Red Smith Stakes Explained

Surface:	Turf
Class:	Grade III
Horse Race:	Red Smith Stakes
Location:	Aqueduct Racetrack Queens, New York, United States
Inaugurated:	1960
Race Type:	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website:	Aqueduct Racetrack at the NYRA
Distance:	miles (11 furlongs)
Track:	Left-handed
Qualification:	Three-year-olds & up
Purse:	$300,000 (2023)

The Red Smith Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. A race on turf open to horses age three and older, it is typically run in November over a distance of miles (11 furlongs).

Inaugurated in 1960, it was run as the Edgemere Handicap until 1981. Previously, there had been a race on dirt known as the Edgemere Handicap which was contested at a distance of a mile and one furlong. Last run in 1957, this turf race was renamed the Red Smith Handicap in honor of the late Walter "Red" Smith, an honored and respected sports columnist for over 45 years who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1976. In 2019 it was changed to the Red Smith Stakes.

Since inception, the Red Smith has been run at various distances:

• miles : 1960–1962, 1968–1971, 1994–2005, 2007 to present
• miles : 1963 to 1967
• miles : 1977
• miles : 1972 to 1976, 1978–1993, 2006

Hosted by:

• Belmont Park : 1960–1962, 1968–1993
• Aqueduct Racetrack : 1963–1967, 1994 to present

The Red Smith was run in two divisions in 1977, 1983, and 1986. There was no race in 1979.

In 1984, 1997, 2006 and 2018, the Red Smith was taken off the turf and run on the dirt. The 1997 race was shortened to miles, and the 2018 race was shortened to miles.

Records

Speed record: (at current distance of miles)

• 2:14.44 – Monarch's Maze (1999)

Most wins:

• 2 – Boisterous (2011, 2012)
• 2 – Drumtop (1970, 1971)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 – Phipps Stable (2011, 2012. 2013)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1969, 1970, 1977, 1979, 1985)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 4 – Claude R. McGaughey III (2011, 2012, 2013, 2020)

