# Azeri Stakes

The Azeri Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old or older, over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt track held annually in March at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event currently carries a purse of $400,000.

## History

The inaugural running of the event was on 3 April 1987 as the Oaklawn Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap with sponsorship for Budweiser and the Breeders' Cup. The event was won by North Sider who was ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. and trained by US Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in a time of 1:421⁄5. North Sider later that year would capture US Champion Older Female Horse.
The event was upgraded to a Grade III event in 1990 but was downgraded back to Listed in 1995 for five runnings.
Budweiser continued sponsoring the event until 1995 while the Breeders' Cup sponsored the event until 2007 which reflected in the name of the event.
The event was renamed Azeri Stakes in 2005 to honor Azeri, the American Horse of the Year of 2002, and the American Champion Older Female Horse three years running: 2002, 2003, and 2004.
This race was upgraded to a Grade II for its 2014 running.
Several notable winners went on to become champions. The 2011 winner Havre de Grace would later defeat males in the GI Woodward Stakes and be crowned 2011 American Horse of the Year. The 2019 winner Midnight Bisou continued with her brilliant form to capture US Champion Older Female Horse honors.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:42.01 – Sister Act (1999)
Margins:
* 6+1⁄4 lengths – Serengeti Empress (2020)
Most wins:
* 2 – Halo America (1995, 1997)
* 2 – Heritage of Gold (2000, 2001)
* 2 – Tiz Miz Sue (2012, 2013)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 – Calvin Borel (1997, 1999, 2010)
* 3 – Joseph Rocco Jr. (2012, 2013, 2016)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 4 – D. Wayne Lukas (1987, 1991, 1992, 2023)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 – John A. Franks (1994, 1995, 1997)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| Azeri Stakes |||||||||||
| 2024 | Tiny Temper | 4 | James Graham | Dallas Stewart | Mark H. & Nancy W Stanley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.26 | $400,000 | II |
| 2023 | Secret Oath | 4 | Tyler Gaffalione | D. Wayne Lukas | Briland Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.26 | $350,000 | II |
| 2022 | Ce Ce | 6 | Victor Espinoza | Michael W. McCarthy | Bo Hirsch | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.55 | $350,000 | II |
| 2021 | Shedaresthedevil | 4 | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Flurry Racing Stables, Qatar Racing Limited & Big Aut Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.57 | $350,000 | II |
| 2020 | Serengeti Empress | 4 | Joseph Talamo | Thomas M. Amoss | Joel Politi | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.46 | $350,000 | II |
| 2019 | Midnight Bisou | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Steven M. Asmussen | Bloom Racing Stable, Madaket Stables & Allen Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.72 | $343,000 | II |
| 2018 | Martini Glass | 5 | Paco Lopez | Keith Nations | Vince Campanella & Nation's Racing Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.95 | $350,000 | II |
| 2017 | Streamline | 5 | Chris Landeros | Brian Williamson | Nancy A. Vanier & Cartwright Thoroughbreds V | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.67 | $350,000 | II |
| 2016 | Call Pat | 6 | Joseph Rocco Jr. | Brad H. Cox | Miller Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.44 | $350,000 | II |
| 2015 | Gold Medal Dancer | 5 | Luis S. Quinonez | Donnie K. Von Hemel | Pin Oak Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.92 | $294,000 | II |
| 2014 | Close Hatches | 4 | Joel Rosario | William I. Mott | Juddmonte Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.34 | $200,000 | II |
| 2013 | Tiz Miz Sue | 6 | Joseph Rocco Jr. | Steve Hobby | Cres Ran | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.26 | $147,000 | III |
| 2012 | Tiz Miz Sue | 5 | Joseph Rocco Jr. | Steve Hobby | Cres Ran | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.58 | $147,000 | III |
