FrontRunner Stakes

FrontRunner Stakes

Grade I race
Location	Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, United States
Inaugurated	1970
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.oaktreeracing.com
Race information
Distance	1 ^1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Surface	dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Two-year-olds
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$300,000

The FrontRunner is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually near the end of September during the Oak Tree Racing Association meet at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade I event, it is open to two-year-old horses and is held at a distance o one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt.

This race is a Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Season qualifying race. The winner receives 10 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.^[1]

The race is currently part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series. The winner automatically qualifies for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

First run in 1970, it was formerly a Grade I event but eventually became a Grade II near the end of the 1990s. However, the American Graded Stakes Committee announced its return to Grade I status for 2007.

The race was run over a distance of 1 mile from 1997 through 2001. It was run in two divisions in 1980.

In 2012, this race was renamed as FrontRunner Stakes having formerly being referred to as the Norfolk Stakes.^[2]

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of 1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles)

• 1:41.27 - Ruler's Court (2003)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 7 - Alex Solis (1985, 1991, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 7 - Bob Baffert (1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2014)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 - Golden Eagle Farm (1990, 1992, 1997)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2015	Nyquist	Mario Gutierrez	Doug F. O'Neill	Reddam Racing	1:44.89
2014	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	Zayat Stables	1:41.95
2013	Bond Holder	Mario Gutierrez	Doug F. O'Neill	Reddam Racing	1:45.02
2012	Power Broker	Rafael Bejarano	Bob Baffert	Gary & Mary West	1:44.44
2011	Creative Cause	Joel Rosario	Mike Harrington	Heinz Steinman	1:42.66
2010‡	Jaycito	Mike E. Smith	Mike Mitchell	Zayat Stables	1:44.17
2009	Lookin at Lucky	Garrett Gomez	Bob Baffert	M. Pegram, K. Watson, P. Weitman	1:43.11
2008	Street Hero	Alex Solis	Myung Kwon Cho	Myung Kwon Cho	1:42.12
2007	Dixie Chatter	Richard Migliore	Richard E. Mandella	Herman Sarkowsky	1:42.64
2006	Stormello	Kent Desormeaux	William L. Currin	William L. Currin & Al Eisman	1:43.10
2005	Brother Derek	Alex Solis	Dan L. Hendricks	Cecil N. Peacock	1:44.38
2004	Roman Ruler	Corey Nakatani	Bob Baffert	Fog City Stable	1:44.27
2003	Ruler's Court	Alex Solis	Eoin G. Harty	Darley Stable	1:41.27
2002	Kafwain	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1:42.75
2001	Essence of Dubai	Alex Solis	Eoin G. Harty	Godolphin Racing	1:37.16
2000	Flame Thrower	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	Gary M. Garber	1:34.86
1999	Dixie Union	Alex Solis	Richard E. Mandella	Diamond A Racing/Herman Sarkowsky	1:35.79
1998	Buck Trout	Eddie Delahoussaye	Mike C. Harrington	Heinz Steinmann	1:37.55
1997	Souvenir Copy	Gary Stevens	Bob Baffert	Golden Eagle Farm	1:36.00
1996	Free House	Kent Desormeaux	J. Paco Gonzalez	Trudy McCaffery & John Toffan	1:43.54
1995	Future Quest	Kent Desormeaux	Ron McAnally	VHW Stables	1:43.31
1994	Supremo	Gary Stevens	Richard W. Mulhall	The Thoroughbred Corp.	1:43.48
1993	Shepherd's Field	Chris McCarron	Brad MacDonald	Camptown Stable	1:43.11
1992	River Special	Kent Desormeaux	Robert B. Hess, Jr.	Golden Eagle Farm	1:43.58
1991	Bertrando	Alex Solis	Bruce Headley	505 Farms	1:42.87
1990	Best Pal	Pat Valenzuela	Ian P. D. Jory	Golden Eagle Farm	1:42.80
1989	Grand Canyon	Chris McCarron	D. Wayne Lukas	D. W. Lukas & Overbrook Farm	1:43.20
1988	Hawkster	Pat Valenzuela	Ron McAnally	J. Shelton Meredith	1:43.40
1987	Saratoga Passage	Joe Steiner	Robert W. Leonard	Saratoga I Stable	1:45.00
1986	Capote	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	D. Wayne Lukas	Barry Beal, L. R. French, Jr. & E. V. Klein	1:45.20
1985	Snow Chief	Alex Solis	Melvin F. Stute	Grinstead & Rochelle	1:44.60
1984	Chief's Crown	Don MacBeth	Roger Laurin	Star Crown Stable	1:42.40
1983	Fali Time	Sandy Hawley	Gary F. Jones	James L. Mamakos & Marc Stubrin	1:44.20
1982	Roving Boy	Eddie Delahoussaye	Joseph Manzi	Robert E. Hibbert	1:41.60
1981	Stalwart	Chris McCarron	D. Wayne Lukas	Marvin L. Warner	1:42.20
1980	Sir Dancer	Frank Olivares	Charles M. Marikian	George Arakelian Farms	1:43.80
1980	High Counsel	Larry Gilligan	Charles Whittingham	Nelson Bunker Hunt	1:42.80
1979	The Carpenter	Chris McCarron	Willard L. Proctor	Cardiff Stud Farm	1:41.80
1978	Flying Paster	Don Pierce	Gordon C. Campbell	Bernard J. Ridder	1:42.20
1977	Balzac	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Mrs. Howard B. Keck	1:45.40
1976	Habitony	Bill Shoemaker	Tommy Doyle	Anton W. Pejsa	1:42.00
1975	Telly's Pop	Francisco Mena	Melvin F. Stute	H. W. Koch/T. Savalas	1:43.60
1974	George Navonod	Don Pierce	Gordon C. Campbell	Navonod Stables	1:42.20
1973	Money Lender	Jerry Lambert	Johnny Longden	Hazel Longden	1:42.60
1972	Groshawk	Bill Shoemaker	Charles Whittingham	Mr. & Mrs. Quinn Martin	1:42.20
1971	MacArthur Park	Bill Shoemaker	Tommy Doyle	Mark Three Stable	1:41.80
1970	June Darling	William Mahorney	Warren Stute	Clement L. Hirsch	1:43.00

‡ In 2010 run at Hollywood Park.

See also

• Road to the Kentucky Derby

References

1. "Road to the Kentucky Derby". http://www.kentuckyderbyinfographic.com. Churchill Downs Inc. External link in |work= (help)
2. Older horses take spotlight in new-look Santa Anita stakes

• The 2008 Norfolk Stakes at the NTRA