The Native Diver Stakes is a Grade III American thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older over a distance of one and one eighth miles on the dirt held annually in late November at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California.
The race is named for one of the great sprinters and one of California’s most favorite horses, Native Diver, who ranks 60th in Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.
The event was inaugurated on 6 May 1979 with a recorded crowd of 30,857 in attendance as the Native Diver Handicap at Hollywood Park Racetrack over the one mile distance and was won by the six year old Life's Hope who was trained by the US Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera and ridden by the US Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. in a time of 1:35 flat.
[2] In the 2008 edition, Slew's Tizzy set a new Hollywood Park record for the all weather track for 1+1⁄8 miles with a winning time of 1:46.78.
[4] The time however was not faster than the dirt stakes record which was set by the 1995 Argentine three year old champion Gentlemen (ARG) in the 1996 when he won by nine lengths in 1:45.35.