| 2011 | Havre de Grace | 4 | Ramon A. Dominguez | J. Larry Jones | Fox Hills Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.02 | $150,000 | III |
| 2010 | Freedom Star | 4 | Calvin H. Borel | Bob Baffert | George Krikorian | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.09 | $149,750 | III |
| 2009 | Acoma | 4 | Julien R. Leparoux | David M. Carroll | Helen Alexander & Helen K. Groves | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.55 | $138,500 | III |
| 2008 | Hystericalady | 5 | Robby Albarado | Jerry Hollendorfer | Rancho San Miguel, Jerry Hollendorfer & George Todaro | 1+1⁄16 miles, | 1:43.86 | $171,500 | III |
| 2007 | India | 4 | Christopher P. DeCarlo | Todd A. Pletcher | Lyon Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.37 | $175,000 | III |
| 2006 | Round Pond | 4 | Stewart Elliott | John C. Servis | Fox Hill Farms | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.93 | $173,500 | III |
| 2005 | Injustice | 4 | Luis S. Quinonez | Wayne M. Catalano | Turf Express, Darrell & Evelyn Yates | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.40 | $175,000 | III |
| Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Stakes |||||||||||
| 2004 | Golden Sonata | 5 | Carlos H. Marquez Jr. | Morris G. Nicks | James C. Spence | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.32 | $200,000 | III |
| 2003 | Bien Nicole | 5 | Donald R. Pettinger | Donnie K. Von Hemel | John & Kristine Richter | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.19 | $194,000 | III |
| 2002 | Ask Me No Secrets | 4 | Mike E. Smith | David E. Hofmans | Earl H. Shultz | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.56 | $200,000 | III |
| 2001 | Heritage of Gold | 6 | Robby Albarado | Thomas M. Amoss | Jack Garey | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.20 | $200,000 | III |
| 2000 | Heritage of Gold | 5 | Shane Sellers | Thomas M. Amoss | Jack Garey | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.15 | $192,000 | III |
| 1999 | Sister Act | 4 | Calvin H. Borel | Jeffrey N. Jacobs | Choctaw Racing & Duncan Taylor | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.01 | $120,000 | Listed |
| 1998 | Turn to the Queen | 5 | Timothy T. Doocy | Kenny P. Smith | Dr. K. K. Jayaraman & Dr. Vilasini D. Jayaraman. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.76 | $147,000 | Listed |
| Oaklawn Breeders' Cup Handicap |||||||||||
| 1997 | § Halo America | 7 | Calvin H. Borel | Bobby C. Barnett | John A. Franks | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.18 | $150,000 | Listed |
| 1996 | Belle of Cozzene | 4 | Donald R. Pettinger | Steve Hobby | John E. & Barbara R. Smicklas | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.32 | $149,750 | Listed |
| 1995 | § Halo America | 5 | Weldon T. Cloninger Jr. | Bobby C. Barnett | John A. Franks | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.59 | $148,500 | Listed |
| 1994 | § Morning Meadow | 4 | Shane P. Romero | Bobby C. Barnett | John A. Franks | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.60 | $157,750 | III |
| 1993 | Guiza | 6 | Corey Nakatani | Robert J. Frankel | Robert Witt | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.79 | $156,000 | III |
| 1992 | Cuddles | 4 | David Guillory | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.82 | $157,500 | III |
| 1991 | A Wild Ride | 4 | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Zenya Yoshida | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.31 | $157,950 | III |
| 1990 | A Penny Is a Penny | 5 | Aaron Gryder | Steven L. Morguelan | David L. Levitch | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.60 | $158,900 | III |
| 1989 | Savannah's Honor | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Richard J. Lundy | Allen E. Paulson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.00 | $158,200 | |
| 1988 | Ms. Margi | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Philip M. Hauswald | Edward A. Cox Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.20 | $158,150 | |
| 1987 | North Sider | 5 | Angel Cordero Jr. | D. Wayne Lukas | D. Wayne Lukas & Paul Paternostro | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.20 | $133,120 | |
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry