The Sunland Park Oaks (formerly the WinStar Oaks) is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and mares willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. The Oaks, an ungraded stakes event, is held in March at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino (founded in 1959) in New Mexico.
Once sponsored by WinStar Farm in Kentucky where Distorted Humor and Tiznow stand, the race offers a purse of $200,000. Begun as a one and one sixteenth mile race, then taken down to a mile, it is now back to one and one-sixteenth.
Since 2013, the Oaks has been part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, a series of races through which fillies qualify for the Kentucky Oaks.
The race was not run in 2016 due to an outbreak of equine herpesvirus.[1]
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey and Mike E. Smith, as well as jockeys Patrick Valenzuela and Cash Asmussen, all began their careers at Sunland Park.
Past winners
- 2017 – Ghalia (1:44.24) (José Ortiz)
- 2016 – not run
- 2015 – Maybellene (1:42.90) (Victor Espinoza)
- 2014 – Awesome Baby (1:43.80) (Mike E. Smith)
- 2013 – Midnight Lucky (1:41.06) (Rafael Bejarano) (Set track record for 1 1/16 miles at Sunland)
- 2012 – Princess Arabella (1:43.52) (Martin Garcia)
- 2011 – Plum Pretty (1:43.18) (Martin Garcia)
- 2010 – Harissa (Tyler Baze)
- 2009 – Gabby's Golden Gal (1:43.31) (Victor Espinoza)
- 2008 – Sky Mom (1:44.50) (Garrett Gomez)
- 2007 – Tough Tiz's Sis (1:45.18 ) (Victor Espinoza)
- 2006 – Sweet Forty (1:43.73) (Victor Espinoza)
- 2005 – Cee's Irish
- 2004 – Speedy Falcon (1:36.57)
- 2003 – Island Fashion (1:44.20) (Ignacio Puglisi)
- 2002 – No Turbulence (1:38.11) (Daryl Montoya)
- 2001 – Gems and Gold (1:38.60) (Daryl Montoya)
See also
- Road to the Kentucky Oaks
References
- ^ "Sunland Park Cancels Derby, Oaks". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 16 September 2016.