TheAlabama Stakes is an AmericanThoroughbred horse race open to three-year-oldfillies. Inaugurated in 1872, theGrade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track atSaratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, it currently offers a purse of $600,000.[1] In 2010 it became the third leg of theAmerican Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, after theAcorn Stakes andCoaching Club American Oaks.
| Class | Grade I stakes |
|---|---|
| Location | Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs, New York, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1872 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred –Flat racing |
| Website | [1] |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 11⁄4 miles (10 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-oldfillies |
| Weight | 121 lbs. (54.9 kg) |
| Purse | $600,000 |
The Alabama Stakes is named in honor of William Cottrell ofMobile, Alabama. "Alabama" was the name settled on because Cottrell was too modest to have a race named for him personally. The inaugural running took place on July 19, 1872 and was won by achestnut filly named Woodbine owned by prominent New York financierAugust Belmont Sr.[2]
The race was not run from 1893 to 1896 and 1898 to 1900. The 1908 passage of theHart–Agnew anti-betting legislation by theNew York Legislature underRepublicanGovernorCharles Evans Hughes led to a state-wide shutdown of racing in 1911 and 1912.[3][4] During World War II, from 1943 through 1945 the Alabama Stakes was run atBelmont Park.[5]
The race has been contested at various distances:
- 1 mile and 1 furlong – 1872–1901, 1904, 1906–1916
- 1+1⁄16 miles – 1901, 1902, and on the turf in 1903
- 1+5⁄16 miles – 1905
- 1+1⁄4 miles – 1917 to present
Records
editSpeed record at current distance:
- 2:00.80 @ 1¼ miles :Go For Wand (1990)[6]
Most wins by an owner:
- 5 –Belair Stud (1924, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1953)
- 4 –Walter M. Jeffords (1937, 1949, 1951, 1952)
Most wins by ajockey:
- 5 –Jorge Velásquez (1972, 1973, 1977, 1984, 1987)
- 5 –Jerry D. Bailey (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005)
- 5 –Mike E. Smith (1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2016)
Most wins by atrainer:
- 8 –Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons (1924, 1928, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1950, 1953, 1959)
Winners
edit+ In 1968 Heartland finished first but was disqualified and placed second.
+ In 1966 Lady Pitt finished first but was disqualified and placed second.
+ In 1942 Bonnet Ann finished first but was disqualified and placed last.
+ In 1908 Stamina finished first but was disqualified and placed last.
External links
editReferences
edit- ^"Alabama Stakes".NYRA. 2020-04-14. Retrieved2020-04-14.
- ^"Saratoga – The Races".Wheeling Daily Register. West Virginia. 1872-07-20. p. 1. Retrieved2020-04-15.
- ^"Penalties in the New York Bills".Daily Racing Form. 1908-01-18. Retrieved2018-10-26 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
- ^"Race Track Bill Defeated In Senate; Measure Modifying Directors' Liability for Gambling Fails of Passage".The New York Times. July 14, 1911. RetrievedSeptember 2, 2017.
- ^"G.D. Widener's Stefanita Captures $17,425 Alabama Stakes at Belmont".New York Times. 1943-08-05. Section Sports, page 20. Retrieved2020-04-16.
- ^"Horse Racing: Go for Wand's legacy lives on".The Saratogian. 1990-08-21. Retrieved2020-04-15.