Lexington Stakes
Discontinued stakes race
LocationAqueduct Racetrack,
Queens, New York (1961–1976)
Belmont Park,
Elmont, New York (1977–2007)
Inaugurated1961
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
Race information
Distance1⅛ miles (9 furlongs)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree years old & up
PurseUS$100,000

The Lexington Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run between 1961 and 2007. A race on turf, the event was run at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York from inception through 1976 after which it was moved permanently to Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Contested at various middle distances, it was run as the Lexington Handicap from inception in 1961 through 1981.

Named for one of America's greatest race horses as well as foundation sires, Lexington (The Blind Hero of Woodburn), the former Graded stakes race finished classified as a Listed event and offered a purse of $100,000.

Historical notes

The inaugural running of the Lexington Handicap took place on November 10, 1961 and was won by Milton Ritzenberg's Wise Ship. The race run at what would be the longest distance in its history at one and five-eighths miles.[1]

In his first start in a stakes race, Mongo won the second edition of the Lexington in 1962 for the Montpelier stable of Marion duPont Scott from the prominent du Pont family.[2] Mongo's win marked the beginning of a very successful career in which he won a number of top turf races including the prestigious Washington, D.C. International Stakes which led to being voted the 1963 American Champion Male Turf Horse.[3]

The popularity of the Lexington with owners and trainers was such that it had to be run in two divisions in 1970, then four consecutive years from 1974 thru 1977.[4] [5][6] In 1982 it was again split into two divisions for what would prove to be the last time. The first division was won by Majesty's Prince while in the second part Royal Roberto was declared the winner after Dew Line was disqualified and set back to fifth.[7]

The 1977 U.S. Triple Crown champion jockey Jean Cruguet was aboard Mac Diarmida when he won the 1978 running of the Lexington defeating the now legendary Hall of Fame gelding John Henry.[8]

Jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. won this race in 1977, 1988, and 1991. In1994 the U. S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey was retired from riding and got his fourth win overall with his first as a trainer when Holy Mountain won the Lexington Stakes.[9]

On July 8, 2007 future Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez rode Distorted Reality to victory in the final edition of the Lexington. [10]

Records

Speed record:

