The Suwannee River Stakes is a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse race Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

run at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

located in

Hallandale Beach, Florida Hallandale Beach (formerly known simply as Hallandale) is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States. The city is named after Luther Halland, the son of a Swedish worker for Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. As of the 20 ...

. Open to

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 ...

four-year-olds and up, the Grade III event is set at a distance of 9

furlongs 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 ...

or one and one eighth mile 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 ...

. The Suwannee River currently offers a purse of $125,000 and is run under allowance weight conditions. Prior to 2009, it was run as a Handicap The race itself was named after Stephen Foster's song "Old Folks at Home" (known better by the name "Suwannee River"). It is now the state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

's state song. The race was inaugurated in 1947. It was held as an overnight handicap between 1948 and 1950–1952. The race was not held in 1949. It was given grade-three status from 1973–1978 and again from 1982–present. The race had been run at six furlongs, seven furlongs, one mile, one and one sixteenth miles and its current distance of one and one eighth miles. The race itself has been so popular among trainers that the race has been run in two divisions many years and in three divisions in three separate years.

Records

Speed record: * 1-1/8 miles – 1:45.38 – Dickinson (2017) * 1-1/16 miles – 1:45.10 – Vigorous Lady (1991) * 1-mile – 1:34.60 – Jabot (1976) * 7 furlongs – 1:22.40- Airmans Guide (1961) 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 ...

: * 6 –

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 ...

(1983, 1984, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997) * 5 –

Craig Perret Craig Perret (born February 2, 1951, in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding horses at age five and by seven was riding quarter horses in match races. At age fifteen he began his career in thorou ...

(1979, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989) * 4 –

Jean-Luc Samyn Jean-Luc Samyn (born November 6, 1956 in Bailleul, Nord, France) is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. The son of a pastry chef, Jean-Luc Samyn was one of three children. At age thirteen, he went to work for the stable of trainer Jo ...

(1981, 1981, 1986 & 2003) Most wins by a trainer: * 5 –

Christophe Clement Christophe Clement (born November 1, 1965 in Paris, France) is a Thoroughbred horse trainer in the United States who won the 2014 Belmont Stakes with Tonalist. Racing background Clement initially acquired his training skills from his father, Mi ...

(1995, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008) * 4 – Thomas J. Skiffington Jr. (1987, 1988, 1989, 2001) * 4 –

Harry Trotsek Harry E. Trotsek (April 18, 1912 – February 5, 1997) was an American Hall of Fame trainer and owner of Thoroughbred racehorses. He trained 96 stakes race winners including Champions Hasty Road, Moccasin, Oil Capitol, and Stan, and led all No ...

(1955, 1977, 1982 & 1984) Most wins by an owner: * 4 – Edward A. Seltzer (1982, 1984, 1987, 1989)

Winners

A # designates that the race was run in multiple divisions that year.

References

{{reflist Horse races in the United States Graded stakes races in the United States Gulfstream Park