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
LocationAqueduct Racetrack, Queens, New York, United States
Inaugurated1944–1986
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat racing
Websitewww.nyra.com/aqueduct/
Race information
Distance1 3/16 miles
(1,900 metres, 9.5 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree 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 @ 1​3⁄16 – Forego (1973)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

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

Most wins by an owner:

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
(Miles)		 Time
 Win$
 Gr.
1986 Scrimshaw 3 Eddie Maple Larry A. Kelly Betty M. Peters 1​3⁄16 1:55.40 $44,700 Listed
1985 Taj Alriyadh 3 Jorge Velásquez D. Wayne Lukas Ahmed Salman 1​3⁄16 1:58.80 $39,180 Listed
1984 Fight Over 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. John Parisella Theodore M. Sabarese 1​3⁄16 1:59.40 $55,260 Listed
1983 Megaturn 3 Kenny Skinner Richard Nieminski John H. Peace 1​3⁄16 1:59.00 $33,240 Gr. 3
1982 Dew Line 3 Eddie Maple Joseph B. Cantey Ryehill Farm 1​3⁄16 1:59.00 $34,800 Gr. 3
1981 Thirty Eight Paces 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. King T. Leatherbury Double Paces Stable 1​3⁄16 1:56.00 $33,600 Gr. 3
1980 Bar Dexter 3 Jean-Luc Samyn Louis Mondello Woodside Stud 1​3⁄16 1:56.20 $34,260 Gr. 2
1979 Rivalero 3 Jeffrey Fell John M. Veitch Calumet Farm 1​3⁄16 1:58.60 $32,700 Gr. 2
1978 Silent Cal 3 Doug Thomas Benjamin W. Perkins Sr. Mrs. Arnold A. Willcox 1​3⁄16 1:56.80 $31,710 Gr. 2
1977 Soldier's Lark 3 Mike Venezia Victor J. Nickerson Philip Wise 1​3⁄16 1:59.20 $32,010 Gr. 2
1976 Turn and Count 3 Jacinto Vásquez Pancho Martin Sigmund Sommer 1​3⁄16 1:56.60 $32,220 Gr. 2
1975 General Beauregard 3 Mike Venezia William F. Schmitt Brazil Stable 1​3⁄16 1:54.80 $32,640 Gr. 2
1974 Green Gambados 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. Laz Barrera Harbor View Farm 1​3⁄16 1:55.60 $33,600 Gr. 2
1973 Forego 3 Heliodoro Gustines Eddie Hayward Lazy F Ranch 1​3⁄16 1:54.60 $34,080 Gr. 2
1972 True Knight 3 Eddie Belmonte Lou Rondinello Darby Dan Farm 1​3⁄16 1:55.40 $34,860
1971 Tinajero 3 Eddie Belmonte Laz Barrera Rafael Escudero 1​3⁄16 1:56.40 $33,540
1970 Protanto 3 Chuck Baltazar MacKenzie Miller Cragwood Stables 1​3⁄16 1:55.20 $37.830
1969 Ship Leave 3 John L. Rotz Angel Penna Sr. Gustave Ring 1​3⁄16 1:54.80 $36,660
1968 Funny Fellow 3 Ángel Cordero Jr. Edward A. Neloy Wheatley Stable 1​3⁄16 1:55.60 $36,855
1967 Proud Clarion 3 Braulio Baeza Loyd Gentry Jr. Darby Dan Farm 1​3⁄16 1:55.00 $36,595
1966 Mr. Right 3 Bobby Ussery Evan S. Jackson Cheray Duchin 1​3⁄16 1:57.60 $38,350
1965 Terry's Secret 3 Alex Maese Carl A. Roles Poltex Stable 1​3⁄16 1:56.40 $37,750
1964 Point du Jour 3 Jimmy Combest Nick Combest Edith Baily Dent 1​3⁄16 1:56.60 $36,140
1963 Dean Carl 3 Bobby Ussery Paul Bongarzone Paul Bongarzone 1​3⁄16 1:57.60 $37,245
1962 Dead Ahead 3 Avelino Gomez Woody Stephens Cain Hoy Stable 1​3⁄16 1:56.80 $37,245
1961 Sherluck 3 Bill Shoemaker Harold Young Jacob Sher 1​3⁄16 1:56.80 $36,530
1960 Divine Comedy 3 Bill Shoemaker Charles E. Whittingham Elizabeth Lunn 1​3⁄16 1:55.80 $36,190
1959 Polylad 3 Eldon Nelson James B. Rowe Mrs. Q. A. Shaw McKean 1​3⁄16 1:57.60 $36,645
1958 Warhead 3 Eddie Arcaro Kay Erik Jensen Mabel C. Schiltz 1​3⁄16 1:56.80 $56,675
1957 Promised Land 3 Ismael Valenzuela Hirsch Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 1​3⁄16 1:55.60 $37,500
1956 Third Brother 3 Angel Valenzuela Casey Hayes Christopher Chenery 1​3⁄16 1:56.40 $40,700
1955 Sailor II 3 Hedley Woodhouse Preston M. Burch Brookmeade Stable 1​3⁄16 1:56.00 $40,500
1954 Jet Action 3 Bill Hartack Isaac K. Mourar Maine Chance Farm 1​3⁄16 1:57.20 $40,100
1953 Race not held
1952 Quiet Step 3 Hedley Woodhouse Kay Erik Jensen Apheim Stable (Bernard H. Heiman) 1​3⁄16 1:55.80 $32,600
1948 – 1951 Race not held
1947 Cosmic Bomb 3 Ovie Scurlock William M. Booth William G. Helis Sr. 1​3⁄16 1:58.20 $21,500
1946 Bridal Flower 3 Abelarado DeLara James W. Smith John R. Bradley 1​3⁄16 1:57.40 $22,700
1945 Chief Barker 3 Patrick F. Dwyer Patrick F. Dwyer Ben F. Whitaker 1​3⁄16 1:58.20 $19,750
1944 Grey Wing 3 Charles Wahler Harris B. Brown Lillian Christopher 1​1⁄16 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. 1986-12-27. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
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