American Oaks
| Grade 1 race | |
 |
|
| Location |
Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, USA (relocated from the now closed Hollywood Park Racetrack Inglewood, California) |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 2002 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Santa Anita Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 1⁄4 miles (2,000 meters) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Invitational, Fillies age Three |
| Weight | Northern Hemisphere Fillies 121 lbs / Southern Hemisphere Fillies 125 lbs |
| Purse | $300,000 (2016) |
The American Oaks Invitational Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA (moved from early July when it was run at the now closed Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California). Open to three-year-old fillies, it is contested at a distance of one and one-quarter miles on turf.
Since its inception in 2002, it has striven to become a world class race by bringing in some of the best fillies from all over the world, currently offering a purse of US $300,000.
The American Oaks was first run as a Grade I event in 2004. Prior to 2004, it was a listed stakes race.
(In 2016, this race was cut back to 1 1/8 miles from its original 1 1/4-mile distance to prevent runners from having to charge down the Santa Anita hillside turf course and cross the dirt main track.)
The inaugural running of the American Oaks ended with a disqualification, as Dublino was disqualified from first place to second after several incidents happened with Megahertz (GB) on the track.
After an inquiry, it was shown that 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.
Following a win in the Matriarch Stakes with Dress To Thrill (IRE), Dermot Weld pushed for another win at Hollywood Park, as Dimitrova under David R. Flores drove to a win at the second running of the American Oaks, defeating Sand Springs.
With the race under new G1 status, the field of horses had a diversified mix, the most notable horse being Dance in the Mood (JPN), a descendant of famed racehorse Sunday Silence. However, the favorite came up short.
By trapping Dance in the Mood at the rail and staying outside, Ticker Tape (GB) then drove past Dance in the Mood, and securing the win.
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Wikipedia