American Oaks

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 6 July 2002 as the American Oaks Invitational at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California with a purse of $500,000. The event was won by the British-bred filly Megahertz who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Alex Solis and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel on a disqualification of Dublino who had crossed the finishing line first. Dublino had bumped Megahertz in the stretch drive, and then the whip of jockey Kent Desormeaux hit Megahertz twice in the face, making Megahertz end the race a half-length behind.

The following year, 2003, with a purse increase to $750,000 the winner was the Irish-trained filly Dimitrova who had previously run third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

In 2004 for the third running of the event, American Graded Stakes Committee classified the event with the highest status possible as Grade I. As an invitational event Hollywood Park attempted to attract fillies from around the world. Entrants in the first time the event held Grade I status included fillies from Great Britain, Ireland, France, New Zealand and Japan. The Japanese filly Dance in the Mood finished second as the 7/5 favorite to the English-bred Ticker Tape.

Horse racing history was made on July 3, 2005, when Japanese-bred Cesario, a granddaughter of Sunday Silence, trounced the 6/5 favored and previously undefeated Melhor Ainda, racing away with a sizable four-length margin of victory. Cesario's running time of 1:59.03 stood as a stakes record until 2024.

In the 2006 running of the event Arindel Farms's Wait A While sent off as the 3/1 third choice in a field of eight, drew off to an impressive -length victory over 8-5 favorite Asahi Rising (JPN) and Arravale (CAN) in the invitational's fifth running. Trained by Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher, Wait A While was making just her second career start on the turf. Jockey Garrett Gomez stalked the early pace set by Attima (GB) and made a sweeping three-wide move around the second turn, clearing the field under mild left-handed urging. The connections had to wait several minutes for the race to be declared official after Alex Bisono, rider of Foxysox, alleged interference against Wait a While. Bisono claimed that Wait a While forced him to take up near the quarter-pole as the winner was making her sweeping move to the front of the pack. However, stewards disallowed it, saying Attima caused the traffic problem.

By 2009 was the last running of the event as an Invitational. In 2010 purse money of the event was slashed to $250,000.

The 2011 running of the event produced a dead-heat between Nereid and Cambina which was the first in a Grade I at Hollywood Park since the Richard Mandella-trained pair of Beautiful Melody and Reluctant Guest finished on even terms in the Beverly Hills Handicap on June 30, 1990. It was also the first Grade I victory for both fillies.

With the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack in 2013 the event was moved to Santa Anita Racetrack.

In 2014 and 2015 the event was scheduled in May and since 2016 in December usually on opening day of the Santa Anita Park Winter Meeting.

The race was originally run at miles but in 2016 was cut back to miles to prevent runners from having to race down the Santa Anita hillside turf course and cross the dirt main track. It returned to miles in 2017.

In 2021 the race was transferred from the turf surface to dirt for first time in the history of its runnings, which automatically downgraded the status of the race from a Grade I event to a Grade II. However, after review the Grade I status was reinstated.

Cygames, the Japanese company behind the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise, was the presenting sponsor of the American Oaks in 2025.

Records

Speed record:

• miles: 1:58.69 – She Feels Pretty (2024)

Margins:

• lengths – Wait A While (2006)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 – Kent Desormeaux (2004, 2009, 2016)
• 3 – Mike E. Smith (2012, 2013, 2017)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 2 – Todd Pletcher (2006, 2007)
• 2 – John Shirreffs (2010, 2011)
• 2 – Richard Baltas (2015, 2019)
• 2 – Chad C. Brown (2018, 2020)

Most wins by an owner :

• 2 - Klaravich Stables (2018, 2020)
• 2 - Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (2021, 2023)

Winners

Legend: Notes: † In the 2002 inaugural running, Dublino was first past the post but was disqualified for interference in the straight and Megahertz (GB) was declared the winner.

References

References

1. (25 May 2003). "Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas (Group 1) (Fillies)". Racing Post.
2. "American Oaks Profile".
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4. (2 July 2006). "Pletcher's 'Wait' Pays Off in American Oaks".
5. (16 July 2011). "Cambina, Nereid in American Oaks Dead-Heat".
6. (2021). "AMERICAN OAKS STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online.
7. "Queen Goddess Rules in Off-the-Turf American Oaks". truenicks.com.
8. (30 December 2021). "American Oaks, Mathis Mile Have Grades Restored; The Dec. 26 San Gabriel Stakes (G3) remained downgraded.".
9. (8 December 2025). "Cygames Appointed Sponsor of G1 American Oaks". Santa Anita Park.
10. (28 December 2025). "2025 American Oaks presented by Cygames Grade 1 - (race 11)". Equibase.
11. (26 December 2024). "2024 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 11)". Equibase.
12. (26 December 2023). "2023 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase.
13. (26 December 2022). "2022 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 11)". Equibase.
14. "2021 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 11)".
15. (26 December 2020). "2020 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase.
16. (28 December 2019). "2019 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase.
17. (29 December 2018). "2018 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
18. (30 December 2017). "2017 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 7)". Equibase.
19. (31 December 2016). "2016 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
20. (30 May 2015). "2015 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 5)". Equibase.
21. (31 May 2014). "2014 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
22. (13 July 2013). "2013 American Oaks Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase.
23. (14 July 2012). "2012 American Oaks Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
24. (16 July 2011). "2011 American Oaks Stakes Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase.
25. (3 July 2010). "2010 American Oaks Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
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27. (5 July 2008). "2008 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 9)". Equibase.
28. (7 July 2007). "2007 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 10)". Equibase.
29. (2 July 2006). "2006 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
30. (3 July 2005). "2005 American Oaks Invitational Stakes Grade 1 - (race 8)". Equibase.
31. (3 July 2004). "2004 American Oaks Invitational Grade 1 - (race 6)". Equibase.
32. (5 July 2003). "2003 American Oaks Invitational Listed - (race 5)". Equibase.
33. (6 July 2002). "2002 American Oaks Invitational Listed - (race 7)". Equibase.