Cecil B. DeMille Stakes
Annual US horse race
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The Cecil B. DeMille Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the turf track scheduled annually in November at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The event currently carries a purse of $100,000.
| Class | Grade III |
|---|---|
| Location | Del Mar Racetrack Del Mar, California, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1982 (as Hoist The Flag Stakes at Hollywood Park Racetrack) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Website | Del Mar |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Two-years-old |
| Weight | 124 lbs. with allowances |
| Purse | $100,000 (since 2015) |
History
The event was inaugurated on 11 November 1982 as the Hoist The Flag Stakes at Hollywood Park Racetrack and was won by Fifth Division who was trained by A. Thomas Doyle and ridden by the US Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in a time of 1:353⁄5.[1] The event was named in honor of Hoist The Flag, the 1970 US Champion Two-Year-Old Colt whose career was cut short due to injury as a three-year-old. Hoist The Flag was successful as a sire and as a broodmare sire, he was the leading juvenile sire in North America in 1981 and the leading broodmare sire in 1987.
In 1986 the event was classified as Grade III[2] and in 1988 the event was upgraded to Grade II. However, the event that year was moved off the turf course and both divisions were held on the muddy dirt course.[3] After one more running the event was downgraded back to Grade III in 1990.[4]
In 1993 the event was renamed to the Generous Stakes after the Irish bred Generous who in a period of seven weeks in 1991 won the Epsom Derby by five lengths, the Irish Derby by three lengths and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes by a record seven lengths. In 2005 the event was not held because the newly planted Hollywood Park's turf course had failed to root properly. [5]
The event has been run in split divisions six times, the last of which was in 2006.[6]
With the closure of Hollywood Park Racetrack in 2013 the event was renamed in 2014 to the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes and moved to Del Mar Racetrack. The movie producer Cecil B. DeMille and movie stars often frequented Del Mar Racetrack in the 1930s and ’40s. His grandson, Joseph Harper has been in a management position at Del Mar since 1978 and became CEO of the track in 1990.[7]
Records
Speed record:
- 1 mile: 1:34.28 - The Leopard (2007)
Margins:
- 9 lengths – Incurable Optimist (1998)
Most wins by an owner:
- 2 - Henry Pabst (1991, 1992)
- 2 - Budget Stable (1997, 2015)
- 2 - Gary Barber (2010, 2011)
- 2 - Calumet Farm (2016, 2017)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 5 - Chris McCarron (1983, 1984, 1987, 1996, 1997)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 3 - Bob Baffert (2001, 2012, 2022)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Del Mar – Cecil B. DeMille Stakes | |||||||||
| 2025 | Unrivaled Time | Diego A. Herrera | Leonard Powell | Innergy Racing & Alfred Pais | 1 mile | 1:36.42 | $101,000 | III | [8] |
| 2024 | Clock Tower | John R. Velazquez | Wesley A. Ward | Mrs. Fitriani Hay | 1 mile | 1:36.78 | $101,000 | III | [9] |
| 2023 | Stay Hot | Antonio Fresu | Peter Eurton | Burns Racing, Exline-Border Racing, SAF Racing, The Estate of Brereton C. Jones & William Dan Hudock | 1 mile | 1:35.89 | $102,000 | III | [10] |
| 2022 | Speed Boat Beach | Flavien Prat | Bob Baffert | Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman | 1 mile | 1:35.38 | $101,500 | III | [11] |
| 2021 | Verbal | Jose Ortiz | Chad Brown | Juddmonte | 1 mile | 1:36.16 | $100,000 | III | [12] |
| 2020 | Beer Can Man | Juan Hernandez | Mark Glatt | Little Red Feather Racing & Sterling Stable | 1 mile | 1:34.75 | $103,000 | III | [13] |
| 2019 | Smooth Like Strait | Geovanni Franco | Michael W. McCarthy | Cannon Thoroughbreds | 1 mile | 1:36.02 | $102,808 | III | [14] |
| 2018 | Flying Scotsman | Flavien Prat | Jerry Hollendorfer | Calumet Farm | 1 mile | 1:34.44 | $100,000 | III | [15] |
| 2017 | Analyze It | Jose L. Ortiz | Chad Brown | William H. Lawrence | 1 mile | 1:35.05 | $102,070 | III | [16] |
| 2016 | Term of Art | Joseph Talamo | Doug F. O'Neill | Calumet Farm | 1 mile | 1:41.69 | $100,690 | III | Off turf[17] |
| 2015 | Dressed in Hermes | Mike E. Smith | Janet Armstrong | Budget Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.13 | $101,750 | III | [18] |
| 2014 | Conquest Typhoon | Mike E. Smith | Mark E. Casse | Conquest Stables | 1 mile | 1:36.25 | $150,750 | III | [19] |
| At Hollywood Park – Generous Stakes | |||||||||
| 2013 | Global View | Joseph Talamo | Thomas F. Proctor | Glen Hill Farm | 1 mile | 1:36.25 | $100,250 | III | [20] |
