The Young America Stakes is a discontinued

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 ...

that was run annually at the

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 ...

in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Inaugurated in 1977, the Young America Stakes evolved to become an important end of October/early November event for two-year-olds. The race was contested over a distance of 11/16 miles. Run on dirt from inception in 1977 through 1990, at its peak in the mid-1980s it was a Grade 1 event offering a purse of $500,000 and had been attracting such horses as U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,

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 ...

and

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The ...

colt, Deputy Minister. However, the event was hurt by the advent of the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup W ...

in 1984 which was raced at around the same time and on dirt. In an attempt to survive, in 1991 the Young America was shifted to a race 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 ...

. Already having lost it Grade 1 status, in 1993 it was downgraded from a Grade II event to a Grade III. Forevere Casting, ridden by jockey

Eddie Delahoussaye Edward J. Delahoussaye (born September 21, 1951) is a retired American Thoroughbred jockey from New Iberia, Louisiana. He began his career in 1968 and ten years later became the top American jockey with 384 wins. He has won the Kentucky Derby ...

won the inaugural running of the Young America Stakes in November 1977, winning the purse of $144,500 with a victory by a neck in 1:45.6 over Believe It. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame jockey

Jorge Velásquez Jorge Velásquez (born December 28, 1946 in Chepo, Panama) is a thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. Jorge Velasquez's career in thoroughbred racing began in his native Panama but as a teenager moved to the United States. In 1967 he won ...

won this race four times; in 1978 with

, in 1979 with Koluctoo Bay, in 1980 with Lord Avie and in 1987 aboard Firery Ensign. After a disappointing start, Firery Ensign came back to win the $500,000 race in a time of 1:45, winning by 1¼ lengths to give Velásquez his fourth winner in the 11th running of the race. There was another "Young America Stakes" raced in the last decades of the 19th century at a racetrack in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

Winners

*1995 - Defacto *1994 - Miss Union Avenue *1993 - Seattle Rob *1992 - Mischievous Music *1991 - Maston *1990 - Southern Sign *1989 - Roanoke *1988 - Irish Actor *1987 - Firery Ensignequibase.com, "horse profiles" *1986 - Conquistarose *1985 -

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

*1984 - Script Ohio *1983 -

Swale Swale or Swales may refer to: Topography * Swale (landform), a low tract of land ** Bioswale, landform designed to remove silt and pollution ** Swales, found in the formation of Hummocky cross-stratification Geography * River Swale, in North ...

*1982 - Slewpy *1981 - Deputy Minister *1980 - Lord Avie *1979 - Koluctoo Bay *1978 -

*1977 - Forever Casting

References

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Sources

October 31, 1987 ''New York Times'' article on the Young America Stakes
1977 establishments in New Jersey Horse races in New Jersey Flat horse races for two-year-olds Turf races in the United States Previously graded stakes races in the United States Discontinued horse races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1977 Recurring events disestablished in 1995