The Manhattan Handicap is 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 ...

raced annually at Belmont Park in

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 at the 2 ...

. It is named for

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, the principal borough of the City of New York. Currently offering a purse of $1,000,000, the

Grade I 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 ...

Manhattan Handicap is open to 4-year-olds & up, and is run 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 ...

over the classic distance of miles. Inaugurated in 1867 at the now defunct

Jerome Park Racetrack Jerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1866 until 1894. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1874. Jerome Park Racetrack was the home of the Belmont Sta ...

, it was there through 1894 when the racetrack closed. Moved in 1895 to

Morris Park Racecourse Morris Park Racecourse was an American Thoroughbred horse race, thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 to 1904. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later developed as the neighb ...

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York it remained there through 1904 when that racetrack also closed down. In 1905 the race was moved to Belmont Park. It was contested on dirt from inception through 1970, and again in 1977, 1979 and 1988. The race was hosted by Aqueduct Racetrack in 1959 and 1961, plus between 1963 and 1967. In winning the 1964 edition of the Manhattan Handicap, Going Abroad time of 2:26.20 set a new North American speed record for 1 miles on dirt. There was no race held in 1897 and 1909 to 1913. Large fields in 1971, 1972, 1975 and 1977 saw the race divided into two divisions. Since 1994, the race has been run on the undercard of the final leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes. Over the years, the Manhattan Handicap has been set at a variety of distances: * 1867–1896, 1978 to present : 1 miles (10 furlongs) * 1898–1908 : six furlongs * 1914–1915 : seven furlongs * 1916–1932 : 1 mile * 1933–1958, 1960, 1962, 1963–1964, 1968–1969, 1977 : * 1961 : * 1959, 1965–1967 : * 1970 to 1976 :

Records

Speed record: *1:57.79 @ 1 miles on turf – Paradise Creek (1994) *2:26.20 @ 1 miles on dirt - Going Abroad (1964) Most wins: * 3 – Bolingbroke (1940, 1942, 1943) Most wins by a jockey: * 5 –

Jerry D. Bailey Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957 in Dallas, Texas) is an NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst and a retired American Hall of Fame jockey. Early years Bailey was born in Dallas but raised in El Paso. He had a pony as a child and became ...

(1986, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005) Most wins by a trainer: * 8 – Chad C. Brown (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) Most wins by an owner: * 4 –

Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as the eldest son ...

(1907, 1908, 1926, 1928) * 4 – Townsend B. Martin (1940, 1942, 1943, 1945) * 4 – Greentree Stable (1944, 1950, 1962, 1972)

Winners

References

{{Reflist Grade 1 stakes races in the United States Horse races in New York (state) Turf races in the United States Grade 1 turf stakes races in the United States Open middle distance horse races Belmont Park Morris Park Racecourse Recurring sporting events established in 1867 1867 establishments in New York (state)