Display Handicap

Mrs. Edward E. Robbins' Midafternoon came into the 1956 Display Handicap having already won two of that year's important races, the Metropolitan and Massachusetts Handicaps.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1956/05/31/archives/midafternoon-wins-metropolitan-nashua-fourth-91-shot-defeats-switch.html |title=Midafternoon Wins Metropolitan, Nashua Fourth |work=New York Times|at=Section Sports, page 33 |date=1956-05-31 |accessdate=2020-01-25}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1956/06/21/archives/mrs-robbins-75-choice-defeats-find-in-massachusetts-handicap.html |title=Mrs. Robbins' 7.5 Choice Defeats Find in Massachusetts Handicap |work=New York Times|at=Section Sports, page 54 |date=1956-06-21 |accessdate=2020-01-25}} In winning the Display, Midafternoon set a new Jamaica Race Course record with a time of 3:29 3/5 for 2{{Frac|1|16}} miles.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1956/11/16/archives/midafternoon-clips-record-at-jamaica-as-new-york-racing-closes-85.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323030344/https://www.nytimes.com/1956/11/16/archives/midafternoon-clips-record-at-jamaica-as-new-york-racing-closes-85.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2018-03-23 |title=Midafternoon Clips Record at Jamaica as New York Racing Closes |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1956-11-16 |accessdate=2020-01-29 }}

Primordial II was an Argentine-bred who had been racing in Venezuela for trainer Laffit Pincay Sr., father of Laffit Pincay Jr. who in 1966 would emigrate to the United States where would become one of the most successful in American racing history and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. Primordial II was brought to the United States to run in the mile and one-half Washington, D.C. International Stakes. The 1962 Venezuelan Horse of the Year finished sixth to the legendary American runner Kelso but came back to win the two-mile Display Handicap by eight lengths over the heavily favored Christiana Stables runner Smart.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/12/09/archives/venezia-shut-out-in-6-rides-at-aqueduct-beauful-wins-jockey-slumps.html |title=Venezia Shut Out in 6 Rides at Aqueduct |work=New York Times|page=68|date=1964-12-09 |accessdate=2020-01-16}}

Paraje, an Argentine-bred bought as a two-year-old by the Venezuelan-owned Stud Los Libertadores who would race him in Venezuela until being sold in late 1970 to American businessman Sigmund Sommer. Paraje won the 1971 Display Handicap in track record time then won it again in each of the next two years.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/05/archives/paraje-wins-2-14mile-display-by-halflength-chompion-second-victory.html |title=Paraje Wins 2¹/₄ Mile Display by Half-Length |work=New York Times|at=Section Sports, page 1 |date=1971-12-05 |accessdate=2020-01-29}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/17/archives/colts-14th-victim-miami-wins-160-and-sets-rushing-mark-of-2951.html |title=Paraje Takes Display |work=New York Times|at=Section Sports, page 1 |date=1972-12-17|accessdate=2020-01-29}} In the 1973 edition Paraje set a new American and world record time of 3:47 4/5 for {{frac|2|1|4}} miles on dirt.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/12/16/archives/paraje-captures-display-for-third-straight-year.html |title=Paraje Captures Display For Third Straight Year |work=New York Times|page=251|date=1973-12-16 |accessdate=2020-01-29}} Paraje's owner, Sigmund Sommer, would win this race a record total five times.

The only other horse to win the race more than once was Louis R. Rowan and Wheelock Whitney Jr.'s Quicken Tree who first won it in 1967 and after not running in the 1968 race, came back to win it again in 1969, defeating Hydrologist by 7 lengths.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1969/12/15/613052/a-roundup-of-the-sports-information-of-the-week |title=A Roundup of the Sports Information of the Week |magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=1969-12-15 |accessdate=2019-01-01}}

The 1976 race was won by Frampton Delight when Cunning Trick was disqualified for interference as the two battled down the homestretch.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/12/24/archives/foul-by-winner-places-frampton-delight-first-cordero-loses-finalday.html |title=Foul by 'Winner' Places Frampton Delight First |work=New York Times|page=13|date=1976-12-24 |accessdate=2020-01-27}}

Speed record:

• 3:47.80 @ {{frac|2|1|4}} miles (12 runnings) – Paraje (1973)
• 3:29.60 @ 2{{Frac|1|16}} miles (4 runnings) – Midafternoon (1956)
• 3:20.20 @ 2 miles (22 runnings) – Quicken Tree (1969)

Most wins:

• 3 – Paraje (1971, 1972, 1973)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 6 – Jorge Velásquez (1968, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1979)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 5 – Pancho Martin (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973)

Most wins by an owner:

• 5 – Sigmund Sommer (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1978)

• Display
• Handicap race

{{Reflist}}

Category:Discontinued horse races in New York City

Category:Graded stakes races in the United States

Category:Open long distance horse races

Category:Jamaica Race Course

Category:Aqueduct Racetrack

Category:1955 establishments in New York City

Category:1990 disestablishments in New York (state)

Category:Horse races established in 1955

Category:Recurring events disestablished in 1990