Pilgrim Stakes

The Pilgrim Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-olds over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles on the turf track scheduled annually in late September at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event currently offers a purse of $200,000.

Pilgrim Stakes

Class	Grade II
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1979 (at Aqueduct Racetrack)
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Website	NYRA
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄16 miles
Surface	Turf
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Two-year-olds
Weight	122 lbs with allowances
Purse	$200,000 (2021)
Bonuses	Winner receives automatic entrance to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf

History

The event was inaugurated on 29 October 1979 at Aqueduct Racetrack and was run over the 1+1⁄8 mile distance in split divisions as the sixth^[1] and eighth race^[2] on the card that day.

The race is named for Joseph E. Widener's horse, Pilgrim,^[3] winner of the 1919 Remsen Stakes.

In 1982 the event was classified as Grade III, upgraded to Grade II in 1988 for two runnings before being downgraded to Grade III.^[4] From 2001–2007 the race was not graded as in 2009 when the event was moved off the turf track due to the inclement weather and held over a shorter one mile distance.^[5]

The event was run in two divisions in the above mentioned inaugural 1979 and again in 1983.^[6]

The distance of the event has been changed several times but since 2010 the event has been run over the current distance of 1+1⁄16 miles.^[4]

The race was part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series from 2008 to 2010, when the winner automatically qualified for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.

The event was upgraded to a Grade III event in 2020.^[7]

In 2022 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.^[8]

Records

Speed record:

• 1+1⁄16 miles: 1:41.04 – Annapolis (2021)
• 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:48.02 – Volponi (2000)

Margins:

