The Lawrence Realization Stakes was an American

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

first run on the turf in 1889. The race, for three-year-old

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

colts, geldings and fillies, was last run in 2005.

History

Inaugurated at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track at Gravesend, New York, it was held there until 1913. At that time, the race was the richest stakes for three-year-olds in the United States. It was run as the Realization Stakes until 1899, when it was renamed to honor James G. K. Lawrence, president of the Coney Island Jockey Club (which owned the racetrack). Lawrence was also responsible for creating of the Futurity Stakes in 1888. The stakes were later run at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

as a

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race on the dirt. The race continued to be run there (except for the Belmont Park redevelopment period from 1962 to 1968) until it was removed from the calendar in 2005 by the

New York Racing Association The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York (state), New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Q ...

(NYRA) as a cost-cutting measure. For 70 years, the Lawrence Realization was one of the most prestigious annual events in the American

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

calendar. Only two horses contested the race in 1918, 1920, 1944, and 1946; however, due to the large number of entries in 1976 and 1985 it was run in two divisions. The race was contested over several distances: * : 1889–1913, 1918–1969 * : 1916–1917, 1970–2004 * : 2005

Records

On September 4, 1920, Man o' War won the Lawrence Realization by 100 lengths over the only other runner, Hoodwink. His time for the race was 2 min s, which broke the world record for the distance by seconds and was his fifth record-setting performance that year. The great Kelso tied the record in 1960.

Records for distance

* At : 2:25.94 – ''Parade Ground'' (1998) * At : 2:40.80 – ''Man o' War'' (1920) * At : 2:40.80 – ''Kelso'' (1960)

Most wins by a
jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), 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 ...

* 5 – Braulio Baeza (1961, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972) * 5 –

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...

(1935, 1939, 1952, 1959, 1960)

Most wins by a trainer

* 8 – "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons (1924, 1925, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1940)

Most wins by an owner

* 6 – Belair Stud (1924, 1925, 1930, 1932, 1936, 1940)

Winners

* † In 1919, Over There finished first but was disqualified.
Lawrence Realization winners. Accessed February 4, 2011.

References

{{reflist Graded stakes races in the United States Belmont Stakes Sheepshead Bay Race Track Flat horse races for three-year-olds Horse races in the United States Turf races in the United States Discontinued horse races in the United States