Forerunner Stakes

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Forerunner Stakes
Discontinued Stakes race
LocationKeeneland Race Course
Lexington, Kentucky
Inaugurated1950-2007
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Websitewww.keeneland.com
Race information
Distance1⅛ miles (9 furlongs)
SurfaceTurf
TrackTurf, 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).

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 1950-1985. 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:

  • 1:47 1/5 @ 1-1/8 miles (9 furlongs): Rough Opening (1996)
  • 1:21 2/5 @ 7 furlongs: John Washington (1977)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners[]

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner
Dist.
(Miles)
(Furlongs)
Time Gr.
2007 Moudez 3 Cornelio Velasquez William I. Mott Zayat Stables 1-1/8 m 1:50.16 L/R
2006 Up an Octave 3 John Velazquez Todd A. Pletcher Vinery Stables 1-1/8 m 1:49.78 L/R
2005 Gun Salute 3 Cornelio Velasquez William I. Mott Brant Laue 1-1/8 m 1:48.51 L/R
2004 Prince Arch 3 Brice Blanc Kenneth G. McPeek Raymond H. Cottrell Sr. 1-1/8 m 1:48.64 L/R
2003 Californian 3 Kent Desormeaux The Thoroughbred Corp. 1-1/8 m 1:52.00 L/R
2002 Red Masque 3 Jerry D. Bailey Danny Hutt Real Deal Racing 1-1/8 m 1:49.15 L/R
2001 Kalu 3 Corey Nakatani Christophe Clement Bonnie Heath Farm & Robert Schaedle III 1-1/8 m 1:48.73 L/R
2000 Gateman 3 Pat Day W. Elliott Walden Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds 1-1/8 m 1:48.39 L/R
1999 Marquette 3 Jerry D. Bailey Marguerite Cavanaugh 1-1/8 m 1:48.60 L/R
1998 Cryptic Rascal 3 Julie Krone 1-1/8 m 1:49.60 G3
1997 Thesaurus 3 Craig Perret Charles J. Cella 1-1/8 m 1:48.80 G3
1996 Rough Opening 3 Mike E. Smith (Jim & Eleanor Ryan) 1-1/8 m 1:47.20 G3
1995 Dixie Dynasty 3 Mike E. Smith J. Bert Sonnier W. Harley Stepp Jr. 1-1/8 m 1:51.20 G3
1994 Jaggery John 3 Dean W. Kutz Thomas M. Carey 1-1/8 m 1:48.50 G3
1993 Explosive Red 3 Mark Larsen Daniel J. Vella Frank Stronach 1-1/8 m 1:51.46 G3
1992 Free At Last 3 Jerry D. Bailey D. Wayne Lukas Clover Racing Stable (Jeff Siegel & Barry Irwin) 1-1/8 m 1:49.60 G3
1991 Bewray 3 Corey Black Joseph H. Pierce Jr. Pin Oak Stable & Pastime Stable (G. Watts Humphrey Jr. et al) 1-1/8 m 1:51.80 G3
1990 Izvestia 3 Randy Romero Roger L. Attfield Kinghaven Farms 1-1/8 m 1:50.20 G3
1989 Luge II 3 Jose A. Santos Dogwood Stable 1-1/8 m 1:50.20 G3
1988 Posen 3 Don Brumfield Woody Stephens Kennelot Stable 1-1/16 m 1:43.00 G3
1987 Blue Finn 3 Dave Penna James E. Day Sam-Son Farm 1-1/16 m 1:46.20 L/R
1986 Autobot 3 Earlie Fires Happy Valley Farm (Gary & Steve Wolfson) 1-1/16 m 1:48.60 L/R
1985 Proudest Hour 3 Gerland Gallitano Rogers Red Top Farm (Walter Mullady) & Patrick J. Flavin 7 f 1:24.20
1984 Devil's Bag 3 Eddie Maple Woody Stephens Hickory Tree Stable 7 f 1:23.60
1983 Derby Double 3 Michael Moran Darrell Adams 7 f 1:23.80
1982 Linkage 3 Bill Shoemaker Henry S. Clark Christiana Stables 7 f 1:22.80
1981 Classic Go Go 3 Anthony S. Black Jerry C. Meyer Verne H. Winchell 7 f 1:24.00
1980 Lord Gallant 3 Don MacBeth Arthur I. Appleton 7 f 1:23.20
1979 General Custer 3 Don Brumfield Frank L. Brothers Ben Erickson, et al 7 f 1:22.40
1978 Chabua 3 James P. Conway Edna T. Thieriot 7 f 1:23.80
1977 John Washington 3 Thomas H. Stevens Sr. Betsy S. May 7 f 1:21.40
1976 Elocutionist 3 John L. Lively Paul T. Adwell Eugene C. Cashman 7 f 1:22.80
1975 Honey Mark 3 Eddie Delahoussaye Larry Robideaux Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert F. Roberts 7 f 1:23.80
1974 Aroyoport 3 Earlie Fires Robert Cramer August Muckler 7 f 1:23.40
1973 Royal and Regal 3 Walter Blum Warren A. Croll Jr. Aisco Stable 7 f 1:23.80
1972 Billy Rogell 3 Earl J. Knapp Larry L. Fontenot 7 f 1:24.80
1971 Going Straight 3 Oswaldo Torres Elwood McCann Don Ball 7 f 1:23.00
1970 Supreme Quality 3 Dave Kassen Loyd Gentry Jr. Walter Kitchen 7 f 1:23.00
1969 Ack Ack 3 Manuel Ycaza Cain Hoy Stable 7 f 1:22.80
1968 Captain's Gig 3 Manuel Ycaza William W. Stephens Cain Hoy Stable 7 f 1:22.20
1967 Racing Room 3 Fred Watkins Llangollen Farm 7 f 1:22.40
1966 He Jr. 3 Ronald J. Campbell Dick Posey Everett Lowrance 7 f 1:22.40
1965 Bugler 3 Don Brumfield James P. Conway Darby Dan Farm 7 f 1:24.40
1964 Hill Rise 3 Bill Shoemaker William B. Finnegan 7 f 1:22.80
1963 Never Bend 3 Manuel Ycaza Woody Stephens Cain Hoy Stable 7 f 1:22.80
1962 Roman Line 3 James Combest Vester R. Wright 7 f 1:21.80
1961 Four-and-Twenty 3 Henry E. Moreno Vance Longden Alberta Ranches Ltd. 7 f 1:23.00
1960 Tompion 3 Bill Shoemaker Robert L. Wheeler C. V. Whitney 7 f 1:21.80
1959 Tomy Lee 3 Bill Shoemaker Frank E. Childs Fred W. & Juliette M. Turner Jr. 7 f 1:21.60
1958 Tim Tam 3 Bill Hartack Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 7 f 1:22.20
1957 Iron Liege 3 Dave Erb Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 7 f 1:22.40
1956 Fabius 3 Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 7 f 1:22.80
1955 Racing Fool 3 John H. Adams Loyd Gentry Jr. Cain Hoy Stable 7 f 1:23.60
1954 Timely Tip 3 Howard Craig Reid Armstrong Dr. A. L. Birch 7 f 1:23.80
1953 3 Eddie Arcaro Wally Dunn Mrs. Gordon Guiberson 7 f 1:23.00
1952 Cold Command 3 Sylvester E. Veitch C. V. Whitney 7 f 1:24.00
1951 3 Job Dean Jessop Robert V. McGarvey 7 f 1:24.60
1950 Your Host 3 Johnny Longden Harry L. Daniels William Goetz 7 f 1:22.40

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e 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.
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