Display Handicap

The Display Handicap was an American long distance Thoroughbred horse race held annually from 1955 through 1990.[1] A race for 3-year-olds and up, it was run at the Jamaica Race Course from inception through 1958 at a distance of 2​¹⁄₁₆ miles. In 1959 the race was moved permanently to the newly renovated Aqueduct Racetrack after which the Jamaica track was closed and the property sold to real estate developers.[2][3][4] From 1959 through 1969 it was contested at 2 miles then its final two decades was run at a distance of 2¼ miles. The Display Handicap was traditionally held on the last day of racing in New York City for that calendar year.[5] It began ending the season on December 31, 1976, when year-round racing was introduced in New York.

Display Handicap

Discontined stakes race race
Location	Aqueduct Racetrack, Queens, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1955
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Race information
Distance	2¼ miles (18 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Three years and older

The race was aptly named for Display, a son of Fair Play (as was Man o' War, elected #1 in the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century). Display was noted for being able to carry heavy weights over marathon distances successfully. The Display Handicap was distinctive for the fact that many horses who normally ran in claiming races (but possessed abundant stamina) would be entered in it, and a few such horses went on to win the event. In 1978, Seaney Bear nosed out Framarco, another horse who ran mostly in claiming races. They competed in one of the two divisions of the race which were run in that year, necessitated by an unusually high number of horses entered in the race. Although the race was for 3-year-olds and up, it was rare for a 3-year-old to win it; when In the Ruff won the 1983 running he became the first 3-year-old winner of the Display since Dean Carl in 1963, and the first ever at the 2¼-mile distance.[6]

The Display Handicap was run in two divisions in 1974 and 1978 but in its later years field sizes became progressively smaller, with only five starters in what would prove to be the final running on December 31, 1990.[7] The discontinuing of the Display Handicap left the Valedictory Stakes at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario (run at 1¾ miles) as the longest stakes race run on the dirt in North America.[8]

Historical notes

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.[9][10] In winning the Display, Midafternoon set a new Jamaica Race Course record with a time of 3:29 3/5 for 2​¹⁄₁₆ miles.[11]

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.[12]

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.[13][14] In the 1973 edition Paraje set a new American and world record time of 3:47 4/5 for 2¼ miles on dirt.[15] 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.[16]

The 1976 race was won by Frampton Delight when Cunning Trick was disqualified for interference as the two battled down the homestretch.[17]

Records

Speed record:

