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 ...
on
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'', ...
run from 1964 through 1993. A race for horses age three and older, it was inaugurated on July 18, 1964, at
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...
in
Ozone Park, Queens
Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City boroughs of New York City, borough of Queens, New York (state), New York, United States. It is next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
. It remained there through 1974 after which it was transferred to
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 ...
in
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead, New York, Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough ...
.
From inception, the Tidal Handicap was run in late June or early July until 1991 when it was moved to a run date in mid-October.
The Tidal Handicap was the third of Belmont Park's four major summer grass races for older horses. The unofficial series began with the
Red Smith Handicap
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).
Inaugur ...
(G2) in early June, followed by the
Bowling Green Handicap
The Bowling Green Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
History
The i ...
(G1) in mid-June, and finished with the Sword Dancer Handicap (G1) at the end of July.
History
The 1964 inaugural running at Aqueduct Racetrack was won by Master Dennis under jockey Fernando Alvarez for future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Burley Parke and owner
Harbor View Farm
Louis Elwood Wolfson (January 28, 1912 – December 30, 2007) was an American financier, a convicted felon, and one of the first modern corporate raiders, labeled by ''Time'' as such in a 1956 article.U.S. Triple Crown series.
The 1966 winner
Assagai
Assagai was an Afro-rock band, active in the early 1970s in London, whose relatively short career produced two albums recorded in 1971. It has been described as "the second best-known African group of the late 60s/early 70s in Britain" after Osi ...
went on to be voted that year's
American Champion Male Turf Horse
The American Champion Male Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor.
The award originated in 1953 when the ''Daily Racing Form'' (DRF) named Iceberg II their champion. The Thoroughbred Racing Association (TRA) added the cat ...
American Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year, or simply Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to san ...
honors, and a future Hall of Fame inductee for the
Rokeby Stables
Rokeby Stables was an American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse horse breeding, breeding farm in Upperville, Virginia, involved with both Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase and flat racing. The operation was established in the late 194 ...
of
Paul Mellon
Paul Mellon (June 11, 1907 – February 2, 1999) was an American philanthropist and a horse breeding, breeder of thoroughbred horse racing, racehorses. He is one of only five people ever designated an "Exemplar of Racing" by the National Muse ...
, became the first horse to win the Tidal Handicap more than once. He did it for the first time in 1967 on a soft Aqueduct course with future Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame jockey
Ron Turcotte
Ronald Joseph Morel Turcotte (born July 22, 1941) is a retired Canadian thoroughbred race horse jockey best known as the rider of Secretariat, winner of the U.S. Triple Crown in 1973.
Career
Turcotte began his career in Toronto as a hot walk ...
aboard. Carrying high weight, Fort Marcy won it for the second time in 1969 and again over a course soft enough that it resulted in a very slow winning time. This time his jockey was Manny Yacaza, another future Hall of Fame inductee. In the winner's circle, legendary
Big Band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
leader
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life.
Born and raised in Washington, D ...
presented a trophy to each of Fort Marcy's team made up of owner Paul Mellon, one of only five people made an Exemplar of Racing, jockey Ycaza and trainer
J. Elliott Burch
John Elliott Burch (March 3, 1924 – January 30, 2011) was an American Horse trainer who worked with Thoroughbred racehorses. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and four of his horses were also inducted by the sa ...
, a future Hall of Fame inductee and a
son
A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative.
Social issues
In pre-industrial societies and some current ...
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn ...
would be the only other horse to win the Tidal Handicap twice. Trained by David Whiteley, Tiller came into the July 2, 1978 Tidal Handicap having broken the Belmont Park turf course record with a time of 2:13 flat for the mile and three-eighths in the June 17
Bowling Green Handicap
The Bowling Green Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
History
The i ...
Jeffrey Fell
Jeffrey J. Fell (born June 20, 1956, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) is a retired jockey and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee who was also a successful rider in the United States.
