The Conniver Stakes is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, 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 basic p ...

held annually in March at

Laurel Park Racecourse Laurel Park, formerly Laurel Race Course, is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is miles in circumference. Its name was changed to "Laurel Race Course" for several decades unt ...

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...

. It is open to fillies and mares three years old and up and is run at seven furlongs on the dirt. An ungraded stakes race, it offers a purse of $100,000. The race was named in honor of Conniver, the Maryland-bred that was named the nation's top handicap mare in 1948 during a season that included wins in the

Brooklyn Handicap 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. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year-ol ...

and

Vagrancy Handicap The Vagrancy Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old and older run over a distance of furlongs on the dirt track held annually in late May or early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ne ...

(defeating

Gallorette Gallorette (1942–1959) was a Maryland-bred chestnut thoroughbred filly who became a Hall of Fame race horse. Sired by Challenger II, out of Gallette, Gallorette's damsire was Sir Gallahad III. Breeding Trainer Preston M. Burch bought Gal ...

as well as

Stymie A stymie is an obsolete rule in the sport of golf. It legislated for the situation where a player's ball lay behind or blocked by another player's ball; the blocked player was not afforded relief. In the modern game, the blocking ball is temporar ...

). She also won the

Beldame Stakes The Beldame Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares three-years-old and up. Inaugurated in 1939, it was run as a handicap prior to 1960. The race is held annually near the beginning of October at Belmont Park and curre ...

, the

Comely Stakes The Comely Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Open to three year old fillies, it is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile. The Grade III event offers a purse of $200,000. T ...

and the

. She was the brown daughter of

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 Discovery ...

out of The Schemer out of Challenger II and was bred by

Alfred G. Vanderbilt II Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. (September 22, 1912 – November 12, 1999) was a British-born member of the prominent Vanderbilt railroad family, and a noted figure of American thoroughbred horse racing. He was the youngest-ever member of The Jockey ...

. She was owned by Harry LaMontagne, who purchased Conniver as a yearling for $1,500. The gawky, 17-hand mare was undistinguished at ages 2 and 3 and was nearly sold as a polo pony prior to the 1948 season. When Conniver retired at age 5, she had earned $227,825 from 56 starts with 15 wins, 6 seconds and 6 thirds.2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 324 on March 3, 2007.

Records

Speed record: * 7 furlongs - 1:23.00 - Winter Leaf (2002) * miles - 1:45.00 - Dear to All (1970) * miles - 1:49.00 - Stem the Tide (1992) Most wins by an horse: * 2 - Bold Affair (2012, 2013) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - Stephen E. Quick (2007, 2010) * 2 - Mike Zanella/Charles Reed (2012, 2013) 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 ...

: * 3 -

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races in ...

(1999, 2002, 2008) * 3 - Vincent Bracciale, Jr. (1999, 2002, 2008) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 - Richard W. Small (1994, 2000, 2011)

Winners of the Conniver Stakes since 1969

References

{{Reflist

External links

Laurel Park website
1969 establishments in Maryland Laurel Park Racecourse Horse races in Maryland Recurring sporting events established in 1969

Records

Winners of the Conniver Stakes since 1969

See also

References

External links