True North Handicap

Grade II race
True North Handicap
Location	Belmont Park Elmont, New York, United States
Inaugurated	1979
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.nyra.com
Race information
Distance	6 furlongs
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Three-years-old & up
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$250,000

The True North Handicap is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The race is a Grade II event, offering a purse of $200,000 and is open to three-year-olds and up willing to race six furlongs (1,207 m) on dirt.

The True North is named for the winner of the 1945 Fall Highweight Handicap, Deering Howe's, True North.

In winning the 1987 edition of the True North Handicap, Groovy earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 134.

Records

Speed record:

• 1:07.80 - Groovy (1987)

Most wins:

• No horse has won this race more than once.

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 - Jean-Luc Samyn (1979, 1981, 1999)
• 3 - Angel Cordero, Jr. (1987, 1988, 1989)
• 3 - Robbie Davis (1996, 1997, 2000)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 - William I. Mott (1991, 1993, 1998)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Seymour Cohn (1985, 1999)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Trappe Shot	4	John Velazquez	Kiaran McLaughlin	Mill House	1:08.86
2010	Bribon	7	Garrett Gomez	Todd A. Pletcher	Derrick Smith	1:09.63
2009	Fabulous Strike	6	Ramon Dominguez	Todd M. Beattie	Walter Downey	1:07.85
2008	Benny the Bull	5	Edgar Prado	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	IEAH Stables et al	1:09.06
2007	Will He Shine	5	Edgar Prado	Dale L. Romans	Saviaro Pugliese & Marc Wexler	1:08.70
2006	Anew	5	Alan Garcia	Steve Asmussen	Chrome Cowboy Racing et al.	1:08.10
2005	Woke Up Dreamin	5	Mike Smith	Bob Baffert	Michael E. Pegram	1:08.38
2004	Speightstown	6	John Velazquez	Todd A. Pletcher	Eugene & Laura Melnyk	1:08.04
2003	Shake You Down	5	Mike Luzzi	Scott A. Lake	Robert L. Cole, Jr.	1:09.40
2002	Explicit	5	Lonnie Meche	Ian Jory	Marvin Malmuth	1:09.80
2001	Say Florida Sandy	7	Aaron Gryder	Juan Serey	John Rotella	1:08.60
2000	Intidab	7	Robbie Davis	Kiaran McLaughlin	Shadwell Stable	1:10.00
1999	Kashatreya	5	Jean-Luc Samyn	John O. Hertler	Seymour Cohn	1:09.60
1998	Richter Scale	4	Jerry Bailey	William I. Mott	Nancy & Richard Kaster	1:08.80
1997	Punch Line	7	Robbie Davis	William H. Turner, Jr.	Althea Richards	1:08.80
1996	Not Surprising	6	Robbie Davis	Judson Van Worp	Robert Van Worp	1:09.00
1995	Waldoboro	4	Eddie Maple	Claude R. McGaughey III	Emory A. Hamilton	1:09.60
1994	Friendly Lover	6	Rick Wilson	Joseph H. Pierce, Jr.	Pastime Stable	1:09.60
1993	Lion Cavern	4	Julie Krone	William I. Mott	Sheikh Mohammed	1:10.20
1992	Shining Bid	4	Eddie Maple	James E. Morgan	Deborah A. Matz	1:08.20
1991	Diablo	4	Julie Krone	William I. Mott	Bertram R. Firestone	1:08.20
1990	Mr. Nickerson	4	Chris Antley	Mark J. Reid	Robert H. A. Nixon	1:10.40
1989	Dancing Spree	4	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Claude R. McGaughey III	Ogden Phipps	1:09.40
1988	High Bright	4	Angel Cordero, Jr.	D. Wayne Lukas	H. Joseph Allen	1:10.00
1987	Groovy	4	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Jose A. Martin	Lone Star Stable	1:07.80
1986	Phone Trick	4	Jorge Velasquez	Richard E. Mandella	Howell Wynne	1:09.00
1985	Cannon Shell	6	Declan Murphy	Chester Ross	Seymour Cohn	1:10.80
1984	Believe The Queen	4	Jorge Velasquez	H. Allen Jerkens	Bohemia Stable	1:09.80
1983	Gold Beauty	4	Don Brumfield	William Curtis, Jr.	Mrs. Philip Hofmann	1:10.40
1982	Shimatoree	3	Mario Pino	Richard E. Dutrow, Sr.	Rif'at Hussain	1:08.60
1981	Joanie's Chief	4	Jean-Luc Samyn	Eugene Jacobs	Peter Barberino	1:09.00
1980	Syncopate	5	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Ron McAnally	Elmendorf Farm	1:09.20
1979	Moleolus	4	Jean-Luc Samyn	Patrick J. Kelly	Live Oak Plantation Racing	1:10.40

References

• The 2009 True North Handicap at Thoroughbred Times