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Empire City Handicap

{{Infobox horseraces

| class = Discontinued stakes

| horse race = Empire City Handicap

| image =

| caption =

| location = Empire City Race Track,
Yonkers, New York,
United States (1920-1942)
Jamaica Race Course,
Jamaica, New York,
United States (1942-1953)

| inaugurated = 1920

| race type = Thoroughbred - Flat racing

| website =

| distance = {{frac|1|3|16}} miles (9.5 furlongs)

| surface = Dirt

| track = left-handed

| qualification = Three-year-olds

| weight = Assigned

| purse = $50,000 (1953)

| bonuses =

}}

The Empire City Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race inaugurated on October 22, 1900, as part of the opening day racecard at Empire City Race Track in Yonkers, New York. Sometimes referred in newspaper reports as the Empire City Stakes, it was raced at the Empire City track through 1942 then the following year it moved to the Jamaica Race Course in Jamaica, Queens where it remained until its final running on November 7, 1953.{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B01E6DD1131E433A25756C1A9619C946195D6CF |title=Naturalist Sets Pace All The Way |work=The New York Times |page=17 |date=1920-07-20 |access-date=2019-09-27}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/11/09/archives/tom-fool-outruns-marcador-by-head-1320-favorite-wins-55700-empire.html |title=Tom Fool Outruns Marcador By Head |work=The New York Times |page=1 Sports Section |date=1952-11-09 |access-date=2019-09-27}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/56100552/ |title=Jamaica Charts (Empire City Meeting) |publisher=Brooklyn Daily Eagle, page 26 |date=1953-11-08 |access-date=2019-09-27}}

The first edition of the Empire City Handicap was open to horses age three and older. From 1937 until its final running in 1953, the race was restricted to three-year-old horses. There was no race run 1901–1906, and 1911–1913. That inaugural running was won by Charentus in a World record time of 2:04 flat for a mile and a quarter on dirt.{{cite web|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAH19001023.2.82&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |title=Hangs Up New World's Record |publisher=Los Angeles Herald, Volume XXVIII, Number 22 |date=1900-10-23 |access-date=2019-09-28}}

During its tenure, the Empire City Handicap was contested at various distances:

  • 1 mile : 1907
  • {{frac|1|1|8}} miles : 1908–1910, 1914–1922, 1934–1941
  • {{frac|1|3|16}} miles : 1942-1953
  • {{frac|1|1|4}} miles : 1900, 1923–1933

Records

Speed record:

  • 1:50.00 @ 1{{Frac|1|8}} M : Swing And Sway (1941)
  • 1:56.00 @ 1{{Frac|3|16}} M : Apache (1942)
  • 2:03.00 @ 1{{Frac|1|4}} M : Sting (1924)

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%"
style="width:30px" | Year

! style="width:110px" | Winner

! style="width:20px" | Age

! style="width:110px" | Jockey

! style="width:130px" | Trainer

! Owner

! style="width:25px" | Dist.
(Miles)

! style="width:25px" | Time

align=center|1953

|Find

|align=center|3

|Eric Guerin

|William C. Winfrey

|Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr.

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:58.00

align=center|1952

|Tom Fool

|align=center|3

|Ted Atkinson

|John M. Gaver Sr.

|Greentree Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:58.00

align=center|1951

|Counterpoint

|align=center|3

|Dave Gorman

|Sylvester Veitch

|C. V. Whitney

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:58.60

align=center|1950

|All At Once

|align=center|3

|Nick Wall

|W. M. Lyons

|John W. Nizlek

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:59.00

align=center|1949

|Palestinian

|align=center|3

|Eddie Arcaro

|Hirsch Jacobs

|Isadore Bieber

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:57.20

align=center|1948

|Miss Request

|align=center|3

|Ovie Scurlock

|James P. Conway

|Florence Whitaker

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:57.40

align=center|1947

|Phalanx

|align=center|3

|Ruperto Donoso

|Sylvester Veitch

|C. V. Whitney

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:57.80

align=center|1946

|Bonnie Beryl

|align=center|3

|Eric Guerin

|James E. Fitzsimmons

|Belair Stud

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:56.80

align=center|1945

|Gallorette

|align=center|3

|Ted Atkinson

|Edward A. Christmas

|William L. Brann

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:56.80

align=center|1944

|Stir Up

|align=center|3

|Eddie Arcaro

|John M. Gaver Sr.

|Greentree Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:56.20

align=center|1943

|Chop Chop

|align=center|3

|Johnny Longden

|Harris B. Brown

|Josephine Douglas

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:57.20

align=center|1942

|Apache

|align=center|3

|James Stout

|James E. Fitzsimmons

|Belair Stud

|align=center|1{{Frac|3|16}} M

|1:56.00

align=center|1941

|Swing And Sway

|align=center|3

|Don Meade

|John M. Gaver Sr.

|Greentree Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:50.00

align=center|1940

|Fenelon

|align=center|3

|James Stout

|James E. Fitzsimmons

|Belair Stud

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:53.00

align=center|1939

|Lovely Night

|align=center|3

|Nick Wall

|Henry McDaniel

|Florence Clark

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:52.00

align=center|1938

|Stagehand

|align=center|3

|Jack Westrope

|Earl Sande

|Col. Maxwell Howard

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.00

align=center|1937

|Rex Flag

|align=center|3

|Robert Merritt

|John P. Jones

|Louise Viau

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:52.40

align=center|1936

|Esposa

|align=center|4

|Russell Kastner

|Matthew P. Brady

|William Ziegler Jr.

