The Bel Air Handicap was a Thoroughbred horse race run in mid July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. Open to horses age three and older, it was contested on dirt at a distance of a mile and a sixteenth. In its final year it was a Grade III event [1] offering a purse of U.S$.$100,000.

First run in 1939, the Bel Air Handicap was not run again until 1968. From 1980 through 1982 there was no race run.

In 1997, winner Crafty Friend equaled the Hollywood Park track record for a mile and a sixteenth with a time of 1:40 flat.

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Time
2001 Smile Again 6 Laffit Pincay, Jr. Ron McAnally Sidney & Jenny Craig 1:41.74
2000 Euchre 4 Alex Solis Robert J. Frankel Frank Stronach 1:41.76
1999 River Keen 7 Chris Antley Bob Baffert Hugo Reynolds 1:40.69
1998 Free House 4 Chris McCarron J. Paco Gonzalez Toffan & McCaffery 1:41.60
1997 Crafty Friend 4 Alex Solis Wallace Dollase The Thoroughbred Corp. 1:40.00
1996 Cleante 7 Chris McCarron Ron McAnally Janis R. Whitham nf
1995 Soul of the Matter 4 Gary Stevens Richard Mandella Burt Bacharach 1:41.00

Earlier winners

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  • 1994 - Region
  • 1993 - Marquetry
  • 1992 - Renegotiable
  • 1991 - Twilight Agenda
  • 1990 - Prospectors Gamble
  • 1989 - Rahy
  • 1988 - Cutlass Reality
  • 1987 - Judge Angelucci
  • 1986 - Super Diamond
  • 1985 - My Habitony
  • 1984 - Bid Us
  • 1983 - Poley
  • 1979 - Sirlad
  • 1978 - Vigors
  • 1977 - Ancient Title
  • 1976 - Riot In Paris
  • 1975 - Stardust Mel
  • 1974 - Finalista
  • 1973 - Tri Jet
  • 1972 - Dating
  • 1971 - What Goes On
  • 1970 - Summer Sorrow
  • 1969 - Boughs O' Holly
  • 1968 - Nevada Marga
  • 1939 - Leading Article

References

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