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

References