Sugar Swirl Stakes

The Sugar Swirl Stakes is a Listed American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old or older, over a distance of 6 furlongs on the dirt track held annually in December at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $140,000.

Sugar Swirl Stakes

Class	Listed
Location	Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States
Inaugurated	1981 (as First Lady Handicap)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing – Dirt
Website	Gulfstream Park
Race information
Distance	6 furlongs
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Fillies and Mares, three years old and older
Weight	Base weights with allowances: 4-year-olds and older: 125 lbs. 3-year-olds: 123 lbs.
Purse	US$140,000 (since 2024)

History

The event is named in honor of the Canadian bred mare Sugar Swirl^[1] who was owned by Stronach Stables. The Stronach Group are the owners of Gulfstream Park where this event is held.

The race was inaugurated in 1981^[2] and the event was run as the First Lady Handicap.^[2] At that time the event was held in January and the conditions of the race were for fillies and mares that were four years old or older.

In 2008 Sugar Swirl won this event and in 2010 the event was renamed to the Sugar Swirl Stakes.^[3] The event was moved to December in 2011 and there were two runnings of the event that year.

In 2024 the event was downgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to Listed status.^[4]

Records

Speed record:

• 6 furlongs: 1:08.66 – Dust and Diamonds (2012)

Margins:

• 6+3⁄4 lengths – Lady's Island (2019)

Most wins:

• 2 - Harmony Lodge (2003, 2004)
• 2 - Lady's Island (2019, 2020)

Most wins by a jockey

• 6 – Javier Castellano (2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018)
• 6 – John R. Velazquez (2002, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015)

Most wins by a trainer

• 4 – Todd A. Pletcher (2003, 2004, 2009, 2012)

