Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Matchmaker Stakes

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Inaugurated
  
1967

Surface
  
Turf

Location
  
Monmouth Park Racetrack Oceanport, New Jersey, United States

Race type
  
Thoroughbred - Flat racing

Website
  
Monmouth Park Racetrack

Distance
  
1 ⁄8 miles (9 furlongs)

The Matchmaker Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The Grade III race is open to Fillies and Mares, Three-years-old & up and is run on turf over a distance of 1 18 miles (9 furlongs).

Inaugurated in 1967 at Atlantic City Race Course, the race was run on dirt from 1967 to 1978 and again in 1983. Run at 1 316 miles from 1967 through 1996, the race was moved to Monmouth Park in 1997. Until 2004, it was known as the Matchmaker Handicap and was run in mid June until being made part of the Haskell Invitational day held on the first Sunday in August.

Taylor Made Stallions has sponsored the Matchmaker since 2005. It is now supported by WinStar Farm.

Only one horse has ever won this race twice. Allaire du Pont's filly, Politely, accomplished the feat with back-to-back victories in the first two runnings.

In 2009, the Matchmaker was taken off the turf because of heavy rain in New Jersey earlier in the day. Originally carded as a grade III event, the Matchmaker lost its graded status for that running in a decision made by the American Graded Stakes Committee shortly after it was run.

Records

Time record: (at current 1 18 miles om turf)

  • 1:46.19 - Batique (2001)
  • Most wins:

  • 2 - Politely (1967, 1968)
  • 2 - Starstruck (2013, 2014)
  • Most wins by a jockey:

  • 4 - Joe Bravo (1999, 2003, 2008, 2016)
  • 3 - Laffit Pincay, Jr. (1972, 1974, 1991)
  • References

    Matchmaker Stakes Wikipedia