Fred W. Hooper Stakes

The Fred W. Hooper Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for four years olds and older at the distance of one mile on the dirt held annually in January at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently^[when?] carries a purse of $150,000.

Fred W. Hooper Stakes

Class	Grade III
Location	Gulfstream Park Hallandale Beach, Florida, United States
Inaugurated	1986 (at Calder Race Track as Tropical Park Handicap)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Sponsor	Hill 'n' Dale Farms (since 2022)
Website	Gulfstream Park
Race information
Distance	1 Mile
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Four-year-olds and older
Weight	124 lbs. with allowances
Purse	$150,000 (since 2019)[1]

History

It was inaugurated on 7 January 1986 as the Tropical Park Handicap and was run at Calder Race Course on turf at a distance of "about" 1+1⁄8 miles.

In 1987, it was switched to dirt and set at a distance of 1+3⁄16 miles. The race was run twice in 1988, the first time at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles in March, the second time in December at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles.^[1] Creme Fraiche won both editions, the first in track record time.^[2] The race remained at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles until 2015 when it was shortened to one mile.

The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1992.^[1]

In 1997, the race was renamed in honor of the prominent Thoroughbred owner/breeder, Fred W. Hooper, who operated Circle H Farm, a horse breeding operation in Ocala, Florida. The race was not run in 2014, after which it was transferred to Gulfstream Park.

The event is run as part of the undercard for the Pegasus World Cup.^[3]

Records

Speed record:

• 1 mile – 1:33.53 Tommy Macho (2016)
• 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:50.53 The Judge Sez Who

Most wins:

