Belmont Derby

Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes

Grade I race
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1929 (as Jamaica Handicap)
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.nyra.com
Race information
Distance	​1 1⁄4 miles (10 furlongs)
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds
Weight	Set Weights
Purse	US$1,250,000

The Belmont Derby is New York Racing Association Grade 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses with set weight conditions run over distance of ​1 ¹⁄₄ miles annually on the turf at Belmont Park in Elmont on Long Island, New York, USA in July. The purse for the event is US$1,250,000.

Race history

In 2014 the race was renamed from the Jamaica Handicap to current name and moved from October to July with and increase of distance from ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles to ​1 ¹⁄₄ miles and increase in stakes from $500,000 to $1,250,000.

The original race name was named after the Jamaica District in Queens, New York. The first running took place in 1929 at the Jamaica Racetrack. When the Jamaica track closed in 1959, the race was shifted to the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens where it was contested in 1960, 1975 to 1977, 1979 to 1981, and 1987.

It was raced at a distance of six furlongs from 1929 to 1953 and 1957 to 1960, then at ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles (9 furlongs) in 1954, and from 1997 through the present.

The Jamaica Handicap was open to horses age three and older from 1929 to 1944, 1949 to 1953, and again in 1960. It has been a turf race since 1994.

The Jamaica wasn't run from 1933 to 1935, in 1955 and 1956, from 1961 to 1976, nor in 1995 (due to severe weather conditions). It was run in two divisions in 1946.

In 2009, the Jamaica became a Grade I event.

Of interest is that any horse winning three editions of a single race is a rare occurrence but the Jamaica Handicap has had two horses accomplish that feat.

Records

Jamaica Handicap

Speed record: (at current distance of ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles)

• 1:45.50 - Artie Schiller (2004)

Most wins:

• 3 - Overdrawn (1941, 1942, 1943)
• 3 - Piet (1949, 1950, 1951)

Most wins by an owner:

