Matchmaker Stakes

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Grade III race
Matchmaker Stakes
Location	Monmouth Park Racetrack Oceanport, New Jersey
Inaugurated	1967
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Monmouth Park Racetrack
Race information
Distance	1⅛ miles (9 furlongs)
Track	Grass, left-handed
Qualification	Fillies and Mares, Three-years-old & up
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$150,000

The Matchmaker Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The Grade III race is open to Fillies and Mares, Three-years-old & up and is run on turf over a distance of 1⅛ miles (9 furlongs).

Inaugurated in 1967 at Atlantic City Race Course, the race was run on dirt from 1967 to 1978 and again in 1983. Run at 1 3/16 miles from 1967 through 1996, the race was moved to Monmouth Park in 1997. Until 2004, it was known as the Matchmaker Handicap and was run in mid June until being made part of the Haskell Invitational day held on the first Sunday in August.

Only one horse has ever won this race twice. Allaire du Pont's filly, Politely, accomplished the feat with back-to-back victories in the first two runnings.

[edit] Records

Time record: (at current 1⅛ miles om turf)

• 1:46.19 - Batique (2001)

Most wins:

• 2 - Politely (1967, 1968)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 - Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1972, 1974, 1991)

[edit] Winners of the Matchmaker Stakes since 1997

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2007	Roshani	4	Garrett Gomez	Todd A. Pletcher	Ben McElroy	1:47.55
2006	Ready's Gal	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	James T. Scatuorchio	1:48.77
2005	Love Match	5	Javier Castellano	John C. Kimmel	Anne Wrenn Poulson	1:50.20
2004	Where We Left Off	4	Corey Nakatani	Christophe Clement	Moyglare Stud	1:48.80
2003	Volga	5	Joe Bravo	Christophe Clement	Joseph Allen	1:48.20
2002	Clearly A Queen	5	Eibar Coa	Teresa Pompay	John Franks	1:47.76
2001	Batique	5	Jose Ferrer	Laird George	Helen K. Groves	1:46.19
2000	Horatia	4	Jose Santos	Christophe Clement	Gerald W. Leigh	1:47.52
1999	Natalie Too	5	Joe Bravo	D. Wayne Lukas	Padua Stables	1:46.81
1998	Bursting Forth	4	Mario Verge	H. Graham Motion	Sam Huff	1:48.46
1997	Fleur de Nuit	4	Julie Krone	Joseph H. Pierce, Jr.	Robert Greenbaum	1:48.91

[edit] Earlier winners