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Win$	Grade
2023	Master Piece (CHI)	7	Jose Lezcano	Richard E. Dutrow Jr.	Michael Iavarone, Julia C. Iavarone, Nicholas Zoumas, Dino Baccari, Frank Argano & Peter Douglass	1	2:14.56	$300,000	G2
2022	Astronaut	5	Kendrick Carmouche	Thomas Albertrani	John M. B. O'Conner	1	2:14.00	$300,000	G2
2021	Serve The King	5	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Peter M. Brant	1	2:16.60	$200,000	G3
2020	North Dakota	4	Jose Lezcano	C. R. McGaughey III	Allen Stable Inc.	1	2:16.47	$100,000	3
2019	Sadler's Joy	6	Javier Castellano	Thomas Albertrani	Woodslane Farm LLC	1	2:15.76	$110,000	G3
2018	Village King	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Angels of Catalina, Inc.	1	1:52.95	$110,000	L/R
2017	Spring Quality	5	Edgar Prado	Graham Motion		1	2:17.72	$120,000	G3
2016	Bigger Picture	5	José Ortiz	Michael J. Maker	Three Diamonds Farm	1	2:15.46	$120,000
2015	Mr. Maybe	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Michael Dubb & Highclere America	1	2:17.49	$90,000
2014	Dynamic Sky	4	Cornelio Velásquez	Mark E. Casse	John C. Oxley	1	2:18.85	$90,000
2013	Imagining	5	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	1	2:18.43	$150,000
2012	Boisterous	5	Edgar Prado	Claude R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	1	2:19.38	$150,000
2011	Boisterous	4	Alan Garcia	Claude R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	1	2:20.26	$150,000
2010	Grassy	4	Joe Bravo	Christophe Clement	Claiborne Farm & Adele Dilschneider	1	2:20.06	$90,000
2009	Expansion	4	Channing Hill	Chad C. Brown	Mary & Gary West	1	2:18.93	$90,000
2008	Strike a Deal	4	Chuck C. Lopez	Alan E. Goldberg	Jayeff B Stables	1	2:23.28	$90,000
2007	Dave	6	Joe Bravo	Barclay Tagg	Partingglass Stable et al.	1	2:21.45	$90,000
2006	Naughty New Yorker	5	Jean-Luc Samyn	Patrick J. Kelly	Fox Ridge Farm Inc.	1	2:04.52	$90,000
2005	King's Drama	5	Edgar Prado	Robert J. Frankel	Gary A. Tanaka	1	2:15.37	$90,000
2004	Dreadnaught	4	Jean-Luc Samyn	Thomas Voss	Trillium Stable	1	2:18.87	$90,000
2003	Balto Star	5	John Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Anstu Stables, Inc.	1	2:18.86	$90,000
2002	Evening Attire	4	Shaun Bridgmohan	Patrick J. Kelly	J. M. Grant & T. J. Kelly	1	2:14.81	$90,000
2001	Mr. Pleasentfar	4	José A. Santos	Martin D. Wolfson	Raja Malek	1	2:16.94	$90,000
2000	Cetewayo	6	Richard Migliore	Michael Dickinson	Dr. John Chandler	1	2:17.93	$90,000
1999	Monarch's Maze	3	Joe Bravo	Patrick J. Kelly	Live Oak Racing	1	2:14.44	$90,000
1998	Musical Ghost	6	John Velazquez	Mark A. Hennig	Edward P. Evans	1	2:15.53	$90,000
1997	Instant Friendship	4	John Velazquez	Leo O'Brien	Sultan Al Kabeer	1	2:17.08	$90,000
1996	Mr. Bluebird	5	Mike E. Smith	John C. Kimmel	Thomas R. Warfield	1	2:15.35	$87,750
1995	Flag Down	5	José A. Santos	Christophe Clement	Allen E. Paulson	1	2:22.03	$69,900
1994	Franchise Player	5	Dale Beckner		Austin K. Smith	1	2:20.53	$72,120
1993	Royal Mountain Inn	4	Julie Krone	Barclay Tagg	Steadfast Stable	1	1:59.80	$71,760
1992	Montserrat	4	Julie Krone	W. Elliott Walden	Preston Madden	1	2:00.20	$70,920
1991	Who's To Pay	5	Jerry Bailey	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	1	1:58.00	$71,160
1990	Yankee Affair	8	Jose Santos	Henry L. Carroll	Ju Ju Gen Stable	1	2:00.20	$70,560
1989	Rambo Dancer	5	Jose Santos	LeRoy Jolley	Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum	1	2:01.00	$72,360
1988	Pay the Butler	4	Robbie Davis	Robert J. Frankel	Edmund A. Gann	1	2:01.40	$118,620
1987	Theatrical	5	Pat Day	William I. Mott	Bertram R. Firestone	1	2:00.80	$116,460
1986	Divulge	5	Jean Cruguet	Gasper Moschera	Albert Davis	1	1:59.00	$90,150
1986	Equalize	4	Walter Guerra	Jan H. Nerud	Tartan Farms	1	2:02.20	$88,950
1985	Sharannpour	4	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Robert J. Frankel	Jerry Moss	1	2:04.20	$101,100
1984	Hero's Honor	4	Jerry Bailey	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stables	1	2:02.20	$89,400
1983	Super Sunrise	4	Craig Perret	Warren A. Croll Jr.	Blanche P. Levy	1	2:06.80	$67,200
1983	Thunder Puddles	4	Jean-Luc Samyn	John P. Campo	Rockwood Stable	1	2:06.40	$67,200
1982	Highland Blade	4	Jacinto Vásquez	David A. Whiteley	Pen Y Bryn Farm	1	2:06.40	$69,000
1981	Match the Hatch	5	Kenny Skinner	Philip G. Johnson	Kathy M. Johnson	1	1:59.60	$68,160
1980	Marquee Universal	4	Hector Pilar	Alec Bullock	Gerald Freed	1	1:58.80	$67,680
1979	Waya	5	Ángel Cordero Jr.	David A. Whiteley	Peter M. Brant	1	2:04.20	$65,445
1978	Tiller	4	Jeffrey Fell	David A. Whiteley	William H. Perry	1	2:00.20	$33,960
1977	Clout	5	George Martens	William O. Hicks	Cambridge Stable	1	1:40.00	$25,927
1977	Quick Card	4	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Thomas J. Kelly	John M. Schiff	1	1:39.60	$25,687
1976	Erwin Boy	5	Ron Turcotte	James P. Conway	Sea High Stable	1	2:01.20	$28,110
1975	Telefonico	4	Craig Perret	Lou M. Goldfine	Roberto Barcala	1	2:03.00	$17,400
1974	Take Off	5	Ron Turcotte	Frank Catrone	Ada L. Rice	1	2:00.40	$23,070
1973	Red Reality	7	Jorge Velásquez	MacKenzie Miller	Cragwood Stables	1	2:13.20	$16,890
1972	New Alibhai	4	Frank Iannelli	Ralph W. McIlvain	Elcee H Stable	1	2:02.40	$16,935
1971	Drumtop	5	Chuck Baltazar	Roger Laurin	James B. Moseley	1	2:16.60	$19,560
1970	Drumtop	4	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Roger Laurin	James B. Moseley	1	2:20.40	$19,110
1969	Majetta	5	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Angel Penna Sr.	Gustave Ring	1	2:19.00	$18,915
1968	High Hat	4	Eddie Belmonte	Kay E. Jensen	Mrs. Wallace Gilroy	1	2:20.20	$18,330
1967	Ginger Fizz	5	Fernando Toro	Thomas J. Kelly	Esther D. du Pont	1	1:55.00	$19,825
1966	Spoon Bait	4	John L. Rotz	Ivor G. Balding	Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney	1	1:54.40	$18,557
1965	Tenacle	5	Bobby Ussery	Homer C. Pardue	Joseph R. Straus	1	1:55.40	$19,825
1964	Will I Rule	5	Braulio Baeza	Joseph Nash	Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr.	1	1:55.80	$18,558
1963	Vimy Ridge	4	Sam Boulmetis	Thomas J. Barry	Frank E. Power	1	1:59.40	$18,395
1962	Wise Ship	5	Heliodoro Gustines	Jacob Byer	Milton J. Ritzenberg	1	2:16.00	$18,460
1961	Wolfram	5	Ismael Valenzuela	Burley Parke	Harbor View Farm	1	2:15.00	$18,492
1960	North Pole II	4	Sam Boulmetis Sr.	Sidney J. Smith	John S. Kroese	1	2:15.00	$18,550

References

• The 2007 Red Smith Handicap at the NTRA
• The Red Smith Handicap at the Pedigree Query