The Honorable Miss Handicap is a
Grade II
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
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 ...
for
fillies
A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use:
*In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old.
*In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...
and
mares
A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four y ...
that are three years old or older over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in September at
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...
in
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...
. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.
History
The event is named after the winning mare Honorable Miss
who won the
Fall Highweight Handicap
The Fall Highweight Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually near the end of November at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Currently run at a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 m), it is open to horses three years of age and o ...
twice at Belmont Park defeating male company.
The inaugural running of the event was on 3 November 1985 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 ...
in
Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...
during the NYRA Big A Fall Meeting as the Honorable Miss Stakes and was won by the three-year-old filly Schematic, who was trained by the
US Hall of Fame trainer
Nick Zito
Nicholas Philip Zito (born February 6, 1948, in New York City, New York) is an American Thoroughbred horse trainer.
Zito began his career as a hot walker and worked his way up to a groom, to an assistant trainer, and to a trainer. His first top ...
in a time of 1:10.
[ The following year the distance of the event was increased to 1 mile, and in 1987 the event was moved to Belmont Park and held during the NYRA Fall Meeting in October.
The event was idle for four years, and NYRA resumed it they scheduled the race at Saratoga as a six-furlong sprint race.]
In 1996 the event was classified as Grade III and upgraded to Grade II in 2004.
The distance for the event was increased to six and a half 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 only for the 1993 running.[
The event was run in split divisions in 2000.]
Records
Speed record:
*6 furlongs: 1:08.76 – Echo Zulu
Echo Zulu (foaled April 7, 2019) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and 2022 Fair Grounds Oaks, and was named the 2021 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.
...
(2023)
Margins:
* lengths – Wisla (1986)
Most wins:
* 2 – Bourbon Belle (1999, 2000)
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 S. Prado (2002, 2003, 2009)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 – Steven M. Asmussen (2005, 2015, 2023)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – George & Kay Hofmeister, Donna Salmen & Susan Bunning (1999, 2000)
Winners
''Notes:''
† In 2015, La Verdad finished first but was later disqualified and unplaced for a drug violation.
See also
List of American and Canadian Graded races
The List of American and Canadian Graded races is a list of Thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada that meet the graded stakes standards maintained by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Graded stakes races in the United States
Grade 2 stakes races in the United States
Sprint category horse races for fillies and mares
Horse races in New York (state)
Saratoga Race Course
1985 establishments in New York City
Recurring sporting events established in 1985