The What a Pleasure Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds held annually at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is currently an ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 8.5 furlongs on dirt.
The race has traditionally been held during the Tropical at Calder meet, from late October through early January. This meet normally has some of the strongest stakes programs of Calder's eight-month season. Due to permit disputes with Hialeah Park Race Track, the race was pushed back in 1987 and 1991 into the following year. Both of those races were subsequently run for three-year-olds and were won by Zie World (1988) and Sir Pinder (1992).
The race has served as a springboard for Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled as well as such graded-stakes winners as Suave Prospect, Alydeed, Primal, Creme Fraiche, Certain and Morning Bob.
Winners since 1991 Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time Grade2007 Check It Twice Manoel CruzKathleen O'Connell1:46.192006 Drums of Thunder Manoel Cruz William Kaplan1:48.082005 Saint Augustus Ramón Domínguez Todd Pletcher1:47.942004 Better Than Bonds Brice Blanc Robert Reinacher1:48.902003 Second of June Cornelio Velásquez William Cesare1:45.792002 Trust N Luck Cornelio Velásquez Ralph Ziadie1:44.072001 O'Rocky Cornelio Velásquez Edward Plesa Jr.1:47.082000 Radical Riley Eduardo Núñez James Hatchett1:48.33III1999 Tahkodha Hills Eibar Coa Ralph Ziadie1:46.91III1998 Certain Javier Castellano Leo Azpurua Jr.1:47.01III1997 Sweetsouthernsaint Abdiel Toribio Leo Azpurua Jr.1:47.35III1996 Arthur L. Eibar Coa Luis Olivares1:46.17III1995 Cat On Tour Gary Boulanger Ronald Spatz1:47.26III1994 Suave Prospect René Douglas Lee Sherman1:46.88III1993 Gator Back Marco Castaneda Thomas Heard Jr.1:47.06III1992 Virgil Cain Eduardo Núñez Daniel Hurtak1:48.31III
Earlier winners
1990 - Gizmo's Fortune 1989 - Unbridled 1988 - Reaffirming 1986 - Schism 1986 - Baldski's Star 1985 - Master Cho 1984 - Creme Fraiche 1983 - Morning Bob
The race was run in two divisions in 1986.
References