American thoroughbred horse race, Queens, New York
Horse race
The Roamer Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens , New York . It was open to three-year-old horses of either sex and contested on dirt over a distance of 9.5 furlongs (1 3/16 miles / 1,900 metres). Run forty-three times, the first ten editions were held between 1944 and 1958 at Jamaica Race Course in Jamaica, Queens , New York.
Historical notes
The inaugural running took place on April 11, 1944 and was run at a distance of 1 1/16 miles for the only time in its history. The race would see Lillian Christopher's Grey Wing defeat Stymie , a future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee owned by Ethel Jacobs .[ 1]
The filly Bridal Flower not only "beat the boys" in winning the 1946 Roamer Handicap, she beat the reigning U.S. Triple Crown Champion Assault .
The 1952 running saw Canadian jockey Hedley Woodhouse aboard 10-1 Quiet Step upset future Hall of Fame inductee Tom Fool who was also ridden by a Canadian, Ted Atkinson .[ 2]
In 1960, Elizabeth Lunn's Divine Comedy won the race by 8 lengths and set a new Aqueduct track record with a time of 1:55 4/5.[ 3] Seven years later, 1967 Kentucky Derby winner Proud Clarion broke that record by 4/5 of a second with a time of 1:55 flat.[ 4]
Sherluck 's win in the 1961 Roamer Handicap followed an earlier victory in the Belmont Stakes that ended Carry Back 's chance to win the U.S. Triple Crown .[ 5] [ 6]
Forego won the 1973 edition of the Roamer Handicap in stakes record time while carrying highweight. He beat runner-up My Gallant by five lengths with Twice A Prince in third another 2½ lengths back. The Roamer Handicap marked Forego's first stakes race win of what would become a career ranked among the best in U.S racing history.[ 7] Owned by Martha Gerry , Forego earned eight Eclipse Awards , including three American Horse of the Year titles, and would be inducted into the U.S Racing Hall of Fame.
The final running took place on December 26, 1986 and was won by Betty M. Peters' Scrimshaw.[ 8]
Records
Speed record:
1:54.60 @ 13 ⁄16 – Forego (1973)
Most wins by a jockey :
Most wins by a trainer :
Most wins by an owner:
Winners
Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.(Miles )
Time
Win$
Gr.
1986
Scrimshaw
3
Eddie Maple
Larry A. Kelly
Betty M. Peters
13 ⁄16
1:55.40
$44,700
Listed
1985
Taj Alriyadh
3
Jorge Velásquez
D. Wayne Lukas
Ahmed Salman
13 ⁄16
1:58.80
$39,180
Listed
1984
Fight Over
3
Ángel Cordero Jr.
John Parisella
Theodore M. Sabarese
13 ⁄16
1:59.40
$55,260
Listed
1983
Megaturn
3
Kenny Skinner
Richard Nieminski
John H. Peace
13 ⁄16
1:59.00
$33,240
Gr. 3
1982
Dew Line
3
Eddie Maple
Joseph B. Cantey
Ryehill Farm
13 ⁄16
1:59.00
$34,800
Gr. 3
1981
Thirty Eight Paces
3
Ángel Cordero Jr.
King T. Leatherbury
Double Paces Stable
13 ⁄16
1:56.00
$33,600
Gr. 3
1980
Bar Dexter
3
Jean-Luc Samyn
Louis Mondello
Woodside Stud
13 ⁄16
1:56.20
$34,260
Gr. 2
1979
Rivalero
3
Jeffrey Fell
John M. Veitch
Calumet Farm
13 ⁄16
1:58.60
$32,700
Gr. 2
1978
Silent Cal
3
Doug Thomas
Benjamin W. Perkins Sr.
Mrs. Arnold A. Willcox
13 ⁄16
1:56.80
$31,710
Gr. 2
1977
Soldier's Lark
3
Mike Venezia
Victor J. Nickerson
Philip Wise
13 ⁄16
1:59.20
$32,010
Gr. 2
1976
Turn and Count
3
Jacinto Vásquez
Pancho Martin
Sigmund Sommer
13 ⁄16
1:56.60
$32,220
Gr. 2
1975
General Beauregard
3
Mike Venezia
William F. Schmitt
Brazil Stable
13 ⁄16
1:54.80
$32,640
Gr. 2
1974
Green Gambados
3
Ángel Cordero Jr.
