Roamer Handicap

The Roamer Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. It was open to three-year-old horses of either sex and contested on dirt over a distance of 9.5 furlongs (1 3/16 miles / 1,900 metres). Run forty-three times, the first ten editions were held between 1944 and 1958 at Jamaica Race Course in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

Roamer Handicap

Discontinued stakes race
Location	Aqueduct Racetrack, Queens, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1944–1986
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	www.nyra.com/aqueduct/
Race information
Distance	1 3/16 miles (1,900 metres, 9.5 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Three years old

Historical notes

The inaugural running took place on April 11, 1944 and was run at a distance of 1 1/16 miles for the only time in its history. The race would see Lillian Christopher's Grey Wing defeat Stymie, a future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee owned by Ethel Jacobs.^[1]

The filly Bridal Flower not only "beat the boys" in winning the 1946 Roamer Handicap, she beat the reigning U.S. Triple Crown Champion Assault.

The 1952 running saw Canadian jockey Hedley Woodhouse aboard 10-1 Quiet Step upset future Hall of Fame inductee Tom Fool who was also ridden by a Canadian, Ted Atkinson.^[2]

In 1960, Elizabeth Lunn's Divine Comedy won the race by 8 lengths and set a new Aqueduct track record with a time of 1:55 4/5.^[3] Seven years later, 1967 Kentucky Derby winner Proud Clarion broke that record by 4/5 of a second with a time of 1:55 flat.^[4]

Sherluck's win in the 1961 Roamer Handicap followed an earlier victory in the Belmont Stakes that ended Carry Back's chance to win the U.S. Triple Crown.^[5][6]

Forego won the 1973 edition of the Roamer Handicap in stakes record time while carrying highweight. He beat runner-up My Gallant by five lengths with Twice A Prince in third another 2½ lengths back. The Roamer Handicap marked Forego's first stakes race win of what would become a career ranked among the best in U.S racing history.^[7] Owned by Martha Gerry, Forego earned eight Eclipse Awards, including three American Horse of the Year titles, and would be inducted into the U.S Racing Hall of Fame.

The final running took place on December 26, 1986 and was won by Betty M. Peters' Scrimshaw.^[8]

Records

Speed record:

