The Harry Henson Stakes was 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 during the third week of April as part of the opening day races of the spring/summer meet at
Hollywood Park Racetrack
Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred horse racing, race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to The Forum (Inglewood, California), the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, t ...
in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States, in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city had a population of 107,762. ...
. Open to three-year-old horses, it was a
non-graded stakes raced on
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'', ...
that has been contested at a distance of six
furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
s since 2007. The race offered a purse of
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
70,000.
Inaugurated in 1952 as the Debonair Stakes, it was renamed in 1991 to honor Harry Henson, a former
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 ...
who was Hollywood Park's
race caller from 1958 to 1982.
Past winners include
Imbros
Imbros (; ; ), officially Gökçeada () since 29 July 1970,Alexis Alexandris, "The Identity Issue of The Minorities in Greece And Turkey", in Hirschon, Renée (ed.), ''Crossing the Aegean: An Appraisal of the 1923 Compulsory Population Exchang ...
in 1953,
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
winner
Determine
Determine (April 7, 1951 – September 27, 1972) was an American Thoroughbred race horse. In a racing career which lasted from 1953 through 1955, the California-trained colt ran forty-four times and won eighteen races. His best season was 1954 w ...
in 1954, and a son of Imbros in 1962, the
U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,
Native Diver.
Records
Speed record: (at current distance of 6 furlongs.
* 1:08.16 - Backbackbackgone (2009)
Recent winners
References
Hollywood Park opening day at the ''Blood-Horse.com''The 2009 Harry Henson Stakes at Hollywood Park.com
External links
The Harry Henson Stakes at Pedigree Query
Ungraded stakes races in the United States
Flat horse races for three-year-olds
Turf races in the United States
Horse races established in 1952
Hollywood Park Racetrack
Horse races in California
1952 establishments in California
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