Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes
Grade III race
LocationBelmont Park
Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated2019
WebsiteNYRA
Race information
Distance1+3⁄8 miles
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightColts & Geldings 122 lbs.
Fillies 119 lbs.
PurseUS$500,000 (since 2023)

The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and three-eighths miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$500,000.

History

In 2019 the New York Racing Association with the influx of racino dollars created a new racing series for turf horses called the Turf Trinity. The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes was positioned as the third and last leg of the new three race series held over the long distance of 1+1⁄2 miles with an impressive purse of US$1 million.[1] The other events of the Turf Trinity are the Belmont Derby at Belmont Park and the Saratoga Derby at Saratoga. The winner originally earned an automatic berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf later in the racing season.

NYRA previously held an event for three-year-olds over the one and one-half miles distance on the turf in the fall known as the Lawrence Realization Stakes which at one time held Grade II status and attracted many fine three-year-old stayers including Halo, Mac Diarmida and Golden Act. The event was discontinued in 2005.[2]

The inaugural running on 8 September 2019 was won by the American-bred Spanish Mission who was based in England. Spanish Mission defeated eight other entrants winning by the shortest of margins, a nose over the French-bred Pedro Cara with the Irish-bred San Huberto in third.[3] Spanish Mission returned back to England and in 2020 was successful in winning the Listed Chester Stakes over a distance of 1+13⁄16 miles and the Group 2 Doncaster Cup held over the even longer distance of about 2+1⁄4 miles. Later, Spanish Mission travelled to Australia for the 2021 running of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup and finished third to the Australian champion Verry Elleegant.

In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA did not schedule the event in their updated and reformatted fall meeting.[4]

In the 2021 renewal of the event seven entrants competed with the Godolphin's British-bred gelding Yibir victorious.[5] Yibir in his next start won the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar Racetrack and was awarded the Eclipse Award for US Champion Male Turf Horse.

With the outstanding quality the event displayed, the American Graded Stakes Committee in 2022 upgraded the classification of the event to Grade III.[6] Also the event in 2022 was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.[7] The event was won by the Irish-bred Nations Pride, who broke a track record that was set by Pebbles back in 1985 in a time of 2:24.14 with a 6+1⁄4-length victory.[8]

In 2023 NYRA shortened the distance of the Jockey Club Derby Invitational to 1+3⁄8 miles and reduced its purse to $500,000. That year's race was ultimately moved to the dirt and run at 1+1⁄4 miles because of heavy rain and downgraded to Listed status.[9]

Records

Speed record:

  • 1+1⁄2 miles: 2:24.14 – Nations Pride (IRE) (2022) (new track record at Aqueduct)

Margins:

Most wins by an owner:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners

Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref
At Aqueduct
2023 Lost Ark Kendrick Carmouche Todd A. Pletcher Harrell Ventures 1+1⁄4 miles 2:03.97 $485,000 Listed [10]
2022 Nations Pride (IRE) Frankie Dettori Charlie Appleby Godolphin Racing 1+1⁄2 miles 2:24.14 $955,000 III [11]
At Belmont Park
2021 Yibir (GB) Jamie Spencer Charlie Appleby Godolphin Racing 1+1⁄2 miles 2:26.23 $980,000 [12]
2020 Race not held
2019 Spanish Mission Jamie Spencer David Simcock Earle I. Mack & Team Valor 1+1⁄2 miles 2:27.58 $1,000,000 [3]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt

See also

References

  1. ↑ NYRA Press Office (15 February 2019). "NYRA establishes $5.25 million Turf Triple Series featuring the Turf Trinity and Turf Tiara for 3-year-olds". NYRA.
  2. ↑ "LAWRENCE REALIZATION STAKES - MULTIPLE TRACKS". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  3. 1 2 "2019 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Black Type - (race 10)". Equibase. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Angst, Frank (18 December 2020). "Saratoga Derby Big Mover in New Graded Stakes Listings American Graded Stakes Committee announces its graded and listed stakes for 2021". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "JOCKEY CLUB DERBY INVITATIONAL STAKES - BELMONT PARK, NY". Thoroughbred Pedigree Online. 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  6. ↑ Angst, Frank (28 January 2022). "Blue Grass Stakes to Return to Grade 1 Status Keeneland's top Kentucky Derby prep among three races upgraded to grade 1 for 2022". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  7. ↑ Ehalt, Bob (28 July 2022). "NYRA Shifts Belmont Fall Meet to Aqueduct Change will allow construction of infield tunnel, redevelopment plan to begin". Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  8. ↑ Ehalt, Bob (19 September 2022). "Nations Pride Romps in Jockey Club Derby at Aqueduct Godolphin homebred was an easy winner in final leg of Caesars Turf Triple". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Karen (7 October 2023). "Lost Ark Prevails in Jockey Club Derby Invitational". The BloodHorse. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "2023 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Listed - Race 9" (PDF). Equibase. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  11. ↑ "2022 Caesars Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Grade 3 - (race 10)". Equibase. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "2021 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes Black Type - (race 10)". Equibase. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
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