What is the San Clemente Handicap?
The San Clemente Handicap is a Grade II Thoroughbred race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. Contested at 1 mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies, it is the traditional feature on the second day of the Del Mar summer meet and the key local prep race for the Grade I Del Mar Oaks held later in the meeting. Inaugurated in 1949, the race was restricted to 3-year-old fillies in 1970 and received Grade III status in 1994 before being upgraded to Grade II in 1996. The San Clemente has a distinguished history of completing a Del Mar Oaks double — nine winners have swept both races, including Hollywood Wildcat, Flawlessly, Evening Jewel, and Anisette (GB) in 2023. Trainer Phil D'Amato has dominated the modern era, winning four of the last five editions, including Thought Process in 2025, Iscreamuscream in 2024, and Bellabel (IRE) in 2022, making it the defining race of his summer Del Mar program each year.
When is the San Clemente Handicap in 2026?
The 2026 San Clemente Handicap is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 at Del Mar Racetrack, the second day of the summer meet. Contested at 1 mile on the turf with a purse of $200,000, the race draws the top 3-year-old fillies on the West Coast targeting the Grade I Del Mar Oaks.
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raiding Party | B Curtis | B P Walsh | 3/1 |
| 2 | Wild Like the West | H I Berrios | R Baltas | 15/1 |
| 3 | Ground Support | A Beschizza | K Danner | 5/1 |
| 4 | Spirit Doll | R Hughes | S A Joseph, Jr. | 8/1 |
| 5 | Peanutbutterbombe | A Fresu | P D'Amato | 8/1 |
| 6 | Light Won Up | E Jaramillo | D F O'Neill | 10/1 |
| 7 | Marjoram | J J Hernandez | M W McCarthy | 8/1 |
| 8 | Inbox | J Rosario | P D'Amato | 8/1 |
| 9 | Lookin At Diamond | U Rispoli | L Powell | 6/1 |
| 10 | Somerset West | A Ayuso | J W Sadler | 20/1 |
| 11 | Cortina d'Amprezzo | J R Leparoux | P D'Amato | 20/1 |
Last Updated on 07/16/2026
San Clemente Handicap History & Notable Winners
The San Clemente has been one of the most competitive 3-year-old filly turf races in California for over seven decades. Thought Process gave trainer Phil D'Amato and jockey Hector Berrios a dominant 2025 win in 1:36.24, pressing the pace before drawing away under a hand ride. Iscreamuscream gave D'Amato and jockey Hector Berrios a front-running 2024 score in 1:35.87 in her stakes debut, the Twirling Candy filly going on to complete the San Clemente-Del Mar Oaks double. Anisette (GB) made short work of 13 rivals in 2023 under Umberto Rispoli in 1:34.84 for trainer Leonard Powell, producing a decisive victory before completing the San Clemente-Del Mar Oaks double — the ninth filly in race history to accomplish the feat. Bellabel (IRE) led a D'Amato 1-2-3 in 2022 under Rispoli in 1:35.32. Madone gave trainer Simon Callaghan and jockey Juan Hernandez a 2021 victory in 1:35.28, the daughter of Vancouver overcoming going 6 wide on the turn to beat odds-on favorite Going Global by a half length.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Thought Process | Hector Berrios | 1:36.24 |
| 2024 | Iscreamuscream | Hector Berrios | 1:35.87 |
| 2023 | Anisette (GB) | Umberto Rispoli | 1:34.84 |
| 2022 | Bellabel (IRE) | Umberto Rispoli | 1:35.32 |
| 2021 | Madone | Juan Hernandez | 1:35.28 |
The San Clemente Handicap is the premier 3-year-old filly turf race in California and the traditional opening weekend feature of the Del Mar summer meet each July.