• 1:54.60 @ 13⁄16 – Forego (1973)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 – Ángel Cordero Jr. (1968, 1974, 1981, 1984)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 2 – Kay Erik Jensen (1952, 1958)
• 2 – Laz Barrera (1971, 1974)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Darby Dan Farm (1967, 1972)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Dist. (Miles)	Time	Win$	Gr.
1986	Scrimshaw	3	Eddie Maple	Larry A. Kelly	Betty M. Peters	13⁄16	1:55.40	$44,700	Listed
1985	Taj Alriyadh	3	Jorge Velásquez	D. Wayne Lukas	Ahmed Salman	13⁄16	1:58.80	$39,180	Listed
1984	Fight Over	3	Ángel Cordero Jr.	John Parisella	Theodore M. Sabarese	13⁄16	1:59.40	$55,260	Listed
1983	Megaturn	3	Kenny Skinner	Richard Nieminski	John H. Peace	13⁄16	1:59.00	$33,240	Gr. 3
1982	Dew Line	3	Eddie Maple	Joseph B. Cantey	Ryehill Farm	13⁄16	1:59.00	$34,800	Gr. 3
1981	Thirty Eight Paces	3	Ángel Cordero Jr.	King T. Leatherbury	Double Paces Stable	13⁄16	1:56.00	$33,600	Gr. 3
1980	Bar Dexter	3	Jean-Luc Samyn	Louis Mondello	Woodside Stud	13⁄16	1:56.20	$34,260	Gr. 2
1979	Rivalero	3	Jeffrey Fell	John M. Veitch	Calumet Farm	13⁄16	1:58.60	$32,700	Gr. 2
1978	Silent Cal	3	Doug Thomas	Benjamin W. Perkins Sr.	Mrs. Arnold A. Willcox	13⁄16	1:56.80	$31,710	Gr. 2
1977	Soldier's Lark	3	Mike Venezia	Victor J. Nickerson	Philip Wise	13⁄16	1:59.20	$32,010	Gr. 2
1976	Turn and Count	3	Jacinto Vásquez	Pancho Martin	Sigmund Sommer	13⁄16	1:56.60	$32,220	Gr. 2
1975	General Beauregard	3	Mike Venezia	William F. Schmitt	Brazil Stable	13⁄16	1:54.80	$32,640	Gr. 2
1974	Green Gambados	3	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	13⁄16	1:55.60	$33,600	Gr. 2
1973	Forego	3	Heliodoro Gustines	Eddie Hayward	Lazy F Ranch	13⁄16	1:54.60	$34,080	Gr. 2
1972	True Knight	3	Eddie Belmonte	Lou Rondinello	Darby Dan Farm	13⁄16	1:55.40	$34,860
1971	Tinajero	3	Eddie Belmonte	Laz Barrera	Rafael Escudero	13⁄16	1:56.40	$33,540
1970	Protanto	3	Chuck Baltazar	MacKenzie Miller	Cragwood Stables	13⁄16	1:55.20	$37.830
1969	Ship Leave	3	John L. Rotz	Angel Penna Sr.	Gustave Ring	13⁄16	1:54.80	$36,660
1968	Funny Fellow	3	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Edward A. Neloy	Wheatley Stable	13⁄16	1:55.60	$36,855
1967	Proud Clarion	3	Braulio Baeza	Loyd Gentry Jr.	Darby Dan Farm	13⁄16	1:55.00	$36,595
1966	Mr. Right	3	Bobby Ussery	Evan S. Jackson	Cheray Duchin	13⁄16	1:57.60	$38,350
1965	Terry's Secret	3	Alex Maese	Carl A. Roles	Poltex Stable	13⁄16	1:56.40	$37,750
1964	Point du Jour	3	Jimmy Combest	Nick Combest	Edith Baily Dent	13⁄16	1:56.60	$36,140
1963	Dean Carl	3	Bobby Ussery	Paul Bongarzone	Paul Bongarzone	13⁄16	1:57.60	$37,245
1962	Dead Ahead	3	Avelino Gomez	Woody Stephens	Cain Hoy Stable	13⁄16	1:56.80	$37,245
1961	Sherluck	3	Bill Shoemaker	Harold Young	Jacob Sher	13⁄16	1:56.80	$36,530
1960	Divine Comedy	3	Bill Shoemaker	Charles E. Whittingham	Elizabeth Lunn	13⁄16	1:55.80	$36,190
1959	Polylad	3	Eldon Nelson	James B. Rowe	Mrs. Q. A. Shaw McKean	13⁄16	1:57.60	$36,645
1958	Warhead	3	Eddie Arcaro	Kay Erik Jensen	Mabel C. Schiltz	13⁄16	1:56.80	$56,675
1957	Promised Land	3	Ismael Valenzuela	Hirsch Jacobs	Ethel D. Jacobs	13⁄16	1:55.60	$37,500
1956	Third Brother	3	Angel Valenzuela	Casey Hayes	Christopher Chenery	13⁄16	1:56.40	$40,700
1955	Sailor II	3	Hedley Woodhouse	Preston M. Burch	Brookmeade Stable	13⁄16	1:56.00	$40,500
1954	Jet Action	3	Bill Hartack	Isaac K. Mourar	Maine Chance Farm	13⁄16	1:57.20	$40,100
1953	Race not held
1952	Quiet Step	3	Hedley Woodhouse	Kay Erik Jensen	Apheim Stable (Bernard H. Heiman)	13⁄16	1:55.80	$32,600
1948	– 1951	Race not held
1947	Cosmic Bomb	3	Ovie Scurlock	William M. Booth	William G. Helis Sr.	13⁄16	1:58.20	$21,500
1946	Bridal Flower	3	Abelarado DeLara	James W. Smith	John R. Bradley	13⁄16	1:57.40	$22,700
1945	Chief Barker	3	Patrick F. Dwyer	Patrick F. Dwyer	Ben F. Whitaker	13⁄16	1:58.20	$19,750
1944	Grey Wing	3	Charles Wahler	Harris B. Brown	Lillian Christopher	11⁄16	1:45.00	$3,275

References

1. "Official Racing Charts". Daily Racing Form. 1944-04-12. Retrieved 2019-12-07 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
2. "Quiet Step, $21.90, Outruns Tom Fool; Risque Rogue Third in Roamer Handicap". New York Times. 1952-10-12. Section Sports, page 1. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
3. "Favored Divine Comedy Sets Aqueduct Record in Roamer". New York Times. 1960-11-06. Section 5 Sports, page 1. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
4. "Favored Proud Clarion Captures Roamer at Aqueduct and Sets Track Record". New York Times. 1967-11-12. Section 5 Sports, page 11 (231). Retrieved 2019-12-08.
5. "Sherluck Triumps In Roamer by Nose". New York Times. 1961-11-12. Sports Section 5, page 1 (351). Retrieved 2019-12-08.
6. "Carry Back Was Way Back at Belmont". Sports Illustrated. 1961-06-12. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
7. "Favored Forego Takes Roamer by Five Lengths". New York Times. 1973-11-25. Section 5 Sports, page 1. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
8. "Scrimshaw closed fast". Associated Press News. 1986-12-27. Retrieved 2019-12-09.