| 2012 | Den's Legacy | Garrett K. Gomez | Bob Baffert | Westrock Stables | 1 mile | 1:36.32 | $100,000 | III | [21] |
| 2011 | Stoney Fleece | Joel Rosario | John W. Sadler | Cecil & Gary Barber | 1 mile | 1:34.77 | $100,000 | III | [22] |
| 2010 | Comma to the Top | Corey Nakatani | Peter L. Miller | Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum & Kevin Tsujihara | 1 mile | 1:34.77 | $100,000 | III | [23] |
| 2009 | Who's Up | Victor Espinoza | Kathy Walsh | M Racing | 1 mile | 1:34.39 | $100,000 | III | [24] |
| 2008 | Mr. Rod | Chantal Sutherland | Dan L. Hendricks | Cecil N. Peacock | 1 mile | 1:35.04 | $109,300 | III | [25] |
| 2007 | The Leopard | Garrett K. Gomez | Todd A. Pletcher | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor | 1 mile | 1:34.28 | $111,800 | III | [26] |
| 2006 | Warning Zone | Corey Nakatani | John W. Sadler | Rising Sun Racing Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.59 | $75,000 | III | Division 1[27] |
| Whatsthescript (IRE) | Isaias D. Enriquez | Manuel F. Marques | Tommy Town Thoroughbreds | 1:36.04 | $75,000 | Division 2[28] | |||
| 2005 | Race not held | ||||||||
| 2004 | Dubleo | Corey Nakatani | Todd A. Pletcher | James T. Scatuorchio, Jake Pletcher & Pete Wetterman | 1 mile | 1:37.21 | $100,000 | III | [29] |
| 2003 | Castledale (IRE) | Julie Krone | Jeff Mullins | Frank Lyons & Greg Knee | 1 mile | 1:35.43 | $100,000 | III | [30] |
| 2002 | § Peace Rules | Victor Espinoza | Robert J. Frankel | Edmund A. Gann | 1 mile | 1:35.49 | $200,000 | III | [31] |
| 2001 | Mountain Rage | David R. Flores | Bob Baffert | Jacobs & Natalie Moss | 1 mile | 1:40.31 | $200,000 | III | [32] |
| 2000 | Startac | Alex O. Solis | Simon Bray | Allen E. Paulson Trust | 1 mile | 1:34.76 | $200,000 | III | [33] |
| 1999 | Jokerman | Pat Day | Neil D. Drysdale | David & Jill Heerensperger | 1 mile | 1:35.23 | $200,000 | III | [34] |
| 1998 | Incurable Optimist | John R. Velazquez | David G. Donk | John & Theresa Behrendt | 1 mile | 1:37.72 | $250,000 | III | [35] |
| 1997 | Mantles Star (GB) | Chris McCarron | Kathy Walsh | Budget Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.73 | $250,000 | III | [36] |
| 1996 | Hello (IRE) | Chris McCarron | Ron McAnally | Al & Saundra S. Kirkwood | 1 mile | 1:34.77 | $250,000 | III | [37] |
| 1995 | Old Chapel | Gary L. Stevens | John C. Kimmel | Sherwood Stable & December Hill Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.11 | $250,000 | III | [38] |
| 1994 | Native Regent | Dave Penna | David R. Bell | John A. Franks | 1 mile | 1:37.15 | $250,000 | III | [39] |
| 1993 | Delineator | Russell Baze | Fordell Fierce | Ron Crockett | 1 mile | 1:34.73 | $250,000 | III | [40] |
| Hoist the Flag Stakes | |||||||||
| 1992 | Earl of Barking (IRE) | Alex O. Solis | Richard J. Cross | Henry Pabst | 1 mile | 1:34.73 | $250,000 | III | [41] |
| 1991 | Silver Ray | Martin A. Pedroza | Brian A. Mayberry | Ann & Jerry Moss | 1 mile | 1:35.00 | $125,400 | III | Division 1[42] |
| Contested Bid | Corey Nakatani | Maurice Zilber | Henry Pabst | 1:34.41 | $122,400 | Division 2[43] | |||
| 1990 | Satis (FR) | Corey Black | Christian Doumen | Lonimar Stables | 1 mile | 1:35.20 | $112,800 | III | [44] |
| 1989 | Single Dawn | Alex O. Solis | Ron McAnally | Jack Kent Cooke | 1 mile | 1:35.60 | $114,600 | II | [45] |
| 1988 | Music Merci | Gary L. Stevens | Craig Anthony Lewis | Pendleton & Royal T Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.40 | $98,450 | II | † Division 1[3] |
| Shipping Time | Corey Black | Melvin F. Stute | I. S. Longo | 1:37.20 | $98,450 | † Division 2[3] | |||
| 1987 | Purdue King | Chris McCarron | Irv Guiney | John Valpredo | 1 mile | 1:36.00 | $94,750 | III | Division 1[46] |
| White Mischief | Jose A. Santos | LeRoy Jolley | Peter Brant | 1:35.80 | $112,625 | Division 2[47] | |||
| 1986 | Persevered | Gary L. Stevens | Laz Barrera | Ethel D. Jacobs | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.80 | $113,050 | III | Division 1[48] |
| ƒ Sweettuc | Gary L. Stevens | Charles E. Whittingham | Nelson Bunker Hunt | 1:41.60 | $143,050 | Division 2[49] | |||
| 1985 | Darby Fair | Antonio Lopez Castanon | Melvin F. Stute | Golden Eagle Farm | 1 mile | 1:37.00 | $191,400 | Off turf[50] | |
| 1984 | Overtrump | Chris McCarron | Jerry M. Fanning | Singer & T 90 Ranch | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.80 | $146,350 | [51] | |
| 1983 | Artichoke | Bill Shoemaker | Jerry M. Fanning | Tom E. Gentry | 1 mile | 1:38.80 | $93,800 | Division 1[52] | |
| Precisionist | Chris McCarron | L. Ross Fenstermaker | Fred W. Hooper | 1:37.60 | $83,950 | Division 2[53] | |||
| 1982 | Fifth Division | Laffit Pincay Jr. | A. Thomas Doyle | Mr. & Mrs. Felty J. Yoder | 1 mile | 1:35.60 | $53,450 | [1] | |
Legend:
Dirt
Turf
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry
ƒ Filly or Mare
† Off turf