Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Explained

Surface:Turf
Class:Grade III
Horse Race:Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes
Location:Belmont Park
Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated:2019
Website:NYRA
Distance: miles
Track:Left-handed
Qualification:Three-year-olds
Weight:Colts & Geldings 122 lbs.
Fillies 119 lbs.
Purse:US$500,000 (since 2023)

The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and three-eighths miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$500,000.

History

In 2019 the New York Racing Association with the influx of racino dollars created a new racing series for turf horses called the Turf Trinity. The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes was positioned as the third and last leg of the new three race series held over the long distance of miles with an impressive purse of US$1 million.[1] The other events of the Turf Trinity are the Belmont Derby at Belmont Park and the Saratoga Derby at Saratoga. The winner originally earned an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf later in the racing season.

NYRA previously held an event for three-year-olds over the one and one-half miles distance on the turf in the fall known as the Lawrence Realization Stakes which at one time held Grade II status and attracted many fine three-year-old stayers including Halo, Mac Diarmida and Golden Act. The event was discontinued in 2005.[2]

The inaugural running on 8 September 2019 was won by the American-bred Spanish Mission who was based in England. Spanish Mission defeated eight other entrants winning by the shortest of margins, a nose over the French-bred Pedro Cara with the Irish-bred San Huberto in third. Spanish Mission returned back to England and in 2020 was successful in winning the Listed Chester Stakes over a distance of miles and the Group 2 Doncaster Cup held over the even longer distance of about miles. Later, Spanish Mission travelled to Australia for the 2021 running of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup and finished third to the Australian champion Verry Elleegant.

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA did not schedule the event in their updated and reformatted fall meeting.[3]

In the 2021 renewal of the event seven entrants competed with the Godolphin's British-bred gelding Yibir victorious.[4] Yibir in his next start won the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Racetrack and was awarded the Eclipse Award for US Champion Male Turf Horse.

With the outstanding quality the event displayed, the American Graded Stakes Committee in 2022 upgraded the classification of the event to Grade III.[5] Also the event in 2022 was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.[6] The event was won by the Irish-bred Nations Pride, who broke a track record that was set by Pebbles back in 1985 in a time of 2:24.14 with a -length victory.[7]

In 2023 NYRA shortened the distance of the Jockey Club Derby Invitational to miles and reduced its purse to $500,000. That year's race was ultimately moved to the dirt and run at miles because of heavy rain and downgraded to Listed status.[8]

Records

Speed record:

Margins:

Most wins by an owner:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners

Year WinnerJockeyTrainerOwnerDistanceTimePurseGradeRef
At Aqueduct
align=center 2023Lost ArkKendrick CarmoucheTodd A. PletcherHarrell Venturesalign=center milesalign=center 2:03.97align=center $485,000align=center Listedalign=center [9]
align=center 2022Nations Pride (IRE)Frankie DettoriCharlie ApplebyGodolphin Racingalign=center milesalign=center 2:24.14align=center $955,000align=center III[10]
At Belmont Park
align=center 2021Yibir (GB) Jamie SpencerCharlie ApplebyGodolphin Racingalign=center milesalign=center 2:26.23align=center $980,000align=center [11]
2020Race not held
align=center 2019Spanish MissionJamie SpencerDavid SimcockEarle I. Mack & Team Valoralign=center milesalign=center 2:27.58align=center $1,000,000align=center [12]
Legend:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NYRA establishes $5.25 million Turf Triple Series featuring the Turf Trinity and Turf Tiara for 3-year-olds. NYRA. NYRA Press Office. 15 February 2019.
  2. Web site: LAWRENCE REALIZATION STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS . Thoroughbred Pedigree Online . 2022 . 20 July 2022.
  3. Web site: Angst . Frank . Saratoga Derby Big Mover in New Graded Stakes Listings American Graded Stakes Committee announces its graded and listed stakes for 2021. . bloodhorse.com . 20 July 2022 . 18 December 2020.
  4. Web site: JOCKEY CLUB DERBY INVITATIONAL STAKES - BELMONT PARK, NY . Thoroughbred Pedigree Online . 2022 . 20 July 2022.
  5. Web site: Angst . Frank . Blue Grass Stakes to Return to Grade 1 Status Keeneland's top Kentucky Derby prep among three races upgraded to grade 1 for 2022. . BloodHorse.com . 4 February 2022 . 28 January 2022.
  6. Web site: Ehalt . Bob . NYRA Shifts Belmont Fall Meet to Aqueduct Change will allow construction of infield tunnel, redevelopment plan to begin. . 28 July 2022 . 22 August 2022.
  7. Web site: Ehalt . Bob . Nations Pride Romps in Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct Godolphin homebred was an easy winner in final leg of Caesars Turf Triple. . bloodhorse.com . 19 September 2022 . 19 September 2022.
  8. Web site: Lost Ark Prevails in Jockey Club Derby Invitational. Johnson. Karen. 7 October 2023. The BloodHorse . 7 October 2023.
  9. Web site: 2023 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Listed - Race 9. Equibase . 7 October 2023 . 7 October 2023.
  10. Web site: 2022 Caesars Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10) . Equibase . 17 September 2022 . 18 September 2022.
  11. Web site: 2021 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Black Type - (race 10) . Equibase . 18 September 2021 . 20 July 2022.
  12. Web site: 2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Black Type - (race 10) . Equibase . 7 September 2019 . 20 July 2022.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.