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:52.60

align=center|1935

|Top Row

|align=center|4

|Johnny Longden

|Albert A. Baroni

|Albert A. Baroni

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.00

align=center|1934

|Faireno

|align=center|5

|Silvio Coucci

|James E. Fitzsimmons

|Belair Stud

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.80

align=center|1933

|Dark Secret

|align=center|4

|John Gilbert

|George Tappen

|Wheatley Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:05.00

align=center|1932

|Blenheim

|align=center|4

|Hank Mills

|James E. Fitzsimmons

|Wheatley Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:06.60

align=center|1931

|Questionnaire

|align=center|4

|Raymond Workman

|Edward J. Bennett

|James Butler

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:07.00

align=center|1930

|Frisius

|align=center|4

|Whitey Abel

|James E. Fitzsimmons

|Belair Stud

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:06.00

align=center|1929

|Sun Edwin

|align=center|4

|Linus McAtee

|Louis Feustel

|Arden Farm

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:05.75

align=center|1928

|Recreation

|align=center|4

|Pete Goodwin

|Robert A. Smith|

|Jefferson Livingston

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:08.40

align=center|1927

|Peanuts

|align=center|5

|Harold Thurber

|George M. Odom

|Robert L. Gerry Sr.

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:08.00

align=center|1926

|Peanuts

|align=center|4

|Harry Richards

|George M. Odom

|Robert L. Gerry Sr.

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:06.00

align=center|1925

|Mad Play

|align=center|4

|Laverne Fator

|Sam Hildreth

|Rancocas Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:08.00

align=center|1924

|Sting

|align=center|3

|Benjamin Breuning

|Jimmy Johnson

|James Butler

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:03.00

align=center|1923

|Tryster

|align=center|5

|Earl Sande

|Scott P. Harlan

|Westmont Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:05.40

align=center|1922

|Grey Lag

|align=center|4

|Laverne Fator

|Sam Hildreth

|Rancocas Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:54.00

align=center|1921

|Yellow Hand

|align=center|4

|Charles H. Miller

|A. J. Goldsborough

|Charles A. Stoneham

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.00

align=center|1920

|Naturalist

|align=center|6

|Clarence Turner

|Thomas Welsh

|Joseph E. Widener

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:53.00

align=center|1919

|Lanius

|align=center|8

|Johnny Loftus

|A. Jack Joyner

|George D. Widener Jr.

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.80

align=center|1918

|Roamer

|align=center|7

|Lawrence Lyke

|A. J. Goldsborough

|Andrew Miller

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.00

align=center|1917

|Spur

|align=center|4

|Willie Knapp

|James H. McCormick

|James Butler

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:56.60

align=center|1916

|Short Grass

|align=center|8

|Frank Keogh

|John J. Flanigan

|Emil Herz

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.20

align=center|1915

|Gainer

|align=center|4

|Tommy McTaggart

|James G. Rowe Sr.

|Greentree Stable

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.60

align=center|1914

|Buckhorn

|align=center|5

|Joe McCahey

|Jack D. Adkins

|Roderick J. Mackenzie

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:54.00

bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|align=center|1913

|align=center colspan=7| Race not held

style="background:#eee;"

|align=center|1912

| rowspan="2" colspan="7" style="text-align:center;"| No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law.

style="background:#eee;"

|align=center|1911

align=center|1910

|Dalmatian

|align=center|3

|George Archibald

|Sam Hildreth

|Sam Hildreth

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:51.00

align=center|1909

|Maltbie

|align=center|4

|Stanley B. Page

|James Gass

|George Reif

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:53.80

align=center|1908

|Pinkola

|align=center|3

|James Butler

|William H. Fizer

|William H. Fizer

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|8}} M

|1:54.80

align=center|1907

|Prince Ahmed

|align=center|3

|Walter Ott

|John C. Ferris Jr.

|John C. Ferris Jr.

|align=center|1{{Frac|0|0}} M

|1:40.60

align=center|1900

|Charentus

|align=center|6

|Willie Shaw

|Jim McLaughlin

|Orville L. Richards

|align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} M

|2:04.00

References

{{Citation needed|date=January 2020}}

{{reflist}}

Category:1900 establishments in New York (state)

Category:1900 in sports in New York (state)

Category:1953 disestablishments in New York (state)

Category:1953 in sports in New York City

Category:20th century in Queens

Category:Empire City Race Track

Category:Discontinued horse races in New York (state)

Category:Jamaica Race Course

Category:Open middle distance horse races

Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1953

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1900

Category:Sports competitions in New York City