| Class | Grade III |
|---|---|
| Location | Aqueduct Racetrack Queens, New York, United States |
| Inaugurated | 2016 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | NYRA |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old fillies |
| Weight | 124 lbs with allowances |
| Purse | $150,000 (since 2024) |
The Winter Memories Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies over a distance of one mile on the turf held annually in September at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $150,000.
The event is named after Darby Dan Farm owner John Phillips' multiple-Grade I winning mare Winter Memories . This gray mare won five graded stakes events at Belmont Park. In her last competitive race at Saratoga Racetrack the mare won the Grade I Diana Stakes. [1]
The inaugural running of the event was on November 25, 2016 over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles and was won by Stuart S. Janney III's My Impression who won the event by a half a length, starting as the 11/4 favorite in a time of 1:44.22.
The event was run on the dirt track due to the conditions of the turf track in 2018 and held at shorter distance of one mile. [2]
In 2023 the distance of the event was decreased to one mile. [2] The event was also moved in the fall schedule from November and held in mid September.
Several entrants who have run in this race have won Grade I events. The 2020 winner Duopoly won the GI American Oaks in her next start. [3] The 2023 winner Sacred Wish the following year won the GI Matriarch Stakes as a four-year-old. [4]
In 2025 the event was upgraded to Grade III by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. [5]
Speed record:
Largest margin of victory:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Aqueduct – WInter Memories Stakes | |||||||||
| 2025 | Ready for Candy | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Philip Antonacci | Lindy Farms | 1 mile | 1:35.29 | $175,000 | III | [6] |
| 2024 | Les Reys (FR) | Joel Rosario | Christophe Clement | West Point Thoroughbreds, Peter Leidel & Winters Equine | 1 mile | 1:35.95 | $150,000 | Listed | [7] |
| 2023 | Sacred Wish | John R. Velazquez | George Weaver | Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher T. Dunn & Anthony Spinazzola | 1 mile | 1:35.46 | $135,000 | Listed | [8] |
| 2022 | Salimah (IRE) | Jose L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Stephanie Seymour Brant | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.69 | $135,000 | Listed | [9] |
| 2021 | Plum Ali | Manuel Franco | Christophe Clement | Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables & Michael J. Caruso | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.11 | $150,000 | [10] | |
| 2020 | Duopoly | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.80 | $100,000 | [11] | |
| 2019 | Feel Glorious (GB) | Junior Alvarado | Christophe Clement | Reeves Thoroughbred Racing & Tango Uniform Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.16 | $156,188 | [12] | |
| 2018 | Matty's Magnum | Manuel Franco | David G. Donk | Edward R. & Mary Jo Lessell | 1 mile | 1:41.97 | $157,538 | [13] | |
| 2017 | Rymska (FR) | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Alain Jathiere, Sheep Pond Partners, Thomas Coleman & Elayne S. Herrick | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.48 | $150,000 | [14] | |
| 2016 | My Impression | Jose L. Ortiz | Claude R. McGaughey III | Stuart S. Janney III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.22 | $125,000 | [15] | |
Legend:
Dirt Turf