Laz Barrera
Harbor View Farm
13 ⁄16
1:55.60
$33,600
Gr. 2
1973
Forego
3
Heliodoro Gustines
Eddie Hayward
Lazy F Ranch
13 ⁄16
1:54.60
$34,080
Gr. 2
1972
True Knight
3
Eddie Belmonte
Lou Rondinello
Darby Dan Farm
13 ⁄16
1:55.40
$34,860
1971
Tinajero
3
Eddie Belmonte
Laz Barrera
Rafael Escudero
13 ⁄16
1:56.40
$33,540
1970
Protanto
3
Chuck Baltazar
MacKenzie Miller
Cragwood Stables
13 ⁄16
1:55.20
$37.830
1969
Ship Leave
3
John L. Rotz
Angel Penna Sr.
Gustave Ring
13 ⁄16
1:54.80
$36,660
1968
Funny Fellow
3
Ángel Cordero Jr.
Edward A. Neloy
Wheatley Stable
13 ⁄16
1:55.60
$36,855
1967
Proud Clarion
3
Braulio Baeza
Loyd Gentry Jr.
Darby Dan Farm
13 ⁄16
1:55.00
$36,595
1966
Mr. Right
3
Bobby Ussery
Evan S. Jackson
Cheray Duchin
13 ⁄16
1:57.60
$38,350
1965
Terry's Secret
3
Alex Maese
Carl A. Roles
Poltex Stable
13 ⁄16
1:56.40
$37,750
1964
Point du Jour
3
Jimmy Combest
Nick Combest
Edith Baily Dent
13 ⁄16
1:56.60
$36,140
1963
Dean Carl
3
Bobby Ussery
Paul Bongarzone
Paul Bongarzone
13 ⁄16
1:57.60
$37,245
1962
Dead Ahead
3
Avelino Gomez
Woody Stephens
Cain Hoy Stable
13 ⁄16
1:56.80
$37,245
1961
Sherluck
3
Bill Shoemaker
Harold Young
Jacob Sher
13 ⁄16
1:56.80
$36,530
1960
Divine Comedy
3
Bill Shoemaker
Charles E. Whittingham
Elizabeth Lunn
13 ⁄16
1:55.80
$36,190
1959
Polylad
3
Eldon Nelson
James B. Rowe
Mrs. Q. A. Shaw McKean
13 ⁄16
1:57.60
$36,645
1958
Warhead
3
Eddie Arcaro
Kay Erik Jensen
Mabel C. Schiltz
13 ⁄16
1:56.80
$56,675
1957
Promised Land
3
Ismael Valenzuela
Hirsch Jacobs
Ethel D. Jacobs
13 ⁄16
1:55.60
$37,500
1956
Third Brother
3
Angel Valenzuela
Casey Hayes
Christopher Chenery
13 ⁄16
1:56.40
$40,700
1955
Sailor II
3
Hedley Woodhouse
Preston M. Burch
Brookmeade Stable
13 ⁄16
1:56.00
$40,500
1954
Jet Action
3
Bill Hartack
Isaac K. Mourar
Maine Chance Farm
13 ⁄16
1:57.20
$40,100
1953
Race not held
1952
Quiet Step
3
Hedley Woodhouse
Kay Erik Jensen
Apheim Stable (Bernard H. Heiman)
13 ⁄16
1:55.80
$32,600
1948
– 1951
Race not held
1947
Cosmic Bomb
3
Ovie Scurlock
William M. Booth
William G. Helis Sr.
13 ⁄16
1:58.20
$21,500
1946
Bridal Flower
3
Abelarado DeLara
James W. Smith
John R. Bradley
13 ⁄16
1:57.40
$22,700
1945
Chief Barker
3
Patrick F. Dwyer
Patrick F. Dwyer
Ben F. Whitaker
13 ⁄16
1:58.20
$19,750
1944
Grey Wing
3
Charles Wahler
Harris B. Brown
Lillian Christopher
11 ⁄16
1:45.00
$3,275
References