• 3:47.40 @ 2¼ miles (12 runnings) – Paraje (1973)
• 3:29.60 @ 2​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)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Dist. (Miles)	Time	Win$	Gr.
1990	Blackhawk's Ghost	3	Dennis Carr	William V. Terrill	Aratrac Farm	2​^1⁄4 M	4:02.60	$50,940	L
1989	Passing Ships	5	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Robert P. Klesaris	Gold-n-Oats Stable (Marisa Anne Lizza)	2​^1⁄4 M	3:55.60	$51,390	G3
1988	Easy N Dirty	5	Jorge Velásquez	Paulino O. Ortiz	Paulino O. Ortiz	2​^1⁄4 M	3:53.40	$48,330	G3
1987	Jane's Dilemma	6	José A. Santos	Richard W. Small	Robert E. Meyerhoff	2​^1⁄4 M	3:56.40	$70,290	G3
1986	Fabulous Move	4	Chris Antley	Oscar S. Barrera Sr.	Oscar S. Barrera Sr.	2​^1⁄4 M	3:56.00	$54,000	G3
1985	Erin Bright	5	Frank Lovato Jr.	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	2​^1⁄4 M	4:00.80	$54,090	G3
1984	Putting Green	4	Ruben Hernandez	Chester Ross	Seymour Cohn	2​^1⁄4 M	3:56.20	$57,960	G3
1983	In the Ruff	3	Robbie Davis	Gasper S. Moschera	Albert Davis	2​^1⁄4 M	3:55.40	$51,570	G3
1982	Nice Pirate	4	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Thomas M. Walsh	Margarite Kern	2​^1⁄4 M	3:57.00	$51,030	G3
1981	Field Cat	4	Eric Beitia	J. Elliott Burch	Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney	2​^1⁄4 M	3:51.80	$50,940	G3
1980	Peat Moss	5	Frank Lovato Jr.	Gilbert Puentes	Murray M. Garren	2​^1⁄4 M	3:57.80	$50,580	G3
1979	Ethnarch	4	Jorge Velásquez	Dominick A. Imperio		2​^1⁄4 M	3:55.80	$50,220	G3
1978-1	Seaney Bear	4	Vincent Bracciale Jr.	Vincent R. Nocella	Richard R. Rand	2​^1⁄4 M	3:53.60	$31,740	G3
1978-2	Proud Arion	4	Eddie Maple	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	2​^1⁄4 M	3:55.00	$31,890	G3
1977	Gallivantor	5	Jorge Velásquez	Joseph A. Trovato	Jack R. Hogan	2​^1⁄4 M	3:50.80	$32,490	G3
1976	Frampton Delight	4	Jean Cruguet	Everett W. King	Len Ragozin	2​^1⁄4 M	3:54.80	$33,510	G3
1975	Sharp Gary	4	Sandy Hawley	Robert J. Frankel	Edward R. Scharps	2​^1⁄4 M	3:52.20	$32,520
1974-1	Outdoors	5	Daryl Montoya	John W. Russell	Ogden Phipps	2​^1⁄4 M	3:51.60	$32,670
1974-2	Copte	4	Jorge Velásquez	Angel Penna Sr.	Daniel Wildenstein	2​^1⁄4 M	3:50.40	$32,520
1973	Paraje	7	Jorge Velásquez	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	2​^1⁄4 M	3:47.40	$33,840
1972	Paraje	6	Jorge Velásquez	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	2​^1⁄4 M	3:56.40	$33,570
1971	Paraje	5	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	2​^1⁄4 M	3:52.00	$33,840
1970	Hitchcock	4	Eddie Belmonte	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	2 M	3:21.20	$34,380
1969	Quicken Tree	6	Fernando Alvarez	William T. Canney	Louis R. Rowan & Wheelock Whitney Jr.	2 M	3:20.20	$39,130
1968	Fast Count	5	Jorge Velásquez	Everett W. King	Syl George Stable (Sylvia Chapman)	2 M	3:23.60	$36,205
1967	Quicken Tree	4	Fernando Alvarez	Clyde Turk	Louis R. Rowan & Wheelock Whitney Jr.	2 M	3:25.00	$38,025
1966	Damelo II	5	Manuel Ycaza	Laz Barrera	Manual R. Giberga	2 M	3:24.60	$36,660
1965	Brave Lad	4	Braulio Baeza	Sylvester E. Veitch	Fitz Eugene Dixon Jr.	2 M	3:26.60	$37,115
1964	Primordial II	7	Laffit Pincay Sr.	Santiago L. Ledwith	Santiago L. Ledwith	2 M	3:28.40	$36,530
1963	Dean Carl	3	Bobby Ussery	Paul Bongarzone	Paul Bongarzone	2 M	3:21.80	$36,465
1962	Sensitivo	5	Manuel Ycaza	Arnold N. Winick	M/M Robert F. Bensinger	2 M	3:21.80	$36,920
1961	Hillsborough	4	Don Pierce	Edward A. Neloy	Peter D. Fuller	2 M	3:29.80	$38,010
1960	Nickel Boy	5	Manuel Ycaza	Walter A. Kelley	Elmendorf (Maxwell Gluck)	2 M	3:21.20	$35,935
1959	Beau Diable	6	Eric Guerin	George P. "Maje" Odom	Laudy L. Lawrence	2 M	3:22.60	$37,490
1958	Civet	5	Bill Peake	T. F. McMahon	Brynalan Stable (E. Austin Byrne)	2​^1⁄16 M	3:34.20	$36,515
1957	Oh Johnny	4	Bobby Ussery	Norman R. McLeod	Mrs. Wallace Gilroy	2​^1⁄16 M	3:32.20	$39,500
1956	Midafternoon	4	Eddie Arcaro	Thomas M. Waller	Mrs. Edward E. Robbins	2​^1⁄16 M	3:29.60	$19,650
1955	War Command	5	Bill Boland	H. Allen Jerkens	Albert J. Mesler	2​^1⁄16 M	3:32.60	$20,400

See also

• Display
• Handicap race

References

1. "Hitchcock, $6.80, Wins Display By Neck at Big A". New York Times. 1970-12-06. p. 255. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
2. Nichols, Joseph C. (October 5, 1955). "New Track Group Takes Over Today". The New York Times. p. 45. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
3. Nichols, Joseph C. (June 27, 1956). "Track to Handle Crowds of 60,000". New York Times. p. S39. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
4. Bigart, Homer (October 5, 1956). "Moses Plans Deal on Jamaica Track". The New York Times. p. 26. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
5. "In the Ruff Triumphs In Display Handicap". New York Times, Section 5, page 8. 1984-01-01. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
6. "In the Ruff Triumphs In Display Handicap". New York Times. 1984-01-01. Section 5, page 8. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
7. "Blackhawk's Ghost wins Aqueduct's Display". The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) page 14. 1991-01-01. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
8. "Horsepeople – Valedictory Stakes". Woodbine Entertainment Group. 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
9. "Midafternoon Wins Metropolitan, Nashua Fourth". New York Times. 1956-05-31. Section Sports, page 33. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
10. "Mrs. Robbins' 7.5 Choice Defeats Find in Massachusetts Handicap". New York Times. 1956-06-21. Section Sports, page 54. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
11. "Midafternoon Clips Record at Jamaica as New York Racing Closes". Daily Racing Form. 1956-11-16. Archived from the original on 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2020-01-29 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
12. "Venezia Shut Out in 6 Rides at Aqueduct". New York Times. 1964-12-09. p. 68. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
13. "Paraje Wins 2¼ Mile Display by Half‐Length". New York Times. 1971-12-05. Section Sports, page 1. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
14. "Paraje Takes Display". New York Times. 1972-12-17. Section Sports, page 1. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
15. "Paraje Captures Display For Third Straight Year". New York Times. 1973-12-16. p. 251. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
16. "A Roundup of the Sports Information of the Week". Sports Illustrated. 1969-12-15. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
17. "Foul by 'Winner' Places Frampton Delight First". New York Times. 1976-12-24. p. 13. Retrieved 2020-01-27.