• 2 – Creme Fraiche (1988, 1988)
• 2 – Csaba (2012, 2013)
• 2 – Tommy Macho (2016, 2018)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 6 – Luis Saez (2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2024)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – Nick Zito (2004, 2005, 2006)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Brushwood Stable (1988, 1988)
• 2 – Robert V. LaPenta (2004, 2005)
• 2 – Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff (2012, 2013)
• 2 – Paul P. Pompa Jr. (2016, 2018)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
At Gulfstream Park – Fred W. Hooper Stakes
2025	Little Vic	6	Leonel Reyes	Juan C. Avila	Victoria's Ranch	1 mile	1:36.52	$150,000	III	[4]
2024	Tumbarumba	4	Luis Saez	Brian Lynch	Amerman Racing	1 mile	1:36.45	$150,000	III	[5]
2023	Endorsed	7	Luis Saez	Michael J. Maker	Mark D. Breen	1 mile	1:35.67	$150,000	III	[6]
2022	Speaker's Corner	4	Junior Alvarado	William I. Mott	Godolphin Racing	1 mile	1:35.26	$150,000	III	[7]
2021	Performer	5	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable and Claiborne Farm	1 mile	1:35.49	$150,000	III	[8]
2020	Phat Man	6	Irad Ortiz Jr.	J. Kent Sweezey	Marianne Stribling, Force Five Racing & Two Rivers Racing Stable	1 mile	1:35.95	$150,000	III	[9]
2019	Aztec Sense	6	Emisael Jaramillo	Jorge Navarro	Joseph E. Besecker	1 mile	1:36.22	$150,000	III	[10]
2018	Tommy Macho	6	Luis Saez	Todd A. Pletcher	Paul P. Pompa Jr.	1 mile	1:36.10	$175,000	III	[11]
2017	Bird Song	4	Julien R. Leparoux	Ian R. Wilkes	Marylou Whitney Stables	1 mile	1:36.07	$100,000	III	[12]
2016	Tommy Macho	4	Luis Saez	Todd A. Pletcher	Paul P. Pompa Jr. & J Stables	1 mile	1:33.53	$100,000	III	[13]
2015	Valid	5	Paco Lopez	Marcus J. Vitali	Crossed Sabres Farm	1 mile	1:36.35	$100,000	III	[14]
2014	Race not held
At Calder Race Track– Fred W. Hooper Handicap
2013	Csaba	4	Luis Saez	Philip A. Gleaves	Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.93	$100,000	III	[15]
2012	Csaba	3	Luis Saez	Philip A. Gleaves	Bruce Hollander & Cary Shapoff	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.93	$100,000	III	Dead heat[16]
	Ducduc	6	Orlando Bocachica	Shivananda Parbhoo	Shivananda Racing
2011	Jimanator	5	Joe Bravo	Michael J. Trombetta	Three Diamonds Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.56	$100,000	III	[17]
2010	Tackleberry	3	Javier Santiago	Luis Olivares	Luis Olivares	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.42	$100,000	III	[18]
2009	Race not held
2008	Finallymadeit	4	Eduardo O. Nunez	Javier Negrete	Rolbea Thoroughbred Racing	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.75	$100,000	III	[19]
2007	Electrify	4	Elvis Trujillo	Edward Plesa Jr.	Padua Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.56	$100,000	III	[20]
2006	Hesanoldsalt	3	Rafael Bejarano	Nicholas P. Zito	Live Oak Plantation	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.87	$100,000	III	[21]
2005	§ Andromeda's Hero	3	Rafael Bejarano	Nicholas P. Zito	Robert V. LaPenta	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.46	$100,000	III	[22]
2004	Pies Prospect	3	Edgar S. Prado	Nicholas P. Zito	Robert V. LaPenta	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.74	$100,000	III	[23]
2003	Predawn Raid	4	Jorge F. Chavez	Bennie F. Stutts Jr.	Mount Joy Stables	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.47	$100,000	III	[24]
2002	The Judge Sez Who	3	Cornelio Velasquez	Milton W. Wolfson	Sez Who Racing	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.53	$100,000	III	[25]
2001	Kiss a Native	4	Cornelio Velasquez	William P. White	John A. Franks	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.05	$100,000	III	[26]
2000	American Halo	4	Charleen Hunt	Angel M. Medina	Jose G. Paparoni	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.68	$100,000	III	[27]
1999	Dancing Guy	4	Jose C. Ferrer	Newcomb Green	Frances Green	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.83	$100,000	III	[28]
1998	Wicapi	6	Joe Bravo	Joseph G. Calascibetta	Acclaimed Racing Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.00	$100,000	III	[29]
1997	Shrike	4	Jerry D. Bailey	Martin D. Wolfson	Peachtree Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.40	$100,000	III	[30]
Tropical Park Handicap
1996	Cimarron Secret	5	Jose A. Velez Jr.	James E. Hartley	Francis C. McDonnell	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.60	$100,000	III	[31]
1995	Bound by Honor	4	Julie Krone	Carl A. Nafzger	Phillips Racing Partnership	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.80	$100,000	III	[32]
1994	Halo's Image	3	Gary Boulanger	Happy Alter	A. I. Appleton & Alter's Racing Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.40	$100,000	III	December[33]
	Take Me Out	6	Mike E. Smith	William I. Mott	Carl F. Pollard & Warner L. Jones Jr.	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.80	$100,000	III	January[34]
1993	Barkerville	5	Randy Romero	Frank L. Brothers	Darley Stud	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.40	$75,000	III	[35]
1992	Classic Seven	4	Carlos E. Lopez Sr.	Thomas M. Cairns	John O. Berry	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.00	$171,600	III	[36]
1991	Race not held
1990	Public Account	5	Heberto Castillo Jr.	George Gianos	S. Young Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.60	$83,100		[37]
1989	Primal	4	Jose A. Velez Jr.	James E. Bracken	Tartan Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.60	$111,600		[38]
1988	Creme Fraiche	6	Walter Guerra	Woodford C. Stephens	Brushwood Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.80	$109,900		December[39]
	Creme Fraiche	6	Angel Cordero Jr.	Woodford C. Stephens	Brushwood Stable	1+1⁄4 miles	2:05.80	$219,600		March[40]
Tropical Park Budweiser Breeders' Cup
1987	Arctic Honeymoon	4	Craig Perret	Luis Olivares	Beverly Green	1+3⁄16 miles	1:59.60	$143,000		[41]
Tropical Park Handicap
1986	Racing Star	4	Earlie Fires	Manuel A. Estevez	Five Star Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:45.20	$50,510		December[42]
	Uptown Swell	4	Walter Guerra	Richard J. Lundy	Virginia Kraft Payson	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.20	$56,350		January[43]

Legend:
  Turf   Dirt
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry

See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races