The Matchmaker Stakes is a Grade III American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

for

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, th ...

and

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

s age three and older run over a distance of miles on the

turf Sod is the upper layer of turf that is harvested for transplanting. Turf consists of a variable thickness of a soil medium that supports a community of turfgrasses. In British and Australian English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', ...

held annually in July at

Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

Oceanport, New Jersey Oceanport is a borough situated in the Jersey Shore region, within Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, specifically Central Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,150, an increase of 318 (+5.5 ...

History

The inaugural running of the event was on 30 September 1967 at

Atlantic City Race Course The Atlantic City Race Course (ACRC), formerly the Atlantic City Race Track, was a Thoroughbred horse race track located in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The track is located off ...

over a distance of miles on the dirt. The event concept was that additional stakes offered for the event were given to the owners for payment to breed to selected sires. The first running attracted 14 entrants and the three sires that were available for the placegetters were the 1958 US Horse of the Year

Round Table The Round Table (; ; ; ) is King Arthur's famed table (furniture), table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status, unlike co ...

, 1960 US Champion Two-Year-Old Colt

Hail To Reason Hail to Reason (April 18, 1958 – February 24, 1976) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire. In a racing career cut short by injury, he was named the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1960 after winning seven stake ...

and the 1962 Belmont Stakes winner

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

. The winner of the inaugural race was the Maryland bred mare Politely who set a new track record of 1:55. Politely would win the event again the following year. In the early years of the event in the attracted the finest mares as owners vied for the possibility of breeding to former champions that were offered as part of prizemoney. In 1973 when The American Graded Stakes Committee was founded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association the event was immediately given the highest classification of Grade I. In 1978 the event was moved to be run on the turf track. In 1979 the event was downgraded to Grade II. In 1997 with diminished racing dates given to the

the event was moved to

Monmouth Park Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease ...

. The distance of the event was decreased to miles. Also that year the event was downgraded once more to Grade III. Since 2004, the event has beene part of the

Haskell Invitational The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth ...

day meeting. In 2009, the Matchmaker was taken off the turf because of heavy rain in New Jersey earlier in the day. Originally carded as a Grade III event, the Matchmaker lost its graded status for that running in a decision made by the American Graded Stakes Committee shortly after it was run. Taylor Made Stallions sponsored the Matchmaker from 2005 to 2012. The event has been supported by

WinStar Farm WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and horse racing, racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky, owned by Kenny Troutt. It won the 2010 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner and 2016 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder, Outstandi ...

since 2014.

Records

Speed record: * miles (turf) – 1:46.19 Batique (2001) * miles (turf) – 1:53.40 Sabin (1984) & Spruce Fir (1989) * miles (dirt) – 1:54.20

Susan's Girl Susan's Girl (1969–October 18, 1988) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, bred and owned by Fred W. Hooper. She was the first American filly to earn over $1,000,000. Racing career Racing as a two-year-old in 1971, Susan's Girl came up again ...

(1975) & Mississippi Mud (1977) Margins: * 7 lengths – Gallant Bloom (1969) & Captain's Lover (2009) Most wins: * 2 – Politely (1967, 1968) * 2 – Starstruck (2013, 2014) Most wins by trainer: * 7 – Chad C. Brown (2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) 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 ...

: * 4 – Joe Bravo (1999, 2003, 2008, 2016) Most wins by owner: * 2 –

Bohemia Stable Helena Allaire Crozer du Pont (May 4, 1913 – January 6, 2006) was an American sportswoman and a member of the prominent French-American du Pont family of chemical manufacturers who is most remembered as the owner of the Thoroughbred horse raci ...

(1967, 1968) * 2 –

Augustin Stable George W. Strawbridge Jr. (born October 10, 1937) is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman and philanthropist. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Margaret ("Peggy") Dorrance and the stockbroker George ...

(1994, 1996) * 2 –

Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegrass ...

(2013, 2014)

Winners

''Legend:''

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an

entry Entry may refer to: *Entry, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States *Entry (cards), a term used in trick-taking card-games *Entry (economics), a term in connection with markets *Entry (film), ''Entry'' (film), a 2013 Indian ...

‡ Originally the event was scheduled for Friday, 10 August 1979, but an electrical storm forced the cancellation of the meeting and the event was redrawn and held on Wednesday, 15 August 1979.
† In the 1983 Alma North was first past the post but was disqualified for interference of the third place finisher Honestous and Numbered Account was declared the winner, Honestous was placed second and Alma North moved to third.

References

{{Reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Horse races in New Jersey Turf races in the United States Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Monmouth Park Racetrack Atlantic City Race Course 1967 establishments in New Jersey

History

Records

Winners

See also

References