The Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...

. It currently is a

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

event open to four-year-olds and up willing to race one and one-half miles on dirt. It was a Grade 1 race prior to 1993.

Historical notes

First run on May 14, 1887 at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, New York, it was won by Emery & Cotton's Dry Monopole in track record time for the mile and one-quarter distance. A versatile horse, a year earlier on June 15, 1886 Dry Monopole had won America's first ever Thoroughbred flat race on turf. The Brooklyn Handicap quickly became one of the top attractions on the New York racing circuit, drawing some of the best Thoroughbreds. Not run 1911–1912 due to the New York's

Hart–Agnew Law The Hart–Agnew Law was an anti-gambling bill passed into law by the Legislature of the State of New York on June 11, 1908. It was an amalgam of bills enacted as Chapter 506 and 507 which were sponsored by conservative Assemblyman Merwin K. Hart ...

which banned parimutuel betting The race was once the second leg of what is sometimes referred to as the

New York Handicap Triple The Handicap Triple Crown or New York Handicap Triple are the names used to refer to three American handicap races for older Thoroughbred racehorses run by the New York Racing Association at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The three races are (i ...

series of races. It was preceded by the Metropolitan Handicap and followed by the Suburban Handicap. Four horses won the Handicap Triple: *

Whisk Broom II Whisk Broom II (1907–1928) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who raced in the United Kingdom (under the name Whisk Broom) and in the United States. Whisk Broom showed high class form during four seasons of racing in Europe, but ...

(1913) *

Tom Fool Tom Fool (March 31, 1949 – August 20, 1976) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1953 American Horse of the Year and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame. He sired the champion racehorses Buckpasser and Tim Tam. Back ...

(1953) * Kelso (1961) *

Fit to Fight Fit to Fight (April 5, 1979 in Kentucky – May 30, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Handicap Triple Crown (also called the New York Handicap Triple) in 1984. Background Sired by Chieftain, a son of Bold Ruler, in ...

(1984) The race is currently run on the same day as the Metropolitan Handicap, so it is no longer possible to win the Handicap Triple. Since inception the race has been held at: * Gravesend Race Track : 1887–1910 * Not run 1911–1912 * Old Aqueduct Racetrack : 1914–1944, 1946–1955 * Jamaica Race Course : 1956, 1958–1959 *

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing m ...

: 1960–1974, 1976 * Belmont Park : 1957, 1975, 1977 to present The Brooklyn Handicap has been contested at a variety of distances: * miles : 1915–1939, 1994–2007 * miles : 1956–1959, 1972–1974 * miles : 1887–1914, 1940–1955, 1960–1971, 1975–1976 * miles : 1991–1993 * miles : 1977–1990, 2008 to present

Records

Stakes record: (at current distance of miles) * 2:25.36 (2021) Lone Rock Most wins: * 3 –

Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discove ...

(1934, 1935, 1936) * 3 –

Forego Forego (April 30, 1970 – August 27, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse and Champion Sprinter. Background Foaled at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky ...

(1974, 1975, 1976) Most wins by a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

: * 6 – Eddie Arcaro (1944, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1961) Most wins by a trainer: * 7 –

Sam Hildreth Samuel Clay Hildreth (May 16, 1866 – September 24, 1929) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer and owner.James R. Keene James Robert Keene (February 8, 1838 - January 3, 1913) was a Wall Street stockbroker and a major thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder. Biography He was born in London, England in 1838. He was fourteen years of age when his family immi ...

(1895, 1901, 1905, 1907, 1908) * 5 – Greentree Stable (1943, 1944, 1953, 1958, 1963)

Winners

External links

Video of the 1904 Running of the Brooklyn Handicap

References

{{cite web, url= https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/stakes-schedule/brooklyn-invitational/ , title=Brooklyn , publisher= NYRA , date=2021-01-01 , accessdate=2021-04-22 Graded stakes races in the United States Horse races in New York (state) Open middle distance horse races Gravesend Race Track Jamaica Race Course Belmont Park Recurring sporting events established in 1887 1887 establishments in New York (state)