Most wins by an owner

• 2 – Edward P. Evans (1992, 2002)
• 2 – Eugene & Laura Melnyk (2003, 2004)
• 2 – Matties Racing Stable & Averill Racing (2019, 2020)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
Sugar Swirl Stakes
2024	Mystic Lake	4	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Saffie Joseph Jr.	C2 Racing Stable & Stefania Farms	6 furlongs	1:11.20	$133,000	Listed	[5]
2023	Spirit Wind	4	Jose L. Ortiz	Carlos David	Jacks or Better Farm	6 furlongs	1:10.58	$150,000	III	[6]
2022	Frank's Rockette	5	Luis Saez	William I. Mott	Frank Fletcher Racing Operations	6 furlongs	1:09.63	$125,000	III	[7]
2021	Center Aisle	4	Luis Saez	Paulo Lobo	OXO Equine	6 furlongs	1:09.54	$100,000	III	[8]
2020	Lady's Island	6	Emisael Jaramillo	Georgina Baxter	Matties Racing Stable & Averill Racing	6 furlongs	1:10.46	$100,000	III	[9]
2019	Lady's Island	5	Emisael Jaramillo	Georgina Baxter	Matties Racing Stable & Averill Racing	6 furlongs	1:10.75	$100,000	III	[10]
2018	Dream Pauline	3	Javier Castellano	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Stonestreet Stables	6 furlongs	1:11.10	$100,000	III	[11]
2017	Rich Mommy	3	Luis Saez	Victor Barboza Jr.	Winds of Change Racing Stable	6 furlongs	1:10.44	$100,000	III	[12]
2016	Dearest	3	Edgard J. Zayas	Gilberto Zerpa	Gelfenstein Farm	6 furlongs	1:09.59	$100,000	III	[13]
2015	Best Behavior	5	John R. Velazquez	Martin D. Wolfson	Miller Racing	6 furlongs	1:09.69	$100,000	III	[14]
2014	Merry Meadow	4	Javier Castellano	Mark A. Hennig	David S. Howe & William Parsons	6 furlongs	1:10.29	$100,000	III	[15]
2013	Heart Stealer	3	Javier Castellano	Martin D. Wolfson	Peachtree Stable	6 furlongs	1:09.49	$100,000	III	[16]
2012	Dust and Diamonds	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Gorges Torrealba Hldgs. & Three Chimneys Farms	6 furlongs	1:08.66	$100,000	III	[17]
2011†	Pomeroys Pistol	3	Javier Castellano	Amy Tarrant	Hardacre Farm	6 furlongs	1:09.35	$100,000	III	December[18]
2011	Tar Heel Mom	6	Alan Garcia	Stanley M. Hough	Alex Rankin	6 furlongs	1:09.75	$100,000	III	January[19]
2010	Pretty Prolific	4	Edgar S. Prado	James E. Baker	Tom R. Walters	6 furlongs	1:10.75	$100,000	III	[20]
First Lady Stakes
2009	Game Face	4	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Zabeel Racing International	6 furlongs	1:10.57	$100,000	III	[21]
First Lady Handicap
2008	Sugar Swirl	5	Javier Castellano	Brian A. Lynch	Stronach Stables	6 furlongs	1:10.06	$100,000	III	[22]
2007	Any Limit	4	Rafael Bejarano	H. Allen Jerkens	Joseph V. Shields, Jr	6 furlongs	1:10.58	$100,000	III	[23]
2006	Smokey Glacken	5	Javier Castellano	James A. Jerkens	Susan & John Moore	6 furlongs	1:09.98	$100,000	III	[24]
2005	Savorthetime	6	John R. Velazquez	Steven M. Asmussen	Brenda & Philip Robertson	6 furlongs	1:09.21	$100,000	III	[25]
2004	Harmony Lodge	6	Richard Migliore	Todd A. Pletcher	Eugene & Laura Melnyk	6 furlongs	1:09.64	$100,000	III	[26]
2003	Harmony Lodge	5	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Eugene & Laura Melnyk	6 furlongs	1:10.31	$100,000	III	[27]
2002	Raging Fever	4	John R. Velazquez	Mark A. Hennig	Edward P. Evans	6 furlongs	1:10.36	$100,000	III	[28]
2001	Another	4	Edgar S. Prado	Thomas Victor Smith	Robert E. Masterson	6 furlongs	1:10.41	$117,000	III	[29]
2000	Hurricane Bertie	5	Pat Day	Bernard S. Flint	Richard, Bertram & Elaine Klein	6 furlongs	1:10.22	$75,000	III	[30]
1999	Scotzanna	7	Richard Migliore	Michael Wright Jr.	Bruno Schickedanz	6 furlongs	1:10.17	$75,000	III	[31]
1998	U Can Do It	4	Shane Sellers	Larry Pilotti	Carina & Frank Marano	6 furlongs	1:09.86	$75,000	III	[32]
1997	Chip	4	Joe Bravo	Sonny Hine	Carolyn H. Hine	6 furlongs	1:09.76	$75,000	III	[33]
1996	Chaposa Springs	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Martin D. Wolfson	Suresh Chintamanen	6 furlongs	1:10.23	$75,000	III	[34]
1995	Recognizable	4	Mike E. Smith	Claude R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	6 furlongs	1:09.74	$50,000	III	[35]
1994	Santa Catalina	6	Jerry D. Bailey	Mark A. Hennig	Team Valor	6 furlongs	1:11.26	$50,000	III	[36]
1993	Si Si Sezyou	3	Ruben Hernandez	Robert A. Hale	Anne Yates	6 furlongs	1:10.06	$50,000	III	[37]
1992	Withallprobability	4	Craig Perret	D. Wayne Lukas	Edward P. Evans	6 furlongs	1:11.14	$50,000	Listed	[38]
1991	Spirit of Fighter	8	José A. Vélez Jr.	Daniel C. Hurtak	Daniel C. Hurtak & Dennis G. Punches	6 furlongs	1:11.70	$50,000	Listed	[39]
First Lady Breeders' Cup Handicap
1990	Sez Fourty	4	Miguel A. Gonzalez	Luis Olivares	Marissa Olivares & Three G Stable	6 furlongs	1:11.20	$45,940	Listed	[40]
First Lady Handicap
1989	Waggley	6	Jean-Luc Samyn	Sonny Hine	Scott C. Savin	6 furlongs	1:11.00	$45,480	Listed	[41]
1988	Funistrada	5	Walter Guerra	J. Bert Sonnier	Jamie S. Carrion	6 furlongs	1:10.20	$48,720	Listed	[42]
1987	One Fine Lady	5	Roger Danjean	Pedro J. Sobarzo	Larry Foggle	6 furlongs	1:10.40	$40,075	Listed	[43]
1986	Sugar's Image	5	José A. Vélez Jr.	Happy Alter	Alter's Racing Stable	6 furlongs	1:11.20	$49,560		[44]
1985	Nany	5	Gene St. Leon	Richard R. Root	Harry T. Mangurian Jr.	6 furlongs	1:09.80	$48,920		[45]
1984	Race not held
1983	Prime Prospect	5	Donald MacBeth	Stanley M. Hough	Diana M. Firestone	6 furlongs	1:10.80	$40,470		[46]
1982	Race not held
1981	Island Charm	4	Jorge Velásquez	Stephen A. DiMauro	David A. McKibbin	6 furlongs	1:10.60	$37,560		[47]

Notes:
† Gulfstream Park administration moved the event to earlier in their 2011–12 meeting from January to December. Hence, there were two runnings of the event in the calendar year (2011)

See also

• List of American and Canadian Graded races