The Mac Diarmida Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses four-years-old and older run over a distance of one-and-three-eighth miles (11 furlongs) on the turf, annually in late February or early March at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The current purse is $200,000.

History

The event was inaugurated on 16 January 1995 for three-year-olds at a distance of 1 mile and 70 yards and was held on the dirt track.

The race was named in honor of Florida-bred Mac Diarmida who was the American Champion Male Turf Horse of 1978. The following year, in 1996 the event was lengthened slightly to one-and-one-sixteenth miles and run on the turf.

It was run as a handicap from 1997 through 2008 but is now run under allowance weight conditions. The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1997. In 1997, wet weather forced the race to be moved from the turf course to the main dirt track and set at a distance of one-and-one-quarter miles with conditions changed to allow horses four years old and older. In 1998 the race was changed to its present distance of one-and-three-eighths miles.

The race was not run in 2001. The event was upgraded once again in 2007 to Grade II. The event was originally held in January but since 2017 has been run in late February or early March.

Records Speed record miles — 2:10.87 Stream of Gold (IRE) (2008)

Margins lengths — Panama City (1999)

Most wins 2 - Presious Passion (2009, 2010) 2 - Zulu Alpha – (2019, 2020)

Most wins by an owner 3 - Michael M. Hui (2019, 2020, 2023)

Most wins by a jockey 4 - Jerry Bailey (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002) 4 - John R. Velazquez (2007, 2011, 2013, 2025)

Most wins by a trainer 5 - Michael J. Maker (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefMac Diarmida Stakes2026Grand Sonata7Tyler GaffalioneTodd A. PletcherWhisper Hill Farm LLC miles2:11.26$205,000II2025Capture the Flag 5John R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherJoseph Allen, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Westerburg & Jonathan Poulin miles 2:12.90$200,000II2024Starting Over 7Edgard ZayasMichael J. MakerNice Guys Stables miles 2:12.29$200,000II2023Value Engineering7Jose L. OrtizMichael J. MakerMichael M. Hui & Phil Forte miles 2:14.20$200,000II2022Temple 6Jose L. OrtizMichael J. MakerParadise Farms & David Staudacher 2:15.30$200,000II2021Phantom Currency 5Paco LopezBryan LynchJim & Susan Hill miles2:13.84$200,000II2020Zulu Alpha7Tyler GaffalioneMichael J. MakerMichael M. Hui miles2:11.47$200,000II2019Zulu Alpha6Irad Ortiz Jr.Michael J. MakerMichael M. Hui miles2:16.39$200,000II2018Sadler's Joy5Julien R. LeparouxThomas AlbertraniWoodslane Farm miles2:12.93$200,000II2017Wake Forest (GER)7Javier CastellanoChad C. BrownMichael Dubb, Sheep Pond Partners, Bethlehem Stables miles2:13.54$200,000II2016Grand Tito6Emisael JaramilloGustavo DelgadoGrupo 7C Racing Stable miles2:12.55$200,000II2015Main Sequence6Rajiv MaraghH. Graham MotionFlaxman Holdings miles2:15.06$200,000II2014Twilight Eclipse5Jose LezcanoThomas AlbertraniWest Point Thoroughbreds miles2:15.18$200,000II2013Amira's Prince (IRE)4William I. MottWachtel Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred & Gary Barber miles2:17.14$150,000II2012Simmard7Javier CastellanoRoger L. AttfieldRoger L. Attfield & William Werner miles2:11.71$150,000II2011Prince Will I Am4John R. VelazquezMichelle NiheiCasa Farms I miles2:13.04$150,000II2010Presious Passion7Elvis TrujilloMary HartmannPatricia A. Generazio miles2:13.49$150,000II2009Presious Passion6Elvis TrujilloMary HartmannPatricia A. Generazio miles2:12.10$150,000IIMac Diarmida Handicap 20087Eddie CastroKiaran P. McLaughlinZabeel Racing miles2:10.87$150,000II2007Ramazutti5John R. VelazquezAnstu Stable miles2:11.86$150,000II2006Hotstufanthensome6Rajiv MaraghNathan W. SinclairRunning Horse Farm miles2:10.90$100,000III2005Host5Javier CastellanoJohn C. KimmelCaesar P. Kimmel, Philip J. Solondz & C G Zoe Stable miles2:12.83$100,000III2004Request for Parole5Jose A. SantosStanley M. HoughJeri & Sam Knighton miles2:12.58$100,000III2003Riddlesdown (IRE)6Roger I. VelezNiall M. O'CallaghanGary A. Tanaka miles2:14.75$100,000III2002Crash Course6Jerry D. BaileyJimmy CrollJ. Mack Robinson miles2:16.27$100,000III2001Race not held2000Unite's Big Red6Jorge F. ChavezRandy MillsBreakaway Racing Stable miles2:12.14$100,000III1999Panama City5Jerry D. BaileyWilliam I. MottRobert Sangster & Joseph LaCombeabt. miles2:20.65$100,000III1998Copy Editor6Jerry D. BaileyMartin D. WolfsonTeam Valor miles2:16.72$100,000III1997Mecke5Jerry D. BaileyEmanuel TortoraJames Lewis Jr. miles2:05.80$72,750IIIMac Diarmida Stakes 1996A Real Zipper3Aaron GryderRonald B. SpatzHorses of Course miles1:42.66$50,000 Listed 1995Kings Fiction3Robbie DavisH. Allen JerkensHardwick Stables1:43.12$50,000 Listed

Legend:

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races

External links 2020–21 Gulfstream Park Media Guide

References