On June 17, 1978, Jeffrey Fell rode Tiller to victory i ...
who was also aboard for his win in the Tidal Handicap. Tiller got his second win in the Tidal in 1980 under jockey Ruben Hernandez.
Trainer Jose Martin, son of U.S. Hall of Fame trainer Pancho Martin of
Sham
Sham may refer to:
Arabic use
* Al-Sham or Shām (شام), the Arabic term for the Greater Syria region, known in English as the Levant or the eastern Mediterranean, which includes the modern countries of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus ...
fame, got his first stakes win in a
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 ...
event when he won the 1973 Tidal Handicap with Jogging.
Noble Dancer broke the Belmont Park course record in winning the 1977 Tidal Handicap. He was ridden by
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960) is a retired American jockey.
In 1977 he became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year working with agent Lenny Goodman, and in 1978 he became the youngest jockey to win the U. S. ...
whose win was his first ever in a race on grass. A future U.S. Hall of Fame inductee, in 1978 Cauthen would win the U.S. Triple Crown aboard
Affirmed
Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known ...
.
In 1984, the Tidal Handicap was won by a horse named
Win
Win or WIN most likely refers to:
* A victory
Win, Winning, WIN or Winner may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film
* '' Win!'', a 2016 American film
Literature
* ''Win'' (Coben novel), 2021
* WIN (pacifist magazine)
* WIN (wrestling ma ...
. The race was run over the Belmont Park dirt track after rainy weather resulted in track officials determining the turf course to be unsafe. Trained by Sally Bailie, Win apparently liked the dirt as he beat the closest horse to him by 11 lengths.
The Tidal Handicap of 1986 was won by Darby Dan Farm'sProud Truth. In 1985 Proud Truth had won the
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Champion ...
.
With Approval
With Approval (May 9, 1986 – June 21, 2010) was a Thoroughbred Thoroughbred horse race, racehorse who won the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Canadian Triple Crown in 1989 under jockey Don Seymour. Even though he missed ...
came into the 1990 Tidal Handicap as the prior year's Canadian Triple Crown winner and Canada's Horse of the Year. The future Canadian Hall of Fame inductee did not disappoint, getting an easy win. Reporting on his performance, the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' said "With Approval confirmed his standing as the best grass horse in the East this year."
When last run on 18 October 1993 the event held Grade 2 classification.
Records
Speed record:
* 2:12.23 @ 1-3/8 miles :
With Approval
With Approval (May 9, 1986 – June 21, 2010) was a Thoroughbred Thoroughbred horse race, racehorse who won the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Canadian Triple Crown in 1989 under jockey Don Seymour. Even though he missed ...
(1990)
* 1:51.60 @ 1-3/16 miles :
Run the Gantlet
Run the Gantlet (1968–1986) was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and noted sire.
Background
He was out of the mare First Feather, whom owner Paul Mellon had purchased as a yearling at a then record price of $90,000 for a filly. ...
(1971)
* 1:47.60 @ 1-1/8 miles: More Scents (1968)
Most wins:
* 2 - Fort Marcy (1967, 1969)
* 2 -
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn ...
(1978, 1980)
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 -
Angel Cordero Jr.
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in various ...
(1968, 1973, 1981, 1985)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 4 -
MacKenzie Miller
MacKenzie "Mack" Todd Miller (October 16, 1921 – December 10, 2010) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and owner/breeder. During his forty-six-year career, he conditioned seventy-two stakes winners, including four Eclipse Award cha ...
(1966, 1970, 1974, 1987)
* 4 -
J. Elliott Burch
John Elliott Burch (March 3, 1924 – January 30, 2011) was an American Horse trainer who worked with Thoroughbred racehorses. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and four of his horses were also inducted by the sa ...
(1967, 1969, 1971, 1983)
Most wins by an owner:
* 4 -
Rokeby Stables
Rokeby Stables was an American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse horse breeding, breeding farm in Upperville, Virginia, involved with both Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase and flat racing. The operation was established in the late 194 ...