Stymie Handicap

Stymie Handicap

The Stymie Handicap is an American ungraded dirt race for Thoroughbred horses run at Aqueduct Racetrack every year in March, the last month of winter. For horses three-years-old and up, it's set at one mile and one furlong (1 1/8 mile), offering a purse of $65,000 added.

The race is named in honor of Stymie, the handicap champion of 1945. A $1,500 claimer, he was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 1975. Making 131 starts, Stymie won 35, placed in 33, and came in third 28 times. Back then, his earnings of $918,485 set a record. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century Stymie is listed as #41.

The Stymie was run at a mile and a half prior to 1958, and then at a mile and a quarter from 1961 to 1971. From 1956 to 1961, and again between 1968 to 1975, it was held at Belmont Park.