The Sysonby Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1946 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Placed on hiatus after the 1959 edition, the race was revived in 1967 at Aqueduct Racetrack where it was run one last time. An event for horses of either sex age three and older, it was run on dirt over a distance of a mile through 1958 then the following year increased to a mile and a quarter. For the final running in 1967 it became a sprint race of seven furlongs.[1]

Sysonby Handicap
Discontinued stakes race
LocationBelmont Park
Elmont, New York,
United States
Inaugurated1946
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree years old & up
Weightweight-for-age

The race was named in honor of U. S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Sysonby who was selected #30 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.[2]

Historical race notes

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Lucky Draw won the 1946 inaugural running in a year in which he set six track records including equaling a World record.[3] He won the Sysonby by 10 lengths and although it was run over a muddy racetrack, it was still in a fast time.[4]

Other notable Sysonby Handicap winners were four American Horse of the Year and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees Armed, Triple Crown winner Citation, and Tom Fool.[5] [6] [7] In addition, Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee Arise won this race.[8]

Records

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Speed record:

  • 1:35.00 @ 1 mile : Cohoes (1958)

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Furlongs)
Time
1967 R. Thomas 6 Jimmy Nichols David Erb Roger W. Wilson 7 F 1:26.00
1960 - 1966 Race not held
1959 The Irishman 3 Bobby Ussery James E. Fitzsimmons Wheatley Stable 10 F 2:02.00
1958 Cohoes 4 John Ruane John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 8 F 1:35.00
1957 Tick Tock 3 Bill Boland Edward A. Christmas Howell E. Jackson 8 F 1:36.20
1956 Jet Action 5 Walter Blum Lawrence W. Kidd Maine Chance Farm 8 F 1:35.20
1955 High Gun 4 Bill Boland Max Hirsch King Ranch 9 F 1:49.20
1954 High Gun 3 Eddie Arcaro Max Hirsch King Ranch 8 F 1:36.60
1953 Tom Fool 4 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 8 F 1:36.80
1952 Tom Fool 3 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 8 F 1:36.40
1951 Miche 6 Conn McCreary Eddie Hayward Muriel Vanderbilt Adams 8 F 1:35.40
1950 Arise 4 Douglas Dodson James C. Bentley Addison Stable (Harry Addison) 8 F 1:36.40
1949 Capot 3 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 8 F 1:35.60
1948 Citation 3 Eddie Arcaro Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 8 F 1:36.00
1947 Armed 6 Albert Snider Jimmy Jones Calumet Farm 8 F 1:36.00
1946 Lucky Draw 5 Conn McCreary Bert Mulholland George D. Widener Jr. 8 F 1:35.60

References

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  1. ^ "A cold, Bitter Day for Chalk Players as Big A closes". New York Daily News. 1967-12-16. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  2. ^ Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century. Blood Horse Publications. 2000-10-25. ISBN 9781581500240. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
  3. ^ "Lucky Draw Sets His Sixth Track Record of Year in Atlantic City Triumph". New York Times. 1946-10-06. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  4. ^ "Lucky Draw Wins Sysonby Handicap". Reno Nevada Gazette-Journal, Page 9. 1946-10-12. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  5. ^ "Armed Sets Record With Belmont Victory". New York Daily News. 1947-10-10. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  6. ^ "Citation unmatched for 25 years". ESPN.com. 2003-11-19. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  7. ^ "Tom Fool". Racingmuseum.org. 1960-01-01. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  8. ^ "Arise". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. 1983-12-02. Retrieved 2019-05-21.