.46
2009 Kinsale King 4 Martin Garcia Carl O'Callaghan Patrick Sheehy1:09.67
2008Johnny Eves4 Garrett Gomez Jay M. Robbins Sharon Hilliard1:07.90
2007Bushwacker5 Joseph Talamo William L. Currin Currin & Alvin Eisman1:08.47
2006 Sailors Sunset 3 Jon Court Marcelo Polanco Everest stables1:07.79
2005Bordonaro4 Pat Valenzuela William B. Spawr F. Carrillo & D. Casse1:08.11
2004Taste of Paradise5 Jose Valdivia, Jr. Gary Mandella David Bloom1:08.04
2003Watchem Smokey3 Julie Krone Robert J. Frankel Edmund A. Gann 1:08.93
2002Debonair Joe3 Julie Krone Juan Pablo Silva Lynne H. Ristad1:09:17
2001Men's Exclusive8 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Wesley A. Ward H. Eugene Reed1:09.04
2000Men's Exclusive7 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Wesley A. Ward H. Eugene Reed1:09.02
1999Five Star Day3 Alex Solis C. Beau Greely Columbine Stable1:09.91
1998Love That Jazz4 Kent Desormeaux Neil Drysdale Irving & Marge Cowan1:08.79
1997Tower Full5 Corey Nakatani Craig Dollase Moon S. Han1:08.17
1996Paying Dues4 Pat Day Clifford Sise, Jr. Ballantyne, Owen & Welty1:08.24
1995Powis Castle4 Gary Stevens Rodney Rash Vistas Stables 1:08.40
1994 Wekiva Springs 3 Kent Desormeaux Robert Hess, Jr. Dizney & English1:08.37
1993Meafara4 Gary Stevens Gary F. Jones Frank Muench1:10.01
1992Gundaghia5 Gary Stevens Bob Baffert Goodman & Kieckhefer1:09.33
1991Individualist4 Kent Desormeaux David Hofmans Golden Eagle Farm1:08.86
1990Frost Free5 Chris McCarron John W. Sadler Triple Dot Dash Stable & Vandervoort1:08.20
1989Olympic Prospect5 Alex Solis John W. Sadler Alsdorf, Opas & Sinatra1:08.80

Earlier winners

References

  1. "About Young's". YoungsMarket.com. Retrieved January 21, 2017.