Affirmed Stakes (LATC)

The Affirmed Stakes (formerly the Affirmed Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race administered by the Los Angeles Turf Club and run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Raced in late-June or early-July, the Grade III event is open to three-year-old horses and is contested on dirt over a distance of ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles (8.5 furlongs).

This article is about the thoroughbred horse race held at Santa Anita Park. For the former Florida Stallion Stakes thoroughbred horse race with similar name at Calder Race Course, see Affirmed Stakes (FS). For for the Affirmed Handicap that was run between 1981–1990, see Lazaro Barrera Stakes § Lazaro S. Barrera Handicap.

Affirmed Stakes

Grade III race
Location	Santa Anita Park Arcadia, California, USA relocated from the now closed Hollywood Park Racetrack Inglewood, California, United States
Inaugurated	1979
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	www.santaanita.com
Race information
Distance	​1 ^1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$100,000

Inaugurated in 1979 as the Silver Screen Handicap, in 1993 the race was renamed to honor the 1978 U.S. Triple Crown champion, Affirmed. The race was also called the Affirmed Handicap.

The event was originally held at Hollywood Park Racetrack but after the track was closed in 2013 the race was moved to Santa Anita Park.

Since inception, the race has been contested at various distances:

• ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles : 1979–1984, 1987–1994
• 1 mile : 1985–1986
• ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles : 1995–present

Records

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

• 1:40.83 – General Challenge (1999)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1979, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1992)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 6 – Bob Baffert (1999, 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2019)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2019	Mucho Gusto	Joseph Talamo	Bob Baffert	Michael Lund Petersen	1:45.15
2018	Draft Pick	Joseph Talamo	Peter Eurton	C R K Stable LLC	1:44.34
2017	Battle of Midway	Flavien Prat	Jerry Hollendorfer	Don Alberto Stable/WinStar Farm	1:43.25
2016	Dalmore	Kent Desormeaux	J. Keith Desormeaux	Big Chief Racing et al.	1:40.84
2015	Gimme Da Lute	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Watson/Pegram/Weitman	1:41.40
2014	Can the Man	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Kaleem Shah	1:44.27
2013	Tiz a Minister	Corey Nakatani	Paul Aguirre	SAY Racing	1:45.79
2012	Nonios	Martin A. Pedroza	Jerry Hollendorfer	Green B. Smith, Jr.	1:42.99
2011	Coil	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	Mike Pegram/Watson/Weitman	1:42.88
2010	Golden Itiz	Tyler Baze	Ron Ellis	Jay Em Ess Stable	1:42.84
2009	Grazen	Rafael Bejarano	Mike R. Mitchell	Nicholas B. Alexander	1:41.40
2008	Two Step Salsa	Martin Pedroza	Julio C. Canani	Everest Stables	1:41.57
2007	Desert Code	Richard Migliore	David Hofmans	Tarabilla Farms	1:44.21
2006	Point Determined	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	Bob & Beverly Lewis	1:42.55
2005	Indian Ocean	Jon Court	Jay M. Robbins	Mercedes Stable	1:42.53
2004	Boomzeeboom	Victor Espinoza	Vladimir Cerin	John Karubian/ Alan Landsburg	1:42.11
2003	Eye of the Tiger	Alex Solis	Jerry Hollendorfer	John D. Gunther	1:42.30
2002	Came Home	Chris McCarron	J. Paco Gonzalez	Toffan & McCaffery et al.	1:41.99
2001	Until Sundown	Gary Stevens	Laura de Seroux	San Gabriel Investmenrs et al.	1:43.10
2000	Tiznow	Victor Espinoza	Jay M. Robbins	M. Cooper/C. Straub-Rubens	1:42.35
1999	General Challenge	David Flores	Bob Baffert	Golden Eagle Farm	1:40.83
1998	Old Trieste	Chris McCarron	Mike Puype	Gary Bisantz	1:41.80
1997	Deputy Commander	Corey Nakatani	Wallace Dollase	Horizon stable, et al.	1:42.80
1996	Hesabull	Eddie Delahoussaye	Mike Chambers	Ron Judy	1:43.20
1995	Mr. Purple	Corey Nakatani	Ron McAnally	Alex Campbell, Jr.	1:42.20
1994	R Friar Tuck	Jerry Bailey	Ian Jory	S. David Plummer	1:49.00
1993	Codified	Gary Stevens	David Hofmans	Not found	1:48.80
1992	Natural Nine	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Lewis Cenicola	John Elardi	1:49.40
1991	Compelling Sound	Gary Stevens	Charlie Whittingham	Jerry Moss	1:47.80
1990	Stalwart Charger	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Pico Perdomo	Sidney & Dorothy Factor	1:48.40
1989	Raise a Stanza	Corey Black	Jay M. Robbins	Jack Kent Cooke	1:48.40
1988	Iz a Saros	Aaron Gryder	Joe Manzi	not found	1:49.00
1987	Candi's Gold	Gary Stevens	Edwin J. Gregson	David J. & Elizabeth P. Whelan	1:47.60
1986	Melair	Pat Valenzuela	John W. Sadler	Marianne Millard & Bea Rous	1:32.80
1985	Pancho Villa	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	D. Wayne Lukas	D. Wayne Lukas & L. R. French, Jr.	1:33.80
1984	Tights	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Laz Barrera	Mill House	1:48.60
1983	My Habitony	Donald Pierce	Art Lerille	Olga J. Pejsa	1:48.60
1982	Journey at Sea	Chris McCarron	Ross Fenstermaker	Fred W. Hooper	1:46.80
1981	Stancharry	Pat Valenzuela	Melvin F. Stute	Cole, Freeman & Gold	1:51.00
1980	Score Twenty Four	Darrel McHargue	James Jordan	Score Stable & Fred Purner, Jr.	1:48.20
1979	Valdez	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Laz Barrera	Aaron & Marie Jones	1:47.40

References

• The Affirmed Handicap at Pedigree Query
• The 2008 Affirmed Handicap at ESPN