The Poker 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 horses aged four years old and older held over a distance of one mile (8

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) on the

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 agricultu ...

held annually in mid June at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

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 ...

History

The event is named in honor of Poker who defeated champions

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and his stablemate

Buckpasser Buckpasser (1963–1978) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1966 Horse of the Year. His other achievements include 1965 Champion Two-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Three-Year-Old, 1966 Champion Handicap Horse, and 1967 Champi ...

in the 1967

Bowling Green Handicap The Bowling Green Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late July at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. History The in ...

. More importantly Poker became a Champion Broodmare Sire. Poker was a son of the top-class sire and broodmare sire

Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...

. Poker's daughters produced numerous champions including champion sire

Seattle Slew Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who became the tenth winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only ...

. The latter twice topped the US broodmare sires list, and his daughters have produced a host of champions. Poker is also the maternal grandsire of US champion,

Silver Charm Silver Charm (foaled February 22, 1994) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and 1998 Dubai World Cup (all of which he is the oldest surviving winner). He stood at stud in both Americ ...

, as well as the useful sire, Lomond (himself a champion sire in Italy). The inaugural running of the Poker Stakes was on 25 September 1983 and was won by the Gasper S. Moshera trained Freon in a time of 2:03 over the distance of a mile and a quarter on the turf. The following year the event was not held but in 1985 it was run over the miles distance. The event was classified as Grade III in 1988 and has held this class since. The event was not held in 2010. Several fine horses have appeared in this event including

Volponi :''not to be confused with the Ben Jonson play Volpone''. Volponi (foaled 1998 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by trainer Philip G. Johnson's family operation, Amherst Stable, he was sired by Florida Derby winner Crypt ...

who won the event in 2007 and later won the

Breeders' Cup Classic The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October o ...

in the same year. Also

Kip Deville Kip Deville (May 3, 2003 – June 11, 2010) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse whose most important win came at age four in the 2007 Breeders' Cup Mile. He was an Eclipse Award finalist for American Champion Male Turf Horse in 2007. Backgr ...

winner of the

Breeders' Cup Mile The Breeders' Cup Mile is a Grade 1 Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up, run on a grass course. It has been conducted annually as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships since the event's incept ...

in 2007 featured in this event 2008 winning easily as the short odds on favorite and giving up to eleven pounds to his competitors. Caress and the Australian bred mare Oleksandra are the only mares to have won this race. Oleksandra was having her last start in her career due to being in foal to the sire Into Mischief.

Records

Speed record: * 1:31.23 –

Oscar Performance Oscar Performance (foaled April 6, 2014) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at age two. After losing his first two starts at age three, he rebounded to win the next three, including the Grade I B ...

(2018) This time is a course record for Belmont's Widener Turf Course, and ties the North American record for one mile on the turf. Margins: * 7 lengths – Scottish Monk (1990) Most wins: * 2 – Fourstardave (1989, 1993) * 2 – Affirmed Success (2000, 2001) * 2 – King Kreesa (2013, 2015) Most wins by an owner: * 3 –

Juddmonte Farms Juddmonte Farms is a horse breeding farm, owned until his death on 12th January 2021 by Prince Khalid bin Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.National Thoroughbred Racing Association"Juddmonte Farms, Inc.", profile. Retrieved October 16, 2007. Overview Ju ...

(2003, 2007, 2022) 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 – José L. Ortiz (2015, 2018, 2020) * 3 –

Jose Lezcano Jose Lezcano (born April 20, 1985 in Panama) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He rides in New York in the spring, summer and fall and spends the winter in Florida. His big break came in 2008 when he won a Breeders' Cup race. Car ...

(2011, 2012, 2016) * 3 –

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 ...

(1991, 1998, 2001) * 3 –

Jorge Chavez Jorge is a Spanish and Portuguese given name. It is derived from the Greek name Γεώργιος (''Georgios'') via Latin ''Georgius''; the former is derived from (''georgos''), meaning "farmer" or "earth-worker". The Latin form ''Georgius'' ...

(1994, 1999, 2000) * 3 – José A. Santos (1987, 1988, 1989) Most wins by a trainer: * 2 – Todd A. Pletcher (2015, 2018, 2020) * 2 – Angel Penna Jr. (1997, 2005) * 2 – Richard Schosberg (2000, 2001) * 2 – Robert J. Frankel (2003, 2007) * 2 – Richard E. Dutrow Jr. (2006, 2008)

Winners

''Legend:''

''Notes:''
§ Ran as part of an entry
ƒ Filly or Mare

References

{{reflist, 2 Graded stakes races in the United States Turf races in the United States Open mile category horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1983 Belmont Park 1983 establishments in New York (state) Grade 3 stakes races in the United States

History

Records

Winners

See also

References