The Delaware Oaks Stakes is an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually in mid July at

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia ...

in Stanton near

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

. Part of the Del Cap Festival Weekend that features other races over the two days including the

Delaware Handicap The Delaware Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Delaware Park Racetrack in Wilmington, Delaware. The Grade III race is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, willing to race one mile and one eighth on the dirt. ...

, the Oaks is open to three-year-old

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, th ...

and is run over one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt. Currently, the Grade III race offers a purse of $300,000.

Historical notes

The inaugural running of the Delaware Oaks took place on June 28, 1938, and was won by Isabel Dodge Sloane's filly

Handcuff Handcuffs are restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other. They comprise two parts, linked together by a chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each cuff has a rotating arm which engages with a ratchet t ...

. Coming off her June 6, 1941 win in the

Top Flight Handicap The Top Flight Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A Listed race, it is open to fillies and mares, age three and older. The event is contested over a distance of one and one-eighth ...

at New York's

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American animated musical film, musical Adventure film, adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale "Rapunzel" in th ...

won the Oaks for the

Greentree Stable Greentree Stable, in Red Bank, New Jersey, was a major American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm established in 1914 by Payne Whitney of the Whitney family of New York City. Payne Whitney operated a horse farm and stable at Sa ...

Helen Hay Whitney Helen Julia Hay Whitney (March 11, 1875 – September 24, 1944) was an American poet, writer, horse racing, racehorse owner and breeder, socialite, and philanthropist. She was a member by marriage of the prominent Whitney family of New York. Ea ...

. Trained and ridden by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees John Gaver Sr. and

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...

, the filly beat her closest rival by nine lengths while setting a new track record with a winning time of 1:49 4/5 for a mile and one-eighth on dirt. United States Hall of Fame fillies

Gallorette Gallorette (1942–1959) was a Maryland-bred chestnut thoroughbred filly who became a Hall of Fame race horse. Sired by Challenger II, out of Gallette, Gallorette's damsire was Sir Gallahad III. Breeding Trainer Preston M. Burch bought Gallett ...

(1945), Dark Mirage (1968), Gallant Bloom (1969) and Desert Vixen (1973) have all won this race, as did the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

inductee Lauries Dancer in 1971.

Records

Speed record: * 1:41.79 @ 1 1–16 miles: Calamity Kate (2015) * 1:48.20 @ 1 1–8 miles: Cum Laude Laurie (1977) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

: * 4 -

(1940, 1941, 1945, 1955) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 - James E. Fitzsimmons (1939, 1942, 1946, 1955) Most wins by an owner: * 3 - Belair Stud Stable (1939, 1942, 1946) * 3 - Christiana Stables (1947, 1972, 1974) * 3 -

King Ranch King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some it is larger than the area of the European country Luxembourg. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but also produced the racehorse Assault (horse), Assault, who won the United States Tri ...

(1956, 1959, 1969)

Winners

References

{{Reflist Graded stakes races in the United States Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies Horse races in Delaware Recurring sporting events established in 1938 Delaware Park Racetrack 1938 establishments in Delaware