The Count Fleet Sprint Handicap 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 ...

held annually in mid April. It takes place at

Oaklawn Park Race Track Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track, is an American thoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to "The Racing Festival of the South", a four-day series of races that concludes with the A ...

Hot Springs, Arkansas Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...

. During the race, horses age four and older compete over the

sprint Sprint may refer to: Aerospace *Spring WS202 Sprint, a Canadian aircraft design *Sprint (missile), an anti-ballistic missile Automotive and motorcycle *Alfa Romeo Sprint, automobile produced by Alfa Romeo between 1976 and 1989 *Chevrolet Sprint, ...

distance of six

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

s. Inaugurated in 1974, the event currently offers a purse of

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

500,000. The race is named in honor of the 1943

United States Triple Crown In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three r ...

champion,

Count Fleet Count Fleet (March 24, 1940 – December 3, 1973) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the sixth winner of the American Triple Crown. He won the Belmont Stakes by a then record margin of twenty-five lengths. After an undefeated ...

. In 2020, Whitmore became the first horse to win the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap three times.

Records

Speed record: * 1:08.00 @ 6

s - Bonapaw (2001) Most wins: * 3 - Whitmore (2017, 2018, 2020) *2 - Dave's Friend (1983, 1984) * 2 - Bordonaro (2006, 2007) * 2 - Semaphore Man (2008, 2009) 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 - Ricardo Santana Jr. (2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019) Most wins by a trainer * 4 -

Steve Asmussen Steven Mark Asmussen (born November 18, 1965) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. The leading trainer in North America by wins, he is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and was inducted into the National Mu ...

(2013, 2014, 2019, 2022) Most wins by an owner: * 3 - Southern Springs Stables/R. V. LaPenta/Head of Plains Partners LLC (2017, 2018) * 2 - Irene C. Udouj (1974, 1977) * 2 - John Franks (1983, 1984) * 2 - Courtlandt Farm (2005, 2006) * 2 - Double Bogey Stable (2008, 2009)

Winners

References

{{reflist Graded stakes races in the United States Horse races in Arkansas Open sprint category horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1974 Oaklawn Park 1974 establishments in Arkansas Grade 3 stakes races in the United States