December 26 promises to be one of the most important days in the history of 1/ST Racing. It’s opening day of the Classic Meet at Santa Anita, opening day of the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park and host date of the Christmastide Day stakes card at Laurel Park. All month, 1/ST BET will prepare you for a 26th of December to Remember with special content.
The 22nd running of the Grade 1 American Oaks will be a major part of the phenomenal day of racing. Top 3-year-old fillies will battle over a mile and one-quarter on turf, which has been the same distance since the 2002 inaugural. The American Oaks initially was held at Hollywood Park, but moved to Santa Anita in 2014 after the shuttering of the facility once known as the ‘track of the lakes and flowers.’
Let’s pay homage to the foundation set at Hollywood Park for the American Oaks.
2002: 9-5 favorite Megahertz wins the inaugural American Oaks after Dublino is disqualified for interference.
2003: Dimitrova gets the international cast on the board in the American Oaks for Irish training legend Dermot Weld.
2005: Japan’s Cesario romps to a 4-length victory and avenges the loss in the previous year’s edition my her countrymate Dance in the Mood, runner-up as the favorite in ’04.
2007: Panty Raid gives trainer Todd Pletcher back-to-back scores in the American Oaks, following Wait A While’s ’06 victory.
2011: Five runners hit the wire together as Nereid and Cambina finish in a dead-heat (pictured above). Trainer John Shirreffs sent out Neried as well as narrow, third-place finisher Star Billing.
2013: Emollient wins the final American Oaks held at Hollywood Park as Hall of Famers Bill Mott and Mike Smith team up for the victory.
The 26th of December to Remember Stakes Lineup
Gulfstream Park | Championship Meet | Opening Day
$100K Tropical Park Derby
$100K Tropical Park Oaks
Santa Anita | Classic Meet | Opening Day
$300K G1 Malibu
$300K G1 American Oaks
$300K G1 La Brea
$200K G2 Mathis Mile
$200K G2 San Antonio
$200K G2 San Gabriel
Laurel Park | Christmastide Day Stakes
$100K Carousel
$100K Dave’s Friend
$100K Gin Talking
$100K Heft
$100K Robert Manfuso
$100K Willa On the Move
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