Hot Springs Stakes
The Hot Springs Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1944 at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A race for horses age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 6 furlongs.
| Listed stakes race | |
| Location | Oaklawn Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1944 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Oaklawn.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 6 furlongs (3/4 mile) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Four-year-olds and up |
| Purse | $200,000 (2021) |
Historical notes
The February 28, 1944 inaugural running of the Hot Springs Stakes at six furlongs was run on a heavy track. The race was won by Momo Flag, owned and trained by Adelard Lamoureux.[1] [2] On November 15, 1944, Momo Flag showed he was far more than just a sprinter when he won the Exterminator Handicap at Pimlico Race Course over the marathon distance of two miles and 70 yards. Remarkably, after that gruelling distance to the finish line, Momo Flag only beat Miss Ruth McClanaghan's Harford by a nose.[3]
Wilbur M. Giles' gelding E J Harley won this race a record three consecutive years from 1998 through 2000. Whitmore, owned by the partnership group of Robert V. LaPenta, trainer Ron Moquett, and Head of Plains Partners, broke that record in 2020 with his fourth straight win.[1] The 2014 winner Work All Week went on to win that year's Breeders' Cup Sprint and would be voted American Champion Sprint Horse.[4][5]
References
- "Oaklawn 2020 Media Guide". Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
- "Race Entries and Results - Oaklawn Park". Troy Record. 1944-03-01. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Momo Flag Wins By Nose At Pimlico". The Courier-Journal, page 22. 1944-11-16. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
- "Event By Year". Breederscup.com. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- "Eclipse Awards". NTRA. 2021-01-03. Retrieved 2021-01-03.