The Monmouth Cup Stakes 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 ...

for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at

Monmouth Park Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

Oceanport, New Jersey Oceanport is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 5,832,Meadowlands Racetrack The Meadowlands Racetrack (currently referred to as Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment) is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness ...

on 29 October 1977 and was won by Pay Tribute who was trained by the

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

trainer

Ron McAnally Ronald L. McAnally (born July 11, 1932, in Covington, Kentucky) is an American Hall of Fame trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing. Called "one of the most honored and respected of North American trainers" by Thoroughbred Times Co., Inc, as a chi ...

and ridden by

jockey

Ángel Cordero Jr. Ángel Tomás Cordero Jr. (born: November 8, 1942) is one of the leading Thoroughbred horse racing jockeys of the late 20th-century and the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the United States' Racing Hall of Fame. He led all jockeys in win ...

by lengths in a time of 2:02 over the miles distance. The event was the signature event at the Meadowlands track with its high stakes attracting class horses. Within two years when

champion A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...

three-year-old

Spectacular Bid Spectacular Bid (February 17, 1976 – June 9, 2003) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and holds the world record for the fastest 1 1/4 miles on the dirt. He won 26 of his 30 r ...

won the event in stakes record time it was classed as

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 I ...

. The event was upgraded to Grade I in 1983. The event was decreased to its present miles distance in 1990. That year's running posed one of the largest upsets in North American racing history when Great Normand won at 181-1 odds. There was no race held in 1997 or 2011. The race was downgraded from a Grade II to a Grade III in 2017, and the purse was reduced to $100,000 from the previous $200,000. The event was moved to Monmouth Park in 2010 and was renamed to the Monmouth Cup Stakes. Sharp Azteca's win in 2017 set a track record at Monmouth for the distance of miles, beating Formal Gold's 1:40.20 that was set in August 1997.

Records

Speed record: * miles: 1:45.93 – Etched (2009) * miles: 1:40.19 – Sharp Azteca (2017) * miles: 1:58.80 –

Alysheba Alysheba (March 3, 1984 – March 27, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won two legs of the Triple Crown in 1987. A successful sire, he produced 11 stakes winners. A bay colt, Alysheba was sired by Alydar out of the mare Bel ...

(1988) ;Margins * 8 lengths – Marquetry (1993) * lengths – Sharp Azteca (2017) Most wins: * 2 – Etched (2009, 2010) * 2 – Bradester (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 ...

: * 4 –

(1977, 1978, 1983, 1986) * 4 – John R. Velazquez (1998, 2001, 2004, 2006) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 –

Todd A. 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 ...

(2004, 2006, 2012, 2021) Most wins by an owner: * 2 –

Darley Stable Darley Racing is a thoroughbred horse racing operations controlled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. It was launched in 1981. Horses owned include Singspiel ...

(2009, 2010) * 2 – Joseph W. Sutton (2015, 2016)

Winners

''Notes:''
§ Ran as an entry

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Open mile category horse races Horse races in New Jersey Recurring sporting events established in 1977 1977 establishments in New Jersey Grade 3 stakes races in the United States Monmouth Park Racetrack Meadowlands Racetrack

Records

Winners

See also

References