The Violet Stakes 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 ...

held annually at

Monmouth Park Racetrack 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,Listed race Group races, also known as Pattern races, or Graded races in some jurisdictions, are the highest level of races in Thoroughbred horse racing. They include most of the world's iconic races, such as, in Europe, the Derby, Irish Derby and Prix de l'A ...

is 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

mare 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 ...

s age three and older and is raced 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 agricultu ...

over a distance of miles (8.5

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). First run at

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 ...

East Rutherford, New Jersey East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 10,022, reflecting an increase of 1,109 (+12.4%) from the 8,913 counted in the 2010 census.

, it had its final running there in 2009. Not run in 2010, it was picked up by the Monmouth Park track in 2011 and as such was able to maintain its Grade 3 status.

Historical notes

The event was run as the Violet Handicap until 2004. The inaugural running took place on September 4, 1977 at Meadowlands Racetrack on a rainy day that resulted in a sloppy track. The race was won by Lady Singer who was ridden by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. for owner

Walter Haefner Walter Haefner (13 September 1910 – 19 June 2012) was a Swiss businessman and a thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder in Ireland. As a young man Haefner went to work in the auto industry as an employee of the Swiss division of General Mo ...

and trainer Victor Nickerson. Haefner and Nickerson would get their second Violet Handicap win in 1985 with Vers La Caisse. The Violet Stakes was raced on dirt in 1977, 1993, 1999, 2006 and was run in two divisions in 1980, 1982 through 1985, 1987 and 1988. It was due to safety concerns as a result of wet weather conditions that the 2006 race was switched from the turf course to the dirt track. On this occasion, the Violet Stakes was not given a

grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance * Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage * Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope Grade or grading may also ref ...

. The Very One, winner of the 1980 Violet Handicap, had The Very One Stakes at Pimlico and The Very One Stakes at Gulfstream Park named in her honor. Gather The Clan's winning time in the 1989 race was just one-fifth of a second off the Meadowlands course record set on September 30, 1988 by Wanderkin.

Records

Speed record: * 1:39.60 – Gather The Clan (1989) Most wins: * 2 – Humoristic (2005, 2007) 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 ...

: * 5 –

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, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 –

Philip G. Johnson Philip Gustav Johnson (November 5, 1894 – September 14, 1944) was a pioneer in the manufacturing of airplanes and in the creation and operation of commercial airlines in the United States and Canada. With backgrounds as an engineer and businessma ...

(1983, 1985, 1987) * 3 –

Barclay Tagg Barclay Tagg (born December 30, 1937, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. A 1961 graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Animal Husbandry. Barclay is best known for conditioning Kentucky De ...

(1990, 1992, 2004) * 3 –

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 ...

(1998, 2011, 2012) * 3 – Chad Brown (2016, 2018, 2020) Most wins by an owner: * 2 –

(1977, 1985) * 2 – Edward P. Evans (1985, 1987) * 2 – Bonner Farm (1990, 1992) * 2 –

Erdenheim Farm Erdenheim Farm is a 450-acre (1.82 km2) working farm in Springfield and Whitemarsh Townships, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located just outside the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, it is bordered by the Morris Arb ...

(1996, 1997) * 2 – Mrs. Arturo Peralta-Ramos (2005, 2007)

Winners

* † switched from turf to dirt, no grade allocated.

References

{{reflist Mile category horse races for fillies and mares Ungraded stakes races in the United States Turf races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1997 Monmouth Park Racetrack Meadowlands Racetrack