• 4 - George D. Widener, Jr. (1931, 1936, 1941, 1942)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 - Richard Migliore (1984, 1986, 1996, 2004)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2015	Force the Pass	3	Joel Rosario	Alan E. Goldberg	Richard Santulli	2:01.16
2014	Mr Speaker	3	Jose Lezcano	C. R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	2:01.14
2013	Up With the Birds	3	Cornelio Velasquez	Malcolm Pierce	Sam-Son Farms	1:48.74
2012	King David	3	Rosie Napravnik	Michael J. Maker	Scarlet Stable	1:52.91
2011	Western Aristocrat	3	Corey Nakatani	Jeremy Noseda	Vinery Stables	1:50.34
2010	Prince Will I Am	3	Jose Lezcano	Michelle Nihei	Casa Farms	1:50.07
2009	Take the Points	3	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher	Starlight Partners	1:48.51
2008	Court Vision	3	Ramon Dominguez	William I. Mott	IEAH Stables/WinStar	1:49.75
2007	Nobiz Like Shobiz	3	Javier Castellano	Barclay Tagg	Elizabeth Valando	1:46.80
2006	Showing Up	3	Cornelio Velasquez	Barclay Tagg	Lael Stable	1:47.81
2005	Watchmon	3	Javier Castellano	Pat Reynolds	Paul Pompa, Jr.	1:49.28
2004	Artie Schiller	3	Richard Migliore	James A. Jerkens	Timber Bay Farm et al.	1:45.50
2003	Stroll	3	Jerry Bailey	William I. Mott	Claiborne Farm	1:46.02
2002	Finality	3	John Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Dogwood Stable	1:46.66
2001	Navesink	3	Edgar Prado	Alan E. Goldberg	Jayeff B Stables	1:51.53
2000	King Cugat	3	Jerry Bailey	William I. Mott	Centennial Farms	1:49.63
1999	Monarch's Maze	3	Joe Bravo	Patrick J. Kelly	Live Oak Racing	1:51.66
1998	Vergennes	3	John Velazquez	Mark Hennig	December Hill Farm	1:50.42
1997	Subordination	3	Jorge Chavez	Gary Sciacca	Klaravich Stable	1:49.00
1996	Allied Forces	3	Richard Migliore	Kiaran McLaughlin	Ahmed Al Tayer	1:40.91
1994	Pennine Ridge	3	John Velazquez	David G. Donk	December Hill Farm	1:35.13
1993	Mi Cielo	3	Mike E. Smith	Peter M. Vestal	Thomas M. Carey	1:35.20
1992	West by West	3	Jean-Luc Samyn	George R. Arnold II	John H. Peace	1:34.27
1991	Sultry Song	3	Chris Antley	Patrick J. Kelly	Live Oak Racing	1:34.44
1990	Confidential Talk	3	Jorge Chavez	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Phipps	1:35.60
1989	Domasca Don	3	Sandy Hawley	Robert P. Tiller	Frank Di Giulio, Sr.	1:35.40
1988	Ruhlmann	3	Gary Stevens	Robert J. Frankel	Jerome S. Moss	1:35.40
1987	Stacked Pack	3	Randy Romero	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Phipps	1:34.80
1986	Waquoit	3	Richard Migliore	Guido Federico	Joseph Federico	1:34.20
1985	Don's Choice	3	Don MacBeth	Marvin L. Moncrief	Sondra D. Bender	1:36.00
1984	Raja's Shark	3	Richard Migliore	Mark E. Casse	Irwin Feiner	1:36.60
1983	Bounding Basque	3	Gregg McCarron	Woodrow Sedlacek	J. D. Wimpfheimer	1:34.00
1982	John's Gold	3	Angel Cordero, Jr.	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	1:37.00
1981	Pass The Tab	3	Jorge Velasquez	Albert Barrera	Leopoldo Villareal	1:35.20
1980	Far Out East	3	Cash Asmussen	Thomas J. Kelly	John M. Schiff	1:34.00
1979	Belle's Gold	3	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Walter A. Kelley	John R. Murrell	1:33.60
1978	Regal And Royal	3	Jeffrey Fell	Warren A. Croll, Jr.	Aisco Stable	1:35.00
1977	Affiliate	3	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Lazaro S. Barrera	Harbor View Farm	1:35.20
1976	Dance Spell	3	Ruben Hernandez	James W. Maloney	Christiana Stable	1:34.00
1960	Rare Rice	4	Ray Broussard	Clyde Troutt	Ada L. Rice	1:10.60
1959	Crafty Skipper	3	Bobby Ussery	Lucien Laurin	Charfran Stable	1:09.60
1958	Levelation	3	Paul J. Bailey	Not found	Warner Stable	1:10.80
1957	Pertshire	3	Ted Atkinson	Hirsch Jacobs	Ethel D. Jacobs	1:11.20
1954	Magic Lamp	4	Bill Shoemaker	Preston M. Burch	Brookmeade Stable	1:50.00
1953	Sagittarius	7	Bennie Green	Not found	Winding Way Farm	1:11.00
1952	Tea-Maker	9	Hedley Woodhouse	J. Dallet Byers	F. Ambrose Clark	1:11.20
1951	Piet	6	Jim Nichols	R. Emmitt Potts	Peter A. Markey	1:11.20
1950	Piet	5	Nick Combest	R. Emmitt Potts	Peter A. Markey	1:11.20
1949	Piet	4	Chris Rogers	R. Emmitt Potts	Peter A. Markey	1:11.40
1948	Royal Blood	3	Douglas Dodson	James W. Smith	Maine Chance Farm	1:13.00
1947	Jet Pilot	3	Johnny Longden	Tom Smith	Maine Chance Farm	1:11.60
1946	Bonnie Beryl	3	James Stout	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	1:11.40
1946	Blunt Remark	3	Basil James	Buster Millerick	Frank Frankel	1:13.20
1945	War Jeep	3	John H. Adams	Tom Smith	Maine Chance Farm	1:11.40
1944	Doublrab	6	Eddie Arcaro	Harris Brown	Mrs. Tilyou Christopher	1:11.40
1943	Overdrawn	5	Sterling Young	Not found	Dearborn Stable	1:13.00
1942	Overdrawn	4	Nick Coule	Bert Mulholland	George D. Widener, Jr.	1:12.40
1941	Overdrawn	3	Herb Lindberg	Bert Mulholland	George D. Widener, Jr.	1:11.80
1940	Wise Bee	3	Don Meade	Not found	William H. Gallagher	1:12.60
1939	Fighting Fox	4	James Stout	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	1:12.00
1938	Clodion	4	Nick Wall	Walter A. Carter	Walter A. Carter	1:12.20
1937	Whopper	5	Harry Richards	Duval A. Headley	Hal Price Headley	1:11.60
1936	Sation	6	John Gilbert	Bert Mulholland	George D. Widener, Jr.	1:10.80
1932	Halcyon	4	Earl Steffen	Thomas J. Healey	C. V. Whitney	1:12.60
1931	Panetian	3	Linus McAtee	A. Jack Joyner	George D. Widener, Jr.	1:12.40
1930	Judge Schilling	5	Frank Catrone	Fred E. Kraft	Rudolph Spreckels	1:11.40
1929	Polydor	4	Mack Garner	William J. Spiers	William Ziegler, Jr.	1:11.80

* In 1954 Tea-maker, who won this race in 1952, finished first again but was disqualified.

External Links

• The Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes at Pedigree Query Thoroughbred Database - First three placegetters