Fred W. Hooper Handicap

The Fred W. Hooper Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. A Grade III event, it is open to horses age three and older and was contested on dirt at a distance of 1 ¹⁄₈ miles (9 furlongs). In 2015, the distance was changed to 1 Mile or 8 furlongs. Currently raced in mid December, it offers a purse of $100,000.

Inaugurated in 1984 as the Tropical Park Handicap, it was run under that name through 1996. In 1987 it was called the Tropical Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap. In 1997, the race was renamed in honor of the prominent Thoroughbred owner/breeder, Fred W. Hooper who operated Circle H Farm, a horse breeding operation in Ocala, Florida.

Creme Fraiche won the 1987 edition, which was run in January 1988, in track record time and came back to win it again in December 1988.

The 1984 and 1985 editions were run on turf at a distance of “about” 1 ¹⁄₈ miles. In 1986 it was switched to dirt and set at a distance of 1 ³⁄₁₆ miles. The 1987 edition, run in January 1988 was set at 1 ¹⁄₄ miles but the 1988 running in December was contested at 1 ¹⁄₈ miles and remained at that distance until 2015.

In 2015 and 2016 this race, now called the Fred W. Hooper Stakes, took place at Gulfstream Park and was set for horses aged 4 and up.

Records

• Speed record: (at current distance of 1 Mile)
• Speed record (at previous distance: 1 ¹⁄₈ miles on dirt)

Most wins:

• 2 - Creme Fraiche (1988, 1988)
• 2 - Csaba (2012, 2013)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 - Walter Guerra (1984, 1988)
• 2 - Jose Velez, Jr. (1989, 1996)
• 2 - Cornelio Velasquez (2001, 2002)
• 2 - Rafael Bejarano (2005, 2006)
• 3 - Luis Saez (2012, 2013, 2016)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 - Nick Zito (2004, 2005, 2006)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Brushwood Stable (1988, 1988)
• 2 - Robert V. LaPenta (2004, 2005)
• 2 - Hollander/Shapoff (2012, 2013)

Winners

References

• The Fred W. Hooper Handicap at the NTRA