Memorial Day Handicap

The Memorial Day Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1971 through 2014 at Calder Race Course in Miami Gardens, Florida. Held on Memorial Day, it was an ungraded stakes race that had earned Grade III status in 2002–2007 and 2009–2010. The race was open to horses age three and older and was last raced on dirt over a distance of ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles (8.5 furlongs).

Memorial Day Handicap

Discontinued stakes race
Location	Calder Race Course Miami Gardens, Florida
Inaugurated	1971
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	www.calderracecourse.com
Race information
Distance	​1 ^1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Three-years-old & up
Weight	Assigned
Purse	US$100,000

With the Vietnam War officially ended on April 30, 1975, the race was run as the Empty Saddle Handicap, done to demonstrate the real meaning of Memorial Day with a salute to the fallen soldiers of American wars.

In 2014 Calder's racing operations were leased to the Stronach Group, operators of Gulfstream Park, who did not pick up this race for their 2015 program.[1]

Records

Speed record:

• ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles on dirt : 1:44.59 by Where's Sterling in 2012
• ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles on turf : 1:40.80 by Born Mighty in 1998

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 – Gene St. Leon (1974, 1975, 1977, 1988)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – James E. Bracken (1976, 1988, 1990)
• 3 – Philip A. Gleaves (2010, 2013, 2014)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Tartan Stable (1988, 1990)
• 2 – Donamire Farm (2004, 2005)
• 2 – Rolbea Thoroughbred Racing LLC (2008, 2009)
• 2 – Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff (2013, 2014)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Dist. (M)	Surface	Time	Win$
2014	Csaba	5	Manoel Cruz	Philip A. Gleaves	Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:47.17	$45,000
2013	Csaba	4	Manoel Cruz	Philip A. Gleaves	Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.20	$45,000
2012	Where's Sterling	5	Juan N. Delgado	Luis M. Ramirez	Frank C. Calabrese	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:44.59	$45,000
2011	Motovato	6	Luis Saez	Martin D. Wolfson	Team Valor International & Gary Barber	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.48	$45,000
2010	Mambo Meister	5	Manoel Cruz	Philip A. Gleaves	Quantum Racing Team	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.70	$60,000
2009	Finallymadeit[2]	5	Eduardo O. Nunez	Javier Negrete	Rolbea Thoroughbred Racing LLC	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.55	$60,000
2008	Finallymadeit	4	Eduardo O. Nunez	Javier Negrete	Rolbea Thoroughbred Racing LLC	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:47.10	$23,000
2007	Dry Martini	4	Elvis Trujillo	Harry Benson	Carol & George Nyren	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.41	$60,000
2006	Siphon City	4	Elvis Trujillo	Daniel C. Hurtak	Ray Larkin	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.87	$60,000
2005	Twilight Road	8	Phil Teator	David J. Fawkes	Donamire Farm	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:47.71	$60,000
2004	Twilight Road	7	Phil Teator	David J. Fawkes	Donamire Farm	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.79	$60,000
2003	Dancing Guy	8	Roger I. Velez	Newcomb Green	Newcomb Green	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.56	$60,000
2002	Best Of The Rest	7	Cornelio Velásquez	Edward Plesa Jr.	Beatrice Oxenberg	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:44.75	$60,000
2001	Hal's Hope	4	Roger I. Velez	Harold J. Rose	Rose Family Stable	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.81	$45,000
2000	Dancing Guy	5	José C. Ferrer	Newcomb Green	Frances Green	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.28	$45,000
1999	Wicapi	7	Eibar Coa	Joseph G. Calascibetta	Acclaimed Racing Stable	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.79	$45,000
1998	Born Mighty	4	José Alberto Rivera II	William P. White	Judson Van Worp	1​^1⁄16 M	turf	1:40.80	$30,000
1997	Vilhelm	5	José C. Ferrer	Jacqueline A. Brittain	Keith C. Wold	1​^1⁄16 M	turf	1:40.80	$30,000
1996	Marcie's Ensign	4	Eibar Coa	Luis Olivares	Cobble View Stable	1​^1⁄8 M	dirt	1:50.00	$30,000
1995	Mr. Light Tres	6	Kristi L. Chapman	Carl A. Nafzger	James B. Tafel & Gardner Landon	1​^1⁄8 M	turf	1:47.00	$30,000
1994	Final Sunrise	4	Pedro A. Rodriguez	Luis Olivares	J. K. Arriola & K. Barket Jr.	1​^1⁄8 M	dirt	1:51.80	$30,000
1993	Boots 'n Buck	4	Mary Russ	Emanuel Tortora	Bee Bee Stables, Inc. & Toni Tortora	1​^1⁄8 M	dirt	1:53.80	$30,000
1992	Jodi's Sweetie	4	Jorge C. Duarte	Martin D. Wolfson	Leslie Alexander	1​^1⁄8 M±	turf	1:44.20	$30,000
1991	S. W. Wildcard	5	Pedro A. Rodriguez	George Gianos	Willis Family Stables, Inc.	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.80	$34,110
1990	Primal	5	Heberto Castillo Jr.	James E. Bracken	Tartan Stable	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:47.40	$33,180
1989	Hooting Star	4	José A. Vélez Jr.	Ralph Ziadie	Power House Racing Stable, Inc.	1​^1⁄16 M	turf	1:41.20	$33,300
1988	Billie Osage	4	Gene St. Leon	James E. Bracken	Tartan Stable	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.20	$33,150
1987	no race
1986	no race
1985	Rexson's Hope	4	Gary W. Bain	Harold J. Rose	Elsie A. Rose Stable, Inc.	1M, 70 yds	dirt	1:43.60	$33,660
1984	no race
1983	Bolivar	6	Santiago B. Soto	Thomas S. Young	Thomas S. Young	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.20	$23,700
1982	Two's A Plenty	5	Alfredo Smith Jr.	Merritt A. Buxton	Mrs. A. W. Smith/Charles Largay/M. A. Buxton	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.40	$19,470
1981	no race
1980	Poverty Boy	5	Martin Fromin	William A. Cole	Karil Vangeloff	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.60	$20,565
1979	Great Sound	5	Walter Guerra	Merritt A. Buxton	Universal Thoroughbred, Inc.	1​^1⁄16 M	turf	1:45.40	$20,835
1978	One Moment	5	John Giovanni	Stanley M. Hough	A. Destout	1​^1⁄8 M	dirt	1:52.20	$21,240
1977	Lightning Thrust	4	Gene St. Leon	Stanley M. Hough	Stirrup Hill Farm	1​^1⁄8 M±	turf	1:45.80	$21,780
1976	Freepet	6	Ray Broussard	James E. Bracken	J. W. LaCroix	1​^1⁄8 M	dirt	1:53.80	$20,700
1975	Plagiarize	4	Gene St. Leon	Reed M. Combest	Mr. & Mrs. Lewis E. Iandoli	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.80	$13,800
1974	Snurb	4	Gene St. Leon	Reed M. Combest	B.L.T. Stable	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:46.20	$14,040
1973	Correbtoso	6	Roger M. Danjean	Wayne E. Opperman	Peppermint Farm	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:47.80	$10,620
1972	Willmar	4	Kenny Knapp	Frank Gomez	Kenny Knapp	1​^1⁄16 M	dirt	1:45.20	$9,600
1971	Anchorage	4	James Moseley	Harry Trotsek	L. W. Stellings	1 M	dirt	1:39.00	$6,600

References

1. BloodHorse.com June 16, 2014 article titled "Calder Cancels Summit of Speed for This Year"
2. The 2009 Memorial Day Handicap at the NTRA