Stymie Handicap
The Stymie Handicap is an American ungraded dirt race for Thoroughbred horses run at Aqueduct Racetrack every year in March, the last month of winter. For horses three-years-old and up, it's set at one mile and one furlong (1 1/8 mile), currently offering a purse of $100,000 added.[1]
The race is named in honor of Stymie, the handicap champion of 1945. A $1,500 claimer, he was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1975. Making 131 starts, Stymie won 35, placed in 33, and came in third 28 times. Back then, his earnings of $918,485 set a record. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century Stymie is listed as #41.
The Stymie was run at a mile and a half prior to 1958, and then at a mile and a quarter from 1961 to 1971. From 1956 to 1961, and again between 1968 to 1975, it was held at Belmont Park.
Past winners
| Year |
Winner |
Age |
Jockey |
Time |
| 2015 | Turko Bravo | 6 | Jose L. Ortiz | 1:51.80 |
| 2014 | Farhaan | 5 | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 1:53.52 |
| 2013 | Ponzie Scheme | 6 | ||
| 2012 | RACE NOT RUN | |||
| 2011 | Goombada Guska | 4 | Jose Valdivia, Jr. | 1:51.53 |
| 2010 | Understatement | 5 | David Cohen | 1:50.63 |
| 2009 | Barrier Reef | 4 | Ramon A. Dominguez | 1:50.57 |
| 2008 | Malibu Moonshine | 6 | Mario Pino | 1:50.19 |
| 2007 | Evening Attire | 9 | Jose Espinoza | 1:49.57 |
| 2006 | Manchurian | 6 | Mike Luzzi | 1:50.87 |
| 2005 | Hydrogen | 6 | Richard Migliore | 1:50 4/5 |
| 2004 | Ground Storm | 8 | Javier Castellano | 1:50 4/5 |
| 2003 | Snake Mountain | 5 | Mike Luzzi | 1:49 3/5 |
| 2002 | Ground Storm | 6 | Javier Castellano | 1:48 4/5 |
| 2001 | Windrush | 4 | Joe Bravo | 1:48 2/5 |
| 2000 | Not So Fast | 6 | Octavio Vergara | 1:49 |
| 1999 | Brushing Up | 6 | Shaun Bridgmohan | 1:49 1/5 |
| 1998 | Unreal Turn | 6 | Chuck C. Lopez | 1:48 3/5 |
| 1997 | Iron Gavel | 7 | Julio Pezua | 1:49 |
| 1996 | More to Tell | 5 | Jorge Chavez | 1:51 2/5 |
| 1995 | More to Tell | 4 | Frank Alvarado | 1:51 3/5 |
| 1994 | Koluctoo Jimmy Al | 4 | Jorge Chavez | 1:50 4/5 |
| 1993 | Two the Twist | 6 | Richard Migliore | 1:48 1/5 |
| 1992 | Crackedbell | 7 | Aaron Gryder | 1:48 4/5 |
| 1991 | I'm Sky High | 5 | Mike E. Smith | 1:50 2/5 |
| 1990 | Its Academic | 6 | Jorge Velasquez | 1:50 3/5 |
| 1989 | Its Academic | 5 | Diane Nelson | 1:51 1/5 |
| 1988 | King's Swan | 8 | Jose Santos | 1:51 2/5 |
| 1987 | Lover's Cross | 4 | Ruben Hernandez | 1:50 |
| 1986 | Proof | 4 | Eddie Maple | 1:50 9 |
| 1985 | Imp Society | 4 | Jorge Velasquez | 1:53 |
| 1984 | Gen'l Practitioner | 4 | Larry Saumell | 1:48 2/5 |
| 1983 | Sing Sing | 5 | Rolando Alvarado | 1:51 |
| 1982 | Castle Knight | 4 | George Martens | 1:50 1/5 |
| 1981 | Irish Tower | 4 | Jeffrey Fell | 1:50 2/5 |
| 1980 | Identical | 5 | Cash Asmussen | 1:52 1/5 |
| 1979 | Pumpkin Moonshine | 5 | Dave Borden | 1:51 4/5 |
| 1978 | Wise Philip | 5 | Jacinto Vasquez | 1:50 |
| 1977 | Patriot's Dream | 4 | Ron Turcotte | 1:51 3/5 |
| 1976 | Right Mind | 5 | Ron Turcotte | 1:49 3/5 |
| 1975 | Group Plan | 5 | Jorge Velasquez | 1:47 2/5 |
| 1974 | Key To The Kingdom | 4 | Daryl Montoya | 1:46 1/5 |
| 1973 | Forage | 4 | Laffit Pincay, Jr. | unknown |
| 1972 | Canonero II | 4 | Gustavo Avila | 1:46 1/5 |
| 1971 | Protanto | 4 | Jorge Velasquez | 2:02 2/5 |
| 1970 | Hydrologist | 4 | Jacinto Vasquez | 2:00 4/5 |
| 1969 | Chompion | 4 | Heliodoro Gustines | 2:02 2/5 |
| 1968 | Grace Born | 4 | Eddie Belmonte | 2:00 2/5 |
| 1967 | Ring Twice | 4 | William Boland | 2:02.00 |
| 1966 | Malicious | 5 | Bobby Ussery | 2:03 2/5 |
| 1965 | Kelso | 8 | Ismael Valenzuela | 2:02 4/5 |
| 1964 | The Ibex | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | 2:01 |
| 1963 | Endymion | 4 | Braulio Baeza | 2:05 1/5 |
| 1962 | Kelso | 5 | Ismael Valenzuela | 2:00 4/5 |
| 1961 | Black Thumper | 4 | John Ruane | 2:01 3/5 |
| 1960 | Manassa Mauler | 4 | William Boland | 1:48 3/5 |
| 1959 | Village Idiot | 4 | Eric Guerin | 1:49 3/5 |
| 1958 | Bold Ruler | 4 | Eddie Arcaro | 1:48 2/5 |
| 1957 | Argent | 4 | John Choquette | 2:30 2/5 |
| 1956 | Thinking Cap | 4 | Paul J. Bailey | 2:29 3/5 |