The Best Pal Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California.
[3] In 1995 the event was renamed to honor Best Pal, a three time California Horse of the Year who won the Balboa Stakes in 1990 and whose career earnings totaled more than $5.6 million for his owner-breeder, Golden Eagle Farm.
Other notable winners of this event include the 1994 winner Timber Country who went on that year to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and was crowned US Champion Two-Year-Old Horse who the following year became the first horse to ever win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and American Triple Crown Classic Race when he won the 1995 Preakness Stakes.
The 2009 winner, Lookin at Lucky, was crowned US Champion Two-Year-Old Horse and the following year also won the 2010 Preakness Stakes.
† In the 2008 Kelly Leak was first past the post but caused interference in the straight by drifting in and was disqualified and placed fourth.