The Eddie Read Stakes is a

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

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 ...

for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the

turf Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

course scheduled annually in late July or early August at

Del Mar Racetrack The Del Mar Fairgrounds is an event venue in Del Mar, California. It hosts the annual San Diego County Fair. The venue sits on a property along the Pacific Ocean coastline. It includes the Del Mar Racetrack, built in 1936 by the Del Mar Thoroug ...

Del Mar, California Del Mar (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Of the Sea") is a beach city in San Diego County, California, located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Established in 1885 as a seaside resort, the city incorporated in 1959. The population was 3,954 ...

. The event currently carries a purse of $250,000.

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 25 August 1974 as the Eddie Read Handicap with

Elmendorf Farm Elmendorf Farm is a Kentucky Thoroughbred horse farm in Fayette County, Kentucky, involved with horse racing since the 19th century. Once the North Elkhorn Farm, many owners and tenants have occupied the area, even during the American Civil War. M ...

's My Old Friend winning as the 9-1 longshot winning by length in a time of 1:49. The event was named in honor of William E. (Eddie) Read who served as the publicity directory at Del Mar and died 28 May 1973. In 1980 the event was upgrade by the

Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) is an American trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1961, TOBA's stated mission is to "improve the economics, i ...

to Grade III. Two years later the event upgraded once more to

. With the stake money increasing yearly and the quality of the entrants running the race performing well in high level events the event was upgraded to the highest classification of Grade I in 1988. In the

Breeders' Cup The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was ...

era the event became a logical preparatory race for both the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a conditions races, Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a sod, grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup, Breeders' Cup World C ...

and

Breeders' Cup Turf The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current ...

. The 1993 winner of the event, the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

-bred

Kotashaan Kotashaan (foaled May 4, 1988 in Orne, France) was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in France and earned Champion honors in the United States. Background He was bred and raced by brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, owners of the House o ...

, went on to win the

and later was voted to win US Champion Male Turf Horse and US Horse of the Year honors. In 2006 the Irish-bred

Aragorn Aragorn () is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Aragorn is a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of ...

set a new stakes and track record of 1:44.79 winning by four lengths as a 3-2 favorite. In 2009 the conditions of the event were changed from handicap to stakes allowance and the name of the event was modified to the Eddie Read Stakes. In 2016 the event was downgraded to

Records

Speed record: * 1:44.79 -

(2006) (new race and course record) Margins: * 5 lengths - Special Ring (2003) Most wins: * 2 - United (2020, 2021) * 2 - Wickerr (1981, 1982) * 2 - Fastness (1995, 1996) * 2 - Special Ring (2003, 2004) * 2 - Acclamation (2011, 2012) Most wins by an owner: * 3 -

Edmund A. Gann Edmund A. Gann (October 10, 1923 – February 5, 2010) was an American businessman and Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse owner. Early life and career Born in the fishing port of Gloucester, Massachusetts, the young Gann moved with his famil ...

(1981, 1982, 1986) 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 ...

: * 5 -

Corey Nakatani Corey S. Nakatani (born October 21, 1970) is a retired American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He has won 3,909 races in his career including the Kentucky Oaks twice and the Strub Stakes four times. He has won ten races in the Bre ...

(1994, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2009) Most wins by a trainer: * 7 - Robert J. Frankel (1977, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1997)

Winners

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry

External links

2020 Del Mar Media Guide

References

{{reflist, 2 Del Mar Racetrack Horse races in California Open mile category horse races Horse races established in 1974 1974 establishments in California Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 2 stakes races in the United States Turf races in the United States

History

Records

Winners

See also

External links

References