The Memorial Day Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1971 through 2014 at
Calder Race Course
Calder Casino is a casino located in Miami Gardens, Florida. It includes slots, electronic table games, and bingo.
The casino opened in 2010 and features a gaming floor with 1,100 slot machines, including video poker, as well as electronic r ...
in Miami Gardens, Florida. Held on Memorial Day, it was an ungraded stakes race that had earned Grade III status in 2002–2007 and 2009–2010. The race was open to horses age three and older and was last raced on dirt over a distance of miles (8.5 furlongs).
With the Vietnam War officially ended on April 30, 1975, the race was run as the Empty Saddle Handicap, done to demonstrate the real meaning of Memorial Day with a salute to the fallen soldiers of American wars.
In 2014 Calder's racing operations were leased to the
Speed record:
* miles on dirt : 1:44.59 by Where's Sterling in 2012
* miles on turf : 1:40.80 by Born Mighty in 1998
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 ...
:
* 4 –
Gene St. Leon
Gene St. Leon (born c. 1955 in Hutchinson, Kansas) is a retired Eclipse Award, Champion jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.
In 1971 he was among the recipients of the newly created Eclipse Award program when he was voted that year's Ecli ...
(1974, 1975, 1977, 1988)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 –
James E. Bracken
James E. Bracken (March 12, 1918 – April 19, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer based in Florida.
Background
Bracken began his career in horse racing in 1935 at Jefferson Downs Racetrack in New Orleans. He began as a ga ...
(1976, 1988, 1990)
* 3 – Philip A. Gleaves (2010, 2013, 2014)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 –
Tartan Stable
William L. McKnight (November 11, 1887 – March 4, 1978) was an American businessman and philanthropist who served his entire career in the 3M corporation, rising to chairman of the board from 1949 to 1966. He founded the McKnight Foundat ...