Joe Hernandez Stakes

ClassGrade III

LocationSanta Anita Park
Arcadia, California, United States

Inaugurated2008

Joe Hernandez Stakes
Race information
Class	Grade III
Location	Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, United States
Inaugurated	2008
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.santaanita.com
Distance	about 6+1⁄2 furlongs
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed (Downhill)
Qualification	Four-year-olds & up
Weight	124 lbs with allowances
Purse	$250,000 (2022)

The Joe Hernandez Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old or older over the distance of 6+1⁄2 furlongs on the turf scheduled annually in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $250,000.

Inaugurated in 2008, the race is named in honor of Joe Hernandez, the race caller at Santa Anita Park from the time the track opened on Christmas Day 1934 until his death in 1972. Hernandez called 15,587 races in a row at Santa Anita during that time.^[1]

The event was predominantly raced on the downhill turf course over the about 6+1⁄2 furlongs distance.^[2] In 2010 the event was moved to the synthetic All Weather track due to weather.^[2] The 2015 running was also moved off the turf but by then Santa Anita Park had restored the natural dirt track.^[2]

In 2019 the event was upgraded to Grade III and a year later to Grade II.^[3]

In 2020 the event was moved and run using the backstretch start at a distance of 5+1⁄2 furlongs on turf, and the following year the event was run on the newly extended backstretch and close to the former distance of 6+1⁄2 furlongs.^[2]

The 2017 winner Stormy Liberal followed up winning the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and repeating that effort in 2018.

The event was run twice in the calendar year in 2022 due to scheduling changes.^[2]

Records

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
Joe Hernandez Stakes
2025	Gas Me Up	5	Mirco Demuro	Peter Eurton	Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy & Tom Zwiesler	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:10.88	$202,500	II	^[4]
2024	Motorious	6	Antonio Fresu	Philip D'Amato	Anthony Fanticola	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.86	$201,500	II	^[5]
2023	Forbidden Kingdom	4	Flavien Prat	Richard Mandella	MyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.92	$203,500	II	^[6]
2022 (Dec)	Air Force Red	4	Juan Hernandez	Leonard Powell	Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Holly Golightly	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.53	$252,500	II	^[7]
2022 (Jan)	Chewing Gum	6	Umberto Rispoli	William I. Mott	Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable & Jerold Zaro	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:15.47	$251,000	II	^[8]
2021	Hembree	7	Joel Rosario	Peter L. Miller	Tom Kagele	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:13.80	$201,000	II	^[9]
2020	Texas Wedge	5	Flavien Prat	Peter L. Miller	Altamira Racing Stable, Rafter JR Ranch, STD Racing Stable & A. Miller	5+1⁄2 furlongs	1:02.47	$202,500	II	^[10]
2019	Caribou Club	5	Joseph Talamo	Thomas F. Proctor	Glen Hill Farm	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.66	$101,053	III	^[11]
2018	Pee Wee Reese	5	Joseph Talamo	Philip D'Amato	Nicholas B. Alexander	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.37	$98,375	Listed	^[12]
2017	Stormy Liberal	5	Norberto Arroyo Jr.	Peter L. Miller	Rockingham Ranch	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.89	$80,035	Listed	^[13]
2016	Guns Loaded	5	Santiago Gonzalez	Doug F. O'Neill	Westside Rentals.com, Neil Haymes, Leo Rodriguez & Steve Rothblum	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.60	$79,190	Listed	^[14]
2015	Distinctiv Passion	5	Edwin A. Maldonado	Jeffrey L. Bonde	Edward J. Brown Jr., Alan Klein & Phillip Lebherz	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:14.33	$74,284		^[15]
2014	Sweet Swap	5	Joseph Talamo	John W. Sadler	Hronis Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.28	$76,900		^[16]
Joe Hernandez Handicap
2013	Unbridled's Note	4	Corey Nakatani	Steven M. Asmussen	Mike McCarty	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:11.17	$76,900		^[17]
2012	Mr Gruff	8	Joel Rosario	Ronald W. Ellis	Gary Broad	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.06	$79,880		^[18]
Joe Hernandez Stakes
2011	Regally Ready	4	Corey Nakatani	Steven M. Asmussen	Vinery Stables	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.98	$79,150	Listed	^[19]
2010	Sangaree	5	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Darley Stable	6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:15.28	$60,350		^[20]
2009	Noble Court	5	Joel Rosario	John W. Sadler	Joy Ride Racing	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.16	$71,300		^[21]
2008	Desert Code	4	Richard Migliore	David E. Hofmans	Tarabilla Farms	abt. 6+1⁄2 furlongs	1:12.36	$76,850	Listed	^[22]

Legend:
Turf All Weather Track Dirt

Joe Hernandez Stakes

Records

Winners

References

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