The Donn Handicap was an 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 ...

run annually from 1959 through 2016 at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

Hallandale Beach, Florida Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 20 ...

. A race for horses age four and older, it was contested on

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricult ...

from inception through 1964 at a distance of a mile and one-half. From 1965 onwards it was raced on dirt at a mile and one-eighth with the exception of 1976 when the distance was set at seven

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 (7/8 mile). The race was named after the Donn family, who for many years owned and operated the racetrack. Three horses have won the race twice. Inaugurated at a distance of a mile and a half on turf, the only horse to ever win the race twice at that distance was One-Eyed-King who did it back-to-back in 1959 and 1960. In 1965, future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Gun Bow Gun Bow (1960 – December 1979) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was one of America's leading older male racehorses in 1964 and 1965 and was later inducted into the Hall of Fame. Gun Bow was noted for his rivalry with five-time ...

won the first edition at its present distance of one and one-eighth miles on dirt. Under those same race conditions,

Pistols and Roses Pistols and Roses (foaled 1989 in Florida) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Happy Alter, he was sired by Darn That Alarm, whose sire, Jig Time, was a son of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Native Dancer. His dam was To Be C ...

won it back-to-back in 1993 and 1994 as did another Hall of Fame inductee

Cigar A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...

in the two ensuing years. A total of three horses that have won the Donn Handicap went on to be named either the

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division that is made by a few small selected American ...

for American Horse of the Year or

American Champion Older Male Horse The title of American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up, for performances on dirt and main track racing surfaces. In 1971, it became part of ...

that year: Saint Liam,

Skip Away Skip Away (April 4, 1993 – May 14, 2010), was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1998 Horse of the Year, 1996 Champion Three-Year-Old, and 1997 and 1998 Champion Handicap Horse. He won 10 Grade One races for $9,616,360 in ...

and

. In addition, reigning Horse of the Year Invasor won the Donn in 2007 prior to taking the

Dubai World Cup The Dubai World Cup (Arabic: كأس دبي العالمي) is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and contested at the Meydan Racecourse (Arabic: ميدان) which in Arabic suggests a place wh ...

. The final running of the Donn Handicap took place on February 6, 2016. From 2017, the Donn Handicap was replaced on the Gulfstream racing calendar by the

Pegasus World Cup The Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race whose first running was on January 28, 2017 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. It is run over the dirt at the distance of miles (9 furlongs) and is o ...

Records

Speed record: * 1-1/8 miles on dirt: 1:46.40, Jumping Hill (1979) * 1-1/2 miles on turf: 2:25.80, One-Eyed-King (1959) & Jay Fox (1962) Most wins by a horse: * 2 -

(1995, 1996) * 2 -

(1993, 1994) * 2 - One-Eyed-King (1959, 1960) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 -

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967 in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award seven times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (20 ...

(2003, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016) 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 ...

: * 6 -

Jerry Bailey Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957 in Dallas, Texas) is an Thoroughbred Racing on NBC, NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst and a retired American National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame jockey. Early years Bailey was born ...

(1988, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004) Most wins by an owner: * 2 - Cain Hoy Stable (1959, 1960) * 2 - Brae Burn Farm (1961, 1962) * 2 - Due Process Stable (1981, 1983) * 2 -

Allen E. Paulson Allen Eugene Paulson (April 22, 1922 – July 19, 2000) was an American businessman. Business career in aviation Born in Clinton, Iowa, Clinton, Iowa, Allen E. Paulson was on his own at age 13, supporting himself selling newspapers and doing ...

(1995, 1996) * 2 - Shadwell Stable (2007, 2009) * 2 - Willis Family Stable (1993, 1994) * 2 - Twin Creeks Racing Stable (2013, 2015)

Winners

External link

The Donn Handicap at Pedigree Query

References

{{Reflist
The Donn Handicap at the NTRA
Discontinued horse races Open mile category horse races Turf races in the United States 1959 establishments in Florida 2010s disestablishments in Florida Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Horse races in Florida Gulfstream Park Recurring sporting events established in 1959 Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2017

Records

Winners

See also

External link

References