Joe Hernandez Stakes


The Joe Hernandez Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old or older over the distance of furlongs on the turf scheduled annually in January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

History

The race was inaugurated in 2008 in honor of Joe Hernandez the race caller at Santa Anita Park from the time the track opened on Christmas Day 1934 until he fainted at the microphone on 27 January, 1972.
The event was predominantly raced on the downhill turf course over the about furlongs distance. In 2010 the event was moved to the synthetic All Weather track due to weather. The 2015 running was also moved off the turf but by then Santa Anita Park had restored the natural dirt track.
In 2019 the event was upgraded to Grade III and a year later to Grade II.
In 2020 the event was run at a distance of furlongs on turf, using the backstretch start.
The 2017 winner Stormy Liberal followed up winning the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint and repeating that effort in 2018.

Records

Speed record:
Margins:
;Most wins by a jockey
;Most wins by a trainer