  • 1:48.45 @ 118 Distorted Reality (2007)
  • 1:59.55 @ 114 Lech (1991)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Miles)
Time
Win$
Gr.
2007 Distorted Reality 3 John Velazquez Todd Pletcher Centaur Farms, Inc. (Vernon Heath) 118 1:48.45 $64,800 L
2006 After Market 3 Cornelio Velásquez William I. Mott Pam & Martin Wygod 118 1:48.80 $65,640 G3
2005 Woodlander 3 Edgar Prado Thomas Albertrani Darley Stable 114 2:01.92 $65,820 G3
2004 Mustanfar 3 Jose Santos Kiaran P. McLaughlin Shadwell Stable 114 2:01.15 $66,660 G3
2003 Sharp Impact 3 Richard Migliore Kiaran P. McLaughlin Sheikh Mohammed 114 2:02.62 $90,000 G3
2002 Chiselling 3 Jerry Bailey Robert J. Frankel Juddmonte Farms 114 2:00.42 $90,000 G3
2001 Sharp Performance 3 John Velazquez David G. Donk William Bloom, John T. Behrendt, Charles K. Marquis 114 1:58.93 $90,000 G3
2000 Rob's Spirit 3 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson 114 2:02.87 $90,000 G3
1999 Mythical Gem 3 Jorge Chavez H. Graham Motion Dogwood Stable 114 2:01.21 $90,000 G3
1998 Parade Ground 3 Mike E. Smith Neil J. Howard William S. Farish III 114 2:00.55 $84,060 G3
1997 Private Buck Trout 3 Jorge Chavez Robert D. DeBonis A. Campagne, Robert Debonis, Joseph R. Sofia 114 2:01.29 $90,000 G3
1996 Ok by Me 3 Jorge Chavez H. James Bond Rudlein Stable (Donald & Anne Rudder) & William Clifton Jr. 114 2:03.58 $68,160 G3
1995 Green Means Go 3 Jerry Bailey William I. Mott Pin Oak Stable 114 2:01.69 $66,960 G3
1994 Holy Mountain 3 John Velazquez Ángel Cordero Jr. Lazer Two Stable 114 1:59.74 $50,850 G3
1993 Llandaff 3 Julie Krone William I. Mott Sheikh Mohammed 114 2:02.93 $52,380 G3
1992 Spectacular Tide 3 Julie Krone Stanley M. Hough Royal Lines Stable & David J. Whelan 114 2:02.20 $69,120 G3
1991 Lech 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. David G. Donk Henryk deKwiatkowski 114 1:59.55 $71,160 G3
1990 Solar Splendor 3 Eddie Maple Patrick J. Kelly Live Oak Plantation 114 2:01.80 $56,640 G3
1989 Coosaragga 3 Richard Migliore Richard A. Violette Jr. Morton & Rosalind Rosenthal 114 2:00.80 $69,720 G2
1988 Sunshine Forever 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. John M. Veitch Darby Dan Farm 114 2:03.00 $85,500 G2
1987 Milesius 3 Eddie Maple Richard J. Lundy Virginia Kraft Payson 114 2:03.20 $89,580 G2
1986 Manila 3 Jose Santos LeRoy Jolley Bradley M. Shannon 114 2:03.20 $88,980 G2
1985 Danger's Hour 3 Jerry Bailey MacKenzie Miller Rokeby Stable 114 2:00.40 $71,370 G2
1984 Onyxly 3 Jerry Bailey John P. Campo Luck Si Si Stable 114 2:01.20 $58,770 G2
1983 Kilauea 3 Jean Cruguet William H. Turner Jr. Welcome Farm (Anne & Richard Winn) 114 2:00.60 $34,800 G2
1982-1 Majesty's Prince 3 Eddie Maple Joseph B. Cantey John Dewitt Marsh 114 2:03.00 $50,310 G2
1982-2 Royal Roberto 3 Jeffrey Fell James H. Iselin Key West Stable (Mitchell Wolfson Sr.) 114 2:01.80 $50,310 G2
1981 Acaroid 3 Cash Asmussen Jan H. Nerud Tartan Farms (James & Virginia Binger) 114 2:00.20 $52,380 G2
1980 Good Bid 3 Jean-Luc Samyn H. Allen Jerkens Paul Tackett 114 2:01.00 $50,310 G2
1979 Virilify 3 Roger Velez Jan H. Nerud Tartan Farms (James & Virginia Binger) 114 2:02.40 $50,895 G2
1978 Mac Diarmida 3 Jean Cruguet Flint S. Schulhofer Jerome M. Torsney 1116 1:41.00 $34,110 G2
1977-1 Swoon Swept 3 Larry Melancon Michael D. Tinker W. Cal Partee 1116 1:41.20 $32,400 G2
1977-2 Johnny D. 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. Michael Kay Dana S. Bray Jr. 1116 1:41.00 $32,100 G2
1976-1 Fabled Monarch 3 Jacinto Vásquez Woody Stephens John M. Olin 118 1:50.00 $27,450 G2
1976-2 Modred 3 Craig Perret Willard C. Freeman Helen E. Hertz Hexter 118 1:49.40 $27,300 G2
1975-1 Dr. Emil 3 Mike Venezia William F. Schmitt C. Herbert Kaufman 1316 2:07.00 $27,270 G2
1975-2 Brian Boru 3 Braulio Baeza Frank I. Wright Barbara Guggenheim Obre 1316 2:07.60 $27,270 G2
1974-1 Jack Spratt 3 Ron Turcotte John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1316 1:56.40 $28,020 G2
1974-2 Hasty Tudor 3 Vincent Bracciale Jr. Howard M. Tesher John D. King 1316 1:56.80 $27,870 G2
1973 London Company 3 Laffit Pincay Jr. LeRoy Jolley Bertram Firestone 1316 1:56.00 $35,760 G2
1972 Big Spruce 3 Raul Cespedes Victor J. Nickerson Elmendorf 1316 1:56.80 $34,740
1971 Bold Reason 3 John L. Rotz Angel Penna Sr. William A. Levin 1316 1:54.80 $33,840
1970-1 Roman Scout 3 Jacinto Vásquez Clyde Troutt Ada L. Rice 1116 1:43.20 $14,771
1970-2 Naskra 3 Jean Cruguet Philip G. Johnson Harry Gordon, Her-Jac Stable (Richard Hersch & Peter Jacobs) 1116 1:43.40 $15,096
1969 Eaglesham 3 Pete Anderson Woody Stephens John M. Olin 1116 1:46.60 $18,720
1965 – 1968 Race not held
1964 Laugh Aloud 3 Ron Turcotte Edward A. Christmas Howell E. Jackson III 1116 1:43.00 $19,142
1963 Marlin Bay 3 Johnny Sellers Arthur W. Beuzeville Verna Lea Farm (Gene Goff) 1116 1:41.20 $18,752
1962 Mongo 3 Charlie Burr Frank A. Bonsal Montpelier Stable 1 m 1:34.20 $18,850
1961 Wise Ship 3 Heliodoro Gustines Jacob Byer Milton J. Ritzenberg 158 m 2:41.80 $36,335

References

  1. "A roundup of the sports Information of the week – Horse racing". Sports Illustrated. 1961-11-13. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  2. "Aqueduct Results". The San Bernardino Sun, Volume 68, page D-4. 1962-07-26. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  3. The Bloodhorse.com Champion's history charts Archived September 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Thomas H. Burns". Hasty Tudor Returns $66. 1974-07-28. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  5. "Scout, Naskra Split Lexington Handicap". New York Daily News, page 26. 1970-07-21. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  6. "Naskra – Results". Equibase Co LLC. 2020-05-19. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  7. "Majesty's Prince Triumphs". New York Times. 1982-07-02. Section C, page 3. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  8. "Belmont Closing Day Marred By Violence". New York Times. 1978-07-30. Section Sports, page 1. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  9. "Horse Racing; First Stakes Score For Trainer Cordero". New York Times. 1994-07-18. Section C, page 7. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  10. "Ginger Punch helps herself in First Flight". ESPN. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
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