The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $500,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and is followed by the Coaching Club American Oaks then the Alabama Stakes. The filly must win all three races to win the Triple Tiara, as well as the third leg of the "National" Triple Tiara ( Kentucky Oaks and George E. Mitchell Stakes are the others). The Acorn Stakes was run 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 locate ...

from 1960 to 1967 and 1969 to 1975. There were two divisions in 1951, 1970 and 1974. There was a dead heat for first place in 1954 and again in 1956.

Historic notes

The inaugural running of the Acorn Stakes took place on May 16, 1931 and was won by Baba Kenney. The filly was owned by Edward R. Bradley and trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,

Herbert J. Thompson Herbert John "Dick" Thompson (September 21, 1881 - November 12, 1937) was an American U. S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. He was the trainer of the winning horse of the Kentucky Derby in 1921, 1926, 1932 and 1933. In ...

. Gallorette won the 1945 running of the Acorn and went on to earn American Champion Older Female Horse honors in 1946 and a career that would see her induction into the U. S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1962. Ruffian, the ill-fated future Hall of Fame inductee, got her eighth straight career win in the 1975 edition of the Acorn. She did it in a new stakes record time, continuing her streak of either beating or equaling the record in every one of her major race victories, those being the

Fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

, Astoria, Sorority and the Spinaway Stakes. Riding her father's filly Mom's Command, in 1985

Abigail Fuller Abigail Fuller (born 1959 or 1960) is an American retired Thoroughbred jockey who primarily competed between the early 1980s to early 2000s. While competing in graded stakes races, Fuller won two Grade III events, one Grade II event and four Grad ...

became the first female jockey to win the Acorn Stakes. It would be another 28 years before a female rider accomplished the feat when Rosie Napravnik won the 2013 edition aboard Midnight Lucky .

Records

Speed record: * 1:32.55 – Gamine (2020) Most wins by an owner: * 6 –

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 Bluegras ...

(1941, 1943, 1944, 1956x2, 1979) * 5 – Wheatley Stable (1933, 1939, 1955, 1960, 1964) 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 ...

: * 5 – Eddie Arcaro (1945, 1946, 1948, 1955, 1961) * 5 – Mike E. Smith (1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2017) * 5 -

John R. Velazquez John R. Velazquez (born November 24, 1971) is a Puerto Rican jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in Puerto Rico and moved to New York in 1990. In 2004 and 2005 he was the United States Champion Jockey by earnings and both y ...

(2000, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2020)

Winners

References

{{reflist Horse races in New York (state) Belmont Park Flat horse races for three-year-old fillies Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Graded stakes races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1931 1931 establishments in New York (state)