Tom Fool Handicap

Last updated
Tom Fool Handicap
Grade III race
Location Aqueduct Racetrack
Ozone Park, New York, United States
Inaugurated1975
Race type ThoroughbredFlat racing
Website NYRA
Race information
Distance 6 furlongs
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationFour-years-old and older
WeightAssigned
PurseUS$200,000 (since 2012)

The Tom Fool Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older at a distance of six furlongs on the dirt run annually in early March at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $200,000.

Contents

History

The race is named for U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Tom Fool who was champion two-year-old of 1951 and U.S. Horse of the Year in 1953. He is one of four horses to win the New York Handicap Triple which consists of the Metropolitan Handicap, the Suburban Handicap and the Brooklyn Handicap. [1]

The inaugural running of event was on 17 December 1975 with conditions for three-year-olds and older over a distance of seven furlongs and was won by Hobeau Farm's five-year-old Kinsman Hope who was trained by US Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens and ridden by jockey John Ruane winning by a margin of one and one-half lengths in a time of 1:2125. [2]

The following year the event was moved and scheduled in the summer meet at Aqueduct and held in July [3] and in 1977 the summer meeting returned to Belmont Park. [4]

The winner of the 1978 running, J. O. Tobin as top weight carrying 129 lbs won easily by 6+12 lengths in a very fast time of 1:2045. [5] Although this would J. O. Tobin's last victory his six wins would be enough to capture US Champion Sprint Horse for 1978.

In although the event continued with handicap conditions in 1979 the event's name was modified to the Tom Fool Stakes and was used as such until 1995. [3] In 1981 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the classification of the event to Grade III and the following year to Grade II. [3]

In 1987 Groovy won the event for the second time in easily by 6+12 lengths as the 3/5 odds-on favorite. Groovy's win was his fourth straight. He would win two more events before finishind 2nd in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. [6] His efforts won him an Eclipse Award as US Champion Sprint Horse for 1987.

In 2002 the winner Left Bank started as the 8/5 favorite and set a new track record of 1:20.17 for the seven-furlong distance. [7]

The 2004 running of the event only attracted four entrants. Stronach Stables' four-year-old Ghostzapper was returning after a lengthy nine-month layoff after his Grade I Vosburgh Stakes win and continued his winning streak comfortable winning the event in 1:20.42. Trainer Bobby Frankel however would pursue events that were a longer distance culminating with a victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Ghostzapper's outstanding season would earn him US Horse of the Year honors for 2004.

After not being held in 2010, the event was downgraded to Grade III and moved to Aqueduct in 2011 where it is held in March. From 2011 to 2017, the event was run on the inner track but is now run on the main track. [3]

In 2015 the conditions of the event were modified not allow three-year-olds to enter. [8]

Records

Speed record:

Margins:

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:


Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainerOwnerDistanceTimePurseGradeRef
At Aqueduct Tom Fool Handicap
2024Super Chow4Madison OlverJorge DelgadoLea Farms6 furlongs1:10.86$175,000III
2023Little Vic4Carlos OliveroJuan Carlos AvilaVictoria's Ranch6 furlongs1:09.73$150,000III
2022Officiating4 Manuel Franco Saffie Joseph Jr.Vegso Racing Stable6 furlongs1:12.22$194,000III [9]
2021Chateau6Kendrick CarmoucheRob AtrasMichael Dubb6 furlongs1:12.10$200,000III [10]
2020Mind Control4 Junior Alvarado Gregory D. SaccoRed Oak Stable & Madaket Stables 6 furlongs1:10.88$213,000III [11]
2019Do Share6Reylu Gutierrez Michael J. Maker Three Diamonds Farm6 furlongs1:08.77$205,200III [12]
2018Skyler's Scramjet4Trevor McCarthyMichelle NevinSJB Stable & Marcello Micozzi6 furlongs1:11.38$200,000III [13]
2017Spartiatis7 Rajiv Maragh Leon J. BlusiewiczConstantine Peter Beler6 furlongs1:11.23$200,000III [14]
2016Salutos Amigos6 Cornelio Velasquez David JacobsonDavid Jacobson & Southern Equine Stable6 furlongs1:10.17$200,000III [15]
2015Salutos Amigos5 Cornelio Velasquez David JacobsonDavid Jacobson & Southern Equine Stable6 furlongs1:09.61$200,000III [8]
2014Strapping Groom7 Irad Ortiz Jr. David JacobsonDrawing Away Stable & David Jacobson6 furlongs1:09.85$200,000III [16]
2013Comma to the Top5 Joel Rosario Peter L. Miller Gary Barber 6 furlongs1:10.26$200,000III [17]
2012Calibrachoa5 Cornelio Velasquez Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable 6 furlongs1:09.07$200,000III [18]
2011§ Calibrachoa4 Ramon A. Dominguez Todd A. Pletcher Repole Stable 6 furlongs1:09.67$150,000III [19]
2010Race not held
At Belmont Park
2009Munnings3 John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael B. Tabor 7 furlongs1:21.08$185,000II [20]
2008Lucky Island (ARG) 4 Alan Garcia Kiaran P. McLaughlin Shadwell Racing 7 furlongs1:22.73$161,000II [21]
2007High Finance4 John R. Velazquez Richard A. Violette Jr.West Point Stable7 furlongs1:21.81$197,500II [22]
2006 Silver Train 4 Edgar S. Prado Richard E. Dutrow Jr. Four Roses Thoroughbreds7 furlongs1:21.66$150,000II [23]
2005Smokume4 Chantal Sutherland H. Allen Jerkens Hobeau Farm 7 furlongs1:21.92$150,000II [24]
2004 Ghostzapper 4 Javier Castellano Robert J. Frankel Stronach Stables 7 furlongs1:20.42$142,500II [25]
2003Aldebaran5 Jerry D. Bailey Robert J. Frankel Flaxman Holdings 7 furlongs1:22.54$150,000II [26]
2002 Left Bank 5 John R. Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Michael B. Tabor 7 furlongs1:20.17$150,000II [7]
2001Exchange Rate4 Jerry D. Bailey D. Wayne Lukas Padua Stables7 furlongs1:21.24$150,000II [27]
2000Trippi3 Jerry D. Bailey Todd A. Pletcher Dogwood Stable 7 furlongs1:21.69$150,000II [28]
1999Crafty Friend6 Richard Migliore John C. Kimmel The Thoroughbred Corporation 7 furlongs1:20.62$150,000II [29]
1998Banker's Gold4 Jorge F. Chavez H. Allen Jerkens Georgia E. Hofmann7 furlongs1:21.04$150,000II [30]
1997Diligence4 Jose A. Santos Nicholas P. Zito Kinsman Stable 7 furlongs1:22.40$150,000II [31]
1996Kayrawan4 Richard Migliore Kiaran P. McLaughlin Shadwell Racing 7 furlongs1:22.95$108,100II [32]
Tom Fool Stakes
1995Lite the Fuse4 Julie Krone Richard E. Dutrow Sr. Richard E. Dutrow Sr. 7 furlongs1:21.72$108,700II [33]
1994Virginia Rapids4 Jean-Luc Samyn H. Allen Jerkens Middletown Stables7 furlongs1:22.27$107,300II [34]
1993Birdonthewire4 Craig Perret Philip M. SerpeRobert Kaufman7 furlongs1:20.93$112,800II [35]
1992Rubiano5 Julie Krone Flint S. Schulhofer Centennial Farms7 furlongs1:21.70$118,200II [36]
1991Mr. Nasty4 Angel Cordero Jr. Guadalupe PreciadoHidden Lane Farm7 furlongs1:21.60$113,000II [37]
1990Quick Call6 Jorge F. Chavez Sidney J. Watters Jr.Lynda B. Stokes7 furlongs1:21.57$87,800II [38]
1989Sewickley4 Randy Romero Flint S. Schulhofer Robert S. Evans7 furlongs1:24.00$113,200II [39]
1988 King's Swan 8 Angel Cordero Jr. Richard E. Dutrow Sr. Alvin Akman7 furlongs1:22.40$168,300II [40]
1987 Groovy 4 Angel Cordero Jr. Jose A. Martin Lone Star Stable7 furlongs1:22.40$114,000II [41]
1986 Groovy 3 Jose A. Santos Jose A. Martin John A. Ballis7 furlongs1:21.60$111,600II [42]
1985Track Barron4 Angel Cordero Jr. LeRoy Jolley Peter M. Brant 7 furlongs1:22.00$134,850II [43]
1984Believe The Queen4 Jorge Velasquez H. Allen Jerkens Bohemia Stable 7 furlongs1:22.40$117,800II [44]
1983 Deputy Minister (CAN)4 Donald MacBeth Reynaldo H. Nobles Robert E. Brennan 7 furlongs1:22.20$86,700II [45]
1982Rise Jim6 Angel Cordero Jr. J. Joseph O'SheaWilliam H. Grinold7 furlongs1:23.80$54,700II [46]
1981Rise Jim5 Angel Cordero Jr. J. Joseph O'SheaWilliam H. Grinold7 furlongs1:21.20$54,700III [47]
1980 Plugged Nickle 3 Jeffrey Fell Thomas J. Kelly John M. Schiff 7 furlongs1:22.20$55,100 [48]
1979 Cox's Ridge 5 Eddie Maple Joseph B. Cantey Loblolly Stable 7 furlongs1:22.20$42,500 [49]
Tom Fool Handicap
1978 J. O. Tobin 4 Jeffrey Fell Laz Barrera George A. Pope Jr.7 furlongs1:20.80$43,250 [5]
1977Mexican General4 Craig Perret J. Bowes BondMrs. Albert H. Lowenthal7 furlongs1:22.00$37,675 [50]
At Aqueduct
1976El Pitirre4 Angel Cordero Jr. Laz Barrera Enrique Ubarri7 furlongs1:24.40$44,250 [51]
1975Kinsman Hope5 John Ruane H. Allen Jerkens Hobeau Farm 7 furlongs1:21.40$44,875 [2]

Notes:
§ Ran as an entry

See also

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References

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