• 12 lengths – Diplomatic Jet (1994)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Live Oak Racing (1981, 2001)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – John Velazquez (1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2007)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 6 – Todd A. Pletcher (2007, 2009, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Time	Purse	Grade	Ref
At Aqueduct – Pilgrim Stakes
2024	Zulu Kingdom (IRE)	Joel Rosario	Chad C. Brown	Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, William Strauss & Michael J. Caruso	1+1⁄16 miles	1:48.67	$200,000	II	[9]
2023	Agate Road	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd A. Pletcher	Repole Stable & St. Elias Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.83	$200,000	II	[10]
2022	Major Dude	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd A. Pletcher	Spendthrift Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:46.60	$200,000	II	[11]
At Belmont Park
2021	Annapolis	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd A. Pletcher	Bass Racing	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.04	$186,000	II	[12]
2020	Fire At Will	Kendrick Carmouche	Michael J. Maker	Three Diamonds Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.46	$150,000	II	[13]
2019	Structor	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Chad C. Brown	Jeff Drown & Don Rachel	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.46	$200,000	III	[14]
2018	Forty Under	Manuel Franco	Jeremiah C. Englehart	August Dawn Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.37	$200,000	III	[15]
2017	Seabhac	Luis Saez	Todd A. Pletcher	Donegal Racing	1+1⁄16 miles	1:43.48	$200,000	III	[16]
2016	Oscar Performance	José L. Ortiz	Brian A. Lynch	Amerman Racing (Jerry & Joan Amerman)	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.88	$200,000	III	[17]
2015	Isotherm	Jose Lezcano	George Weaver	Matthew Schera	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.98	$200,000	III	[18]
2014	Imperia	Javier Castellano	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	Godolphin Racing	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.36	$200,000	III	[19]
2013	Bobby's Kitten	Javier Castellano	Chad C. Brown	Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.37	$200,000	III	[20]
2012	Noble Tune	Ramon A. Dominguez	Chad C. Brown	Martin S. Schwartz & Dell Ridge Farm	1+1⁄16 miles	1:47.81	$150,000	III	[21]
2011	Shkspeare Shaliyah	Alex O. Solis	Doodnauth Shivmangal	Shivmangal Racing Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:51.59	$100,000	III	[22]
2010	Air Support	Rajiv Maragh	Claude R. McGaughey III	Stuart S. Janney III	1+1⁄16 miles	1:47.87	$147,500	III	[23]
2009	Eskendereya	Javier Castellano	Todd A. Pletcher	Zayat Stables	1 mile	1:37.85	$152,500	Listed	Off turf[24]
2008	Elusive Bluff	Michael C. Baze	Eric J. Guillot	Southern Equine Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:47.91	$156,800	III	[25]
2007	The Leopard	John R. Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.61	$81,000	Listed	[26]
2006	Pickapocket	Eibar Coa	Frank A. Alexander	Martin Cherry	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.62	$85,925	Listed	[27]
2005	Fagan's Legacy	Joe Bravo	Kelly J. Breen	George & Lori Hall	1+1⁄8 miles	1:52.11	$82,575	Listed	Off turf[28]
2004	Crown Point	Jose L. Espinoza	David G. Donk	Drumlanrig Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.31	$82,875	Listed	[29]
2003	Timo	John R. Velazquez	William Badgett Jr.	C. K. Woods Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:57.46	$82,525	Listed	[30]
At Aqueduct
2002	One Colony	Aaron Gryder	Mark A. Hennig	Edward P. Evans	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.00	$82,950	Listed	Off turf[31]
2001	Miesque's Approval	Jerry D. Bailey	William I. Mott	Live Oak Racing	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.80	$83,475	Listed	[32]
At Belmont Park
2000	Volponi	John R. Velazquez	Philip G. Johnson	Amherst & Spruce Pond	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.02	$113,300	III	[33]
1999	Kachemak Bay	John R. Velazquez	John P. Campo Jr.	Evelyn M. Pollard	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.67	$111,600	III	[34]
1998	Incurable Optimist	John R. Velazquez	David G. Donk	John T. & Theresa E. Behrendt	1+1⁄8 miles	1:48.05	$108,100	III	[35]
At Aqueduct
1997	§ Cryptic Rascal	Mike E. Smith	William Badgett Jr.	Landon Knight	1+1⁄8 miles	1:50.83	$115,700	III	[36]
At Belmont Park
1996	Accelerator	Mike E. Smith	Claude R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.80	$113,800	III	Off turf[37]
At Aqueduct
1995	Play It Again Stan	Herb McCauley	Frank A. Generazio Jr.	Sybil Lauren	1+1⁄16 miles	1:50.20	$115,900	III	[38]
At Belmont Park
1994	Diplomatic Jet	Jerry D. Bailey	Philip M. Serpe	Fred W. Hooper	1+1⁄16 miles	1:46.67	$82,076	III	[39]
1993	§ Dove Hunt	Jerry D. Bailey	Neil J. Howard	William S. Farish III	1+1⁄16 miles	1:44.60	$122,600	III	[40]
1992	§ Awad	Julie Krone	David G. Donk	Ryehill Stable	1+1⁄16 miles	1:42.60	$127,000	III	[41]
1991	Smiling and Dancin	Richard Migliore	Stephen L. DiMauro	Robert J. Sullivan	1+1⁄16 miles	1:41.20	$122,800	III	[42]
At Aqueduct
1990	Fourstars Allstar	Mike E. Smith	Leo O'Brien	Richard Bromze	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.60	$90,000	III	[43]
1989	Super Mario	Richard Migliore	D. Wayne Lukas	H. Joseph Allen	1+1⁄8 miles	1:56.00	$126,800	II	[44]
1988	Tuneful Tip	Carl Gambardella	Ronald J. Dandy	Frank Generazio	1+1⁄8 miles	1:59.00	$132,200	II	[45]
1987	Blew by Em	Chris Antley	Michael H. Daggett	Joseph B. Singer	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.60	$92,850	III	[46]
1986	§ David's Bird	Jean-Luc Samyn	Philip G. Johnson	Sugar Maple Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.00	$97,950	III	[47]
1985	Pillaster	Ángel Cordero Jr.	LeRoy Jolley	Peter M. Brant	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.40	$89,550	III	[48]
1984	Tent Up	Vincent Bracciale Jr.	John W. Hicks	Geoffrey A. Huguely	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.20	$94,500	III	[49]
1983	Pied A' Tierre	Larry Saumell	Ronald L. Benshoff	Blanche P. Levy	1+1⁄8 miles	1:51.40	$54,700	III	†Division 1[50]
	Vision	Eddie Maple	Woodford C. Stephens	Claiborne Farm		1:50.20	$54,700		†Division 2[51]
1982	Fortnightly	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Edward I. Kelly Jr.	Bwamazon Farm	1+1⁄8 miles	1:57.60	$85,800	III	[52]
1981	Gnome's Gold	Jean-Luc Samyn	Patrick J. Kelly	Live Oak Racing	1+1⁄8 miles	1:57.20	$84,300		[53]
1980	Akureyri	Eddie Maple	Woodford C. Stephens	Hickory Tree Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:54.80	$58,400		[54]
1979	Freeo	Sam Maple	Joseph B. Cantey	Loblolly Stable	1+1⁄8 miles	1:53.00	$42,850		Division 1[1]
	I Take All	Ángel Cordero Jr.	Edward I. Kelly Sr.	Brookfield Farm		1:52.40	$43,050		Division 2[2]

Legend:
  Dirt   Turf
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry
† Both divisions of the event were moved off the turf and onto the main track due to the inclement weather

See also

List of American and Canadian Graded races