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The spotlight falls on Del Mar this Saturday (25 July) as some of America’s quickest sprinters line up for the 2026 Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, one of the premier six-furlong contests on the West Coast.
Run for a purse of $400,000, the race regularly attracts elite speedsters and serves as a key stepping stone towards the Breeders’ Cup Sprint later in the horse racing season.
Among those chasing another prestigious victory is Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who bids to write another chapter in the race’s history.
Already a four-time winner of the Bing Crosby Stakes, Baffert is aiming be the winning-most barn (in his own right) in the race – adding even more intrigue to one of Del Mar’s standout summer features.
Bob Baffert and the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert holds a storied legacy at Del Mar, but his footprint in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes is particularly remarkable.
Baffert is the joint winning-most trainer in the history of the race with four victories, sharing the record alongside the legendary Bruce Headley.
Known for his ability to tune elite sprinters to absolute perfection, Baffert’s foour Bing Crosby winners span multiple decades.
- Thirty Slews (1992)
- Zensational (2009)
- Euroears (2011)
- Lord Nelson (2016)
His last victory in the race came in 2016 with Lord Nelson, who put on a breathtaking performance by setting a then-stakes record time of 1:07.65 over the six furlongs.
This Year’s Bob Baffert Bing Crosby Stakes Runner: Cornucopian
Baffert looks to break the tie with Headley and secure an outright fifth Bing Crosby title with his talented four-year-old colt, Cornucopian.
Regular rider Juan J. Hernandez gets the mount once again as the pair target the $400,000 summer sprint feature.
Cornucopian enters the race in razor-sharp form, having won three of his four starts this year.
His last run was a dominant victory in the Grade 3 Aristides Stakes at Churchill Downs, where he earned a career-best Speed Figure and showed devastating acceleration over the six-furlong distance.
With Hernandez in the irons-a jockey who knows Baffert’s running style intimately-Cornucopian figures to sit just off the early pace or dictate it from the jump.
Given Baffert’s masterclass record in this event and Cornucopian’s momentum coming off a Grade 3 win, he stands as one of the standout favorites to hand his trainer a historic fifth Bing Crosby victory.
Bing Crosby Stakes 2026 Details
- Date: Saturday, July 25, 2026
- Track: Del Mar (California)
- Race Time: Approximately 6:30pm
- Purse: $400,000
- Last Year: Lovesick Blues
DID YOU KNOW? 9 of the last 10 Bing Crosby Stakes winners came from gates 4+
Bing Crosby Stakes Runners, Post Positions and Jockeys 2026
1. Maximum Bourbon:
Made light work of a restricted stakes at Churchill Downs, winning comfortably in a fast time.
He’s been freshened up since April and now steps into graded stakes company for the first time. If he handles the rise in class, he’ll be a serious contender.
Jockey: Joel Rosario | Trainer: Phil D’Amato
2. Listenupshance:
Produced a brave performance when third behind division leaders Book’em Danno and Bentornato in the True North Stakes at Saratoga.
Sent off at 21.46-1 that day, but with a perfect two-from-two record at Del Mar, he looks a major player.
Jockey: Emisael Jaramillo | Trainer: Doug O’Neill
3. Dr. Venkman:
The experienced six-year-old has an excellent record at Del Mar, with four wins from seven starts.
He finished fourth in this race last year and was third in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. His only outing of 2026 came in Kentucky, where he faded into sixth in the Grade 3 Bango Stakes. Back on home soil in California, expect a much stronger showing.
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli | Trainer: Mark Glatt
4. For All Mankind:
Finished runner-up in a $100,000 stakes at Lone Star Park but will need to find plenty of improvement to trouble the leading contenders here.
Jockey: Armando Ayuso | Trainer: John Sadler
5. Stronghold:
Winner of the 2024 Santa Anita Derby, but he’s really found his stride over sprint trips.
He landed the Grade 3 Triple Bend Stakes over seven furlongs at Santa Anita last time out, although this sharp six-furlong test could prove just a little on the short side.
Jockey: Antonio Fresu | Trainer: Phil D’Amato
6. Cornucopian:
Has enjoyed an outstanding campaign, winning three of his four starts this year, including a pair of Grade 3 victories.
His only defeat came when fifth in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford over seven furlongs. The drop back to six furlongs and a slightly less demanding field both look firmly in his favour.
Jockey: Juan Hernandez | Trainer: Bob Baffert
7. Gold Sweep:
Finished fourth in the Bango Stakes at Churchill Downs, just ahead of Dr. Venkman, on his latest start.
Before that, he was a solid third behind Cornucopian in the Grade 3 Aristides Stakes, beaten 2½ lengths. He has claims of making the frame but may just lack the pace of the leading contenders.
Jockey: Mike Smith | Trainer: John Haran
8. Mad House:
Captured a Grade 3 at Oaklawn Park before fading to fifth, beaten eight lengths, after forcing the pace in the Aristides Stakes.
He also finished last in the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Sprint, so looks an outsider here. One notable positive is his jockey, Sonny Leon, who famously partnered 80.80-1 outsider Rich Strike to Kentucky Derby glory in 2022.
Jockey: Sonny Leon | Trainer: David VanWinkle
9. Moonlight:
Has never raced over anything shorter than a mile, making this Grade 1 sprint over six furlongs an unusual assignment.
Jockey: Victor Espinoza | Trainer: Peter Miller
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Who Won The Bing Crosby Stakes Last Year (2025)?
The 2025 Bing Crosby Stakes was won by Lovesick Blues, a 7-year-old California-bred gelding who pulled off an 18–1 longshot upset on July 26, 2025.
- Jockey: Geovanni Franco
- Trainer: Librado Barocio (who earned his first career Grade I victory with this win)
- Owner: Mia Familia Racing Stable
- Winning Time: 1:08.74 for six furlongs
- Runner-up: Hejazi (trained by Bob Baffert)
Lovesick Blues made a powerful late drive down the stretch to beat Hejazi by 1 3/4 lengths, securing a “Win and You’re In” automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar.
Recent Bing Crosby Stakes Winners
Here are the last 10 winners of the Bing Crosby Stakes alongside their winning trainers:
- 2025: Lovesick Blues (Librado Barocio)
- 2024: The Chosen Vron (J. Eric Kruljac)
- 2023: The Chosen Vron (J. Eric Kruljac)
- 2022: American Theorem (George Papaprodromou)
- 2021: Dr. Schivel (Mark Glatt)
- 2020: Collusion Illusion (Mark Glatt)
- 2019: Cistron (John W. Sadler)
- 2018: Ransom the Moon (Phillip D’Amato)
- 2017: Ransom the Moon (Phillip D’Amato)
- 2016: Lord Nelson (Bob Baffert)
The History Of The Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar
Inaugurated in 1946-famously resulting in a dead heat between horses War Allies and Indian Watch in its inaugural running-the Bing Crosby Stakes is a premier Grade I six-furlong sprint held annually at Del Mar Racetrack.
The race was named in honor of the iconic crooner and actor who co-founded the Del Mar Turf Club in 1936 alongside fellow actor Pat O’Brien and a group of Hollywood investors.
As Del Mar’s inaugural president, Crosby was the driving force behind bringing horse racing to the coastal town.
He famously stood at the main gates to greet ticket holders himself on opening day on July 3, 1937, brought national star power to the venue, and even penned the track’s iconic anthem, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf”.
Though Crosby sold his ownership share in 1946, the track created the namesake stakes race that very year to permanently celebrate the Hollywood star who put Del Mar on the map.
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