Forerunner Stakes

Last updated
Forerunner Stakes
Discontinued Stakes race
Location Keeneland Race Course
Lexington, Kentucky
Inaugurated1950-2007
Race type Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website www.keeneland.com
Race information
Distance1⅛ miles (9 furlongs)
SurfaceTurf
Track Turf, left-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightAssigned
Purse$100,000 [1]

The Forerunner Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1950 through 2007 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. Open to three-year-old horses, it was last contested on turf over a distance of one and one-eighth miles (9 furlongs).

Contents

Historical notes

The Forerunner Stakes was contested at a distance of seven furlongs from its inception in 1950 through 1985. From 1986 through 1988 it was raced at 1 1/16 miles and from 1989 through 2007, at 1 1/8 miles. The event was raced as an overnight allowance from 1950 to 1985. It became a Listed race in 1986 before being upgraded to a Grade 3 event in 1988. In 1999, it returned to Listed status. [1]

From 1996 thru its final running in 2007, the Forerunner offered a purse of $100,000. As recently as 2002, it was listed as an official Triple Crown Prep Race. [2]

Your Host, owned by Hollywood film producer and studio executive William Goetz, won the 1950 inaugural Forerunner Purse. Ridden by future Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Longden, Your Host broke the Keeneland track record for seven furlongs on dirt with a time of 1:22 2/5. [1] Retired to stud, Your Host most notably sired the legendary Kelso, a Hall of Fame inductee who won American Horse of the Year honors five straight times from 1960 thru 1964. [3]

In 1959, Tomy Lee also won the race in another track record time of 1:21 3/5 for seven furlongs on dirt. [1] Tomy Lee then won Keeneland's Blue Grass Stakes and the 1959 Kentucky Derby. [1] [4]

