- Source: Affirmed Stakes (LATC)
The Affirmed Stakes is a Listed American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in late-June. The race currently offers a purse of $100,000.
History
The inaugural running of the event was on 30 June 1979 at Hollywood Park Racetrack as the Silver Screen Handicap at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles and was won by the promising three year old Valdez who won by 10 lengths, which continues to be the longest winning margin in the event.
The event inherited the grading classification which was Grade II from the Argonaut Handicap which some sources believe is the predecessor to the event. However, the former Hollywood Park Media Guide management organization and the current Santa Anita management consider the event to have no connection.
In 1993 the race was renamed to the Affirmed Handicap in honor of the 1978 U.S. Triple Crown champion, Affirmed.
In 1995 the distance of the event was decreased to 1+1⁄16 miles.
After Hollywood Park Racetrack was closed in 2013 the race was moved to Santa Anita Park.
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Santa Anita closed their track and the event was cancelled
In 2023 the American Graded Stakes Committee downgraded the event to a Listed race.
Records
Speed record:
1+1⁄16 miles – 1:40.83 General Challenge (1999)
1+1⁄8 miles – 1:46.80 Journey At Sea (1982)
Largest margin of victory:
10 lengths – Valdez (1979)
Most wins by a jockey:
5 – Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1979, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992)
Most wins by a trainer:
7 – Bob Baffert (1999, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2024)
Most wins by an owner:
2 – Karl Watson, Michael E. Pegram & Paul Weitman (2011, 2015)
Winners
See also
List of American and Canadian Graded races
