Horatius Stakes

The Horatius Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held in March at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Open to three-year-old horses, it was contested over a distance of six furlongs on dirt.

Horatius Stakes

Discontinued stakes race
Location	Laurel Park Racecourse, Laurel, Maryland, United States
Inaugurated	1994
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.laurelpark.com
Race information
Distance	6 furlongs
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$60,000

An ungraded stakes, it offered a purse of $60,000. The race itself was named in honor of the horse that was given his name by his breeder after the legendary Roman hero Horatius. The colt was a huge son out of Proudest Roman and True Charm that proved to be worthy on his moniker. Horatius was a solid stakes winner but his true claim to fame came as one of Maryland's greatest sires of all time. Bred by Colonel W. Randolph Taylor, Horatius was born in Florida in 1975 and was sold for $20,000 as a two-year-old to Dr. Philip J. Torsey, who campaigned his stable's star for five years. During his racing career, Horatius made 54 starts winning 19 and placing second in 17 others. His six stakes wins were spread out among many conditions including; on the dirt, on the turf, sprinting and going long. His wins included the Grade 3 Riggs Handicap and a course setting performance in the Red Bank Handicap. He retired with career earnings of $403,899.

Horatius was retired to stud at Thornmar Farm in Chestertown, Maryland in 1980 as the property of a large syndicate. He achieved his greatest glory with his daughter, Eclipse award-winning sprinter Safely Kept, winner of the 1990 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint. One of his other graded stakes winners was Oliver's Twist, the runner-up in the 1995 Grade 1 Preakness Stakes. Horatius was retired from stud and pensioned in 2001; he died in his sleep five years later at age 31 in his paddock at Thornmar in February 2006.^[1]

Race Records

Speed record:

• 1:09.00 @ 6 furlongs: Deadline (2003)
• 1:22.60 @7 furlongs: Perfect Score (1999)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 - Mark T. Johnston (1999, 2002)
• 2 - Rick Wilson (1995, 2003)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 2 - Grover G. Delp (1997, 1999)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Dist. (Furlongs)	Time	Purse$	Gr.
2008	Vanderkaay	3	Rosie Napravnik	A. Ferris Allen	Bowman Thoroughbreds	6 fur.	1:10.60	$60,000
2007	Call Me Cash	3	Jeremy Rose	Scott A. Lake	Gerard Artz	6 fur.	1:10.40	$70,000
2006	Ah Day	3	Ryan Fogelsonger	King T. Leatherbury	Jim Stable	6 fur.	1:11.20	$50,000
2005	Diamond Wildcat	3	Mario Pino	Ben W. Perkins, Jr.	New Farm	6 fur.	1:11.80	$50,000
2004	Basketball Court	3	Ramon Dominguez	Henry Walters	Ginny Stack	6 fur.	1:10.80	$40,000
2003	Deadline	3	Rick Wilson	John Salzman	Timothy Whitehead	6 fur.	1:09.00	$50,000
2002	Outstander	3	Mark T. Johnston	Rodney Jenkins		7 fur.	1:24.00	$40,000
2001	My Golden Son	3	Harry Vega	Michael Wright, Jr.	Shahina Ahmad	6 fur.	1:11.00	$55,000
2000	Chief J Strongbow	3	Mario Verge	Lynda Knee		7 fur.	1:24.40	$55,000
1999	Perfect Score	3	Mark T. Johnston	Grover G. Delp	Jason & Shannon Inkster	7 fur.	1:22.60	$55,000
1998	Running Copelan	3	Carlos Cruz	John Servis	Harry T. Mangurian Jr.	7 fur.	1:24.60	$55,000
1997	Saintly	3	Carlos H. Marquez Jr.	Grover G. Delp	Allaire du Pont	7 fur.	1:24.00	$25,000
1996	Count On Numbers	3	C. Omar Klinger	Carlos A. Garcia	Not Found	7.5 fur.	1:30.60	$50,000
1995	Dakota's Trick	3	Rick Wilson	Edward T. Allard	Not Found	7.5 fur.	1:31.60	$30,000
1994	Run Alden	3	Allen T. Stacy	John J. Robb	Hal C. B. Clagett	6 fur.	1:10.60	$35,000

See also

• Horatius Stakes top three finishers

References

1. 2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 211 on March 3, 2007.

External links

• Laurel Park website