Records

Speed record:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainerOwner
Dist.
(Miles)
(Furlongs)
Time Gr.
2007Moudez3 Cornelio Velasquez William I. Mott Zayat Stables 1-1/8 m1:50.16 L/R
2006Up an Octave3 John Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Vinery Stables1-1/8 m1:49.78L/R
2005Gun Salute3 Cornelio Velasquez William I. Mott Brant Laue1-1/8 m1:48.51L/R
2004Prince Arch3 Brice Blanc Kenneth G. McPeek Raymond H. Cottrell Sr.1-1/8 m1:48.64L/R
2003Californian3 Kent Desormeaux Kristin Mulhall The Thoroughbred Corp. 1-1/8 m1:52.00L/R
2002Red Masque3 Jerry D. Bailey Danny HuttReal Deal Racing1-1/8 m1:49.15L/R
2001Kalu3 Corey Nakatani Christophe Clement Bonnie Heath Farm & Robert Schaedle III1-1/8 m1:48.73L/R
2000Gateman3 Pat Day W. Elliott Walden Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds1-1/8 m1:48.39L/R
1999Marquette3 Jerry D. Bailey Richard A. Violette Jr. Marguerite Cavanaugh1-1/8 m1:48.60L/R
1998Cryptic Rascal3 Julie Krone William Badgett Jr. C. Landon Knight 1-1/8 m1:49.60G3
1997Thesaurus3 Craig Perret Peter M. Vestal Charles J. Cella 1-1/8 m1:48.80G3
1996Rough Opening3 Mike E. Smith David G. Donk Ryehill Farm (Jim & Eleanor Ryan)1-1/8 m1:47.20G3
1995Dixie Dynasty3 Mike E. Smith J. Bert Sonnier W. Harley Stepp Jr.1-1/8 m1:51.20G3
1994Jaggery John3Dean W. Kutz Peter M. Vestal Thomas M. Carey1-1/8 m1:48.50G3
1993Explosive Red3Mark Larsen Daniel J. Vella Frank Stronach 1-1/8 m1:51.46G3
1992Free At Last3 Jerry D. Bailey D. Wayne Lukas Clover Racing Stable (Jeff Siegel & Barry Irwin)1-1/8 m1:49.60G3
1991Bewray3 Corey Black Joseph H. Pierce Jr. Pin Oak Stable & Pastime Stable (G. Watts Humphrey Jr. et al.)1-1/8 m1:51.80G3
1990 Izvestia 3 Randy Romero Roger L. Attfield Kinghaven Farms 1-1/8 m1:50.20G3
1989Luge II3 Jose A. Santos Thomas J. Skiffington Dogwood Stable 1-1/8 m1:50.20G3
1988Posen3 Don Brumfield Woody Stephens Kennelot Stable 1-1/16 m1:43.00G3
1987Blue Finn3 Dave Penna James E. Day Sam-Son Farm 1-1/16 m1:46.20L/R
1986Autobot3 Earlie Fires Joseph E. Broussard Happy Valley Farm (Gary & Steve Wolfson)1-1/16 m1:48.60L/R
1985Proudest Hour3Gerland Gallitano Joseph M. Bollero Rogers Red Top Farm (Walter Mullady) & Patrick J. Flavin7 f1:24.20
1984 Devil's Bag 3 Eddie Maple Woody Stephens Hickory Tree Stable 7 f1:23.60
1983Derby Double3Michael MoranDarrell Adams Golden Chance Farm 7 f1:23.80
1982 Linkage 3 Bill Shoemaker Henry S. Clark Christiana Stables 7 f1:22.80
1981Classic Go Go3 Anthony S. Black Jerry C. Meyer Verne H. Winchell 7 f1:24.00
1980Lord Gallant3 Don MacBeth Lou M. Goldfine Arthur I. Appleton 7 f1:23.20
1979General Custer3 Don Brumfield Frank L. Brothers Ben Erickson, et al.7 f1:22.40
1978Chabua3 Daryl Montoya James P. Conway Edna T. Thieriot7 f1:23.80
1977John Washington3 James McKnight Thomas H. Stevens Sr.Betsy S. May7 f1:21.40
1976 Elocutionist 3 John L. Lively Paul T. Adwell Eugene C. Cashman 7 f1:22.80
1975Honey Mark3 Eddie Delahoussaye Larry Robideaux Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Robert F. Roberts7 f1:23.80
1974Aroyoport3 Earlie Fires Robert CramerAugust Muckler7 f1:23.40
1973Royal and Regal3 Walter Blum Warren A. Croll Jr. Aisco Stable 7 f1:23.80
1972Billy Rogell3Earl J. KnappLarry L. Fontenot Charles T. & Perne L. Grissom 7 f1:24.80
1971Going Straight3Oswaldo TorresElwood McCannDon Ball7 f1:23.00
1970Supreme Quality3Dave Kassen Loyd Gentry Jr. Walter Kitchen7 f1:23.00
1969 Ack Ack 3 Manuel Ycaza Frank A. Bonsal Cain Hoy Stable 7 f1:22.80
1968 Captain's Gig 3 Manuel Ycaza William W. Stephens Cain Hoy Stable 7 f1:22.20
1967Racing Room3 Kenny Knapp Fred Watkins Llangollen Farm 7 f1:22.40
1966He Jr.3Ronald J. CampbellDick PoseyEverett Lowrance7 f1:22.40
1965Bugler3 Don Brumfield James P. Conway Darby Dan Farm 7 f1:24.40
1964 Hill Rise 3 Bill Shoemaker William B. Finnegan El Peco Ranch 7 f1:22.80
1963 Never Bend 3 Manuel Ycaza Woody Stephens Cain Hoy Stable 7 f1:22.80
1962 Roman Line 3 James Combest Vester R. Wright T. Alie Grissom 7 f1:21.80
1961 Four-and-Twenty 3 Henry E. Moreno Vance Longden Alberta Ranches Ltd. 7 f1:23.00
1960 Tompion 3 Bill Shoemaker Robert L. Wheeler C. V. Whitney 7 f1:21.80
1959 Tomy Lee 3 Bill Shoemaker Frank E. Childs Fred W. & Juliette M. Turner Jr.7 f1:21.60
1958 Tim Tam 3 Bill Hartack Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 7 f1:22.20
1957 Iron Liege 3 Dave Erb Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 7 f1:22.40
1956 Fabius 3 John Heckmann Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 7 f1:22.80
1955Racing Fool3 John H. Adams Loyd Gentry Jr. Cain Hoy Stable 7 f1:23.60
1954Timely Tip3Howard CraigReid ArmstrongDr. A. L. Birch7 f1:23.80
1953 Correspondent 3 Eddie Arcaro Wally Dunn Mrs. Gordon Guiberson7 f1:23.00
1952Cold Command3 Gerald Porch Sylvester E. Veitch C. V. Whitney 7 f1:24.00
1951 Ruhe 3 Job Dean Jessop Robert V. McGarvey Jean Denemark 7 f1:24.60
1950 Your Host 3 Johnny Longden Harry L. Daniels William Goetz 7 f1:22.40

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Keeneland.com - Retired Stakes Races history
  2. Churchill Downs - Kentucky Derby race history accessed July 17, 2008
  3. Racing Hall of Fame Retrieved 2011-06-26.
  4. "Countdown to Kentucky Derby 2015 | *Tomy Lee, 1959". Courier-journal.com. 2015-04-24. Retrieved 2016-06-15.