Philip H. Iselin Stakes

Philip H. Iselin Handicap

Grade III race
Location	Monmouth Park Racetrack Oceanport, New Jersey, USA
Inaugurated	1884
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.monmouthpark.com
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds and up
Weight	Handicap
Purse	$100,000 (2016)

The Philip H. Iselin Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to horses three years of age and older, the race was first run in 1884. In 1891, New Jersey state legislators began a move to ban parimutuel betting and the race had to be moved to the Jerome Park Racetrack and the Morris Park Racetrack in The Bronx, New York. With a legislated permanent ban, after the 1893 running, the Monmouth Park Racetrack was shut down and the property sold. In 1946, Thoroughbred racing returned to a new Monmouth Park facility, spurred on by the burgeoning American economy after the end of World War II.

From inception until 1966 the race was known as the Monmouth Handicap; then from 1967 through 1980 it was run as the Amory L. Haskell Handicap. In 1981 it reverted to the Monmouth Handicap name, then in 1986, it was given its present name to honor Philip H. Iselin, a founding shareholder and director of the Monmounth Park Racetrack who would serve as its president and chairman of the board of directors.

Created in the 19th century, when most Thoroughbred horse races were run at much longer distances than they are today, the early Monmouth Handicaps were raced over a distance of 1+1⁄2 miles. Upon its revival in 1946 at the new Monmouth Park, the distance was set at 1+1⁄4 miles. From 1979 through 1995 it was run at 1+1⁄8 miles and in 1996 and 1997 at 1+1⁄16 miles when Formal Gold won the 1997 edition in track record time. In 1998, the race reverted to its present 1+1⁄8 mile format.

The Philip Iselin Stakes (G3) is the second leg of the Mid Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Long Dirt Division or MATCh Races. MATCh is a series of five races in five separate thoroughbred divisions run throughout four Mid-Atlantic States including; Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park Racecourse in Maryland; Delaware Park Racetrack in Delaware; Parx, Philadelphia Park and Presque Isle Downs in Pennsylvania and Monmouth Park in New Jersey.

Records

Time record (since 1979):

• 1+1⁄8 miles : 1:46.80 by Spend a Buck (1985), Jolie's Halo (1992)
• 1+1⁄16 miles : 1:40.20 Formal Gold (1997)

Largest winning margin

• Ghostzapper : 10+3⁄4 lengths (2004)

Most wins by a jockey since the 1946 renewal:

• 4 - Eddie Arcaro, Bill Shoemaker
• 3 - Sam Boulmetis, Sr., Craig Perret

Most wins by a trainer since the 1946 renewal:

• 3 - Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons (1954, 1956, 1958)
• 2 - H. Allen Jerkens (1967, 1984)
• 2 - D. Wayne Lukas (1986, 1987)
• 2 - Mervin Marks (1972, 1973)
• 2 - Sonny Hine (1981, 1998)
• 2 - Robert J. Frankel (1982, 2004)

Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1884	Drake Carter	William Hayward	Green B. Morris	Morris & Patton	2:37.75
1885	Richmond	Jim McLaughlin	Frank McCabe	Dwyer Brothers Stable	2:38.50
1886	Hidalgo	John Spellman	James Murphy	James Ben Ali Haggin	2:39.50
1887	Kaloolah	Church	Not found	John D. Morrissey	2:42.25
1888	Firenze	Edward Garrison	Matthew Byrnes	James Ben Ali Haggin	2:36.00
1889	Eurus	William Hayward	John Huggins	Alexander Cassatt	2:50.00
1890	Tea Tray	Moore	William Lakeland	William Lakeland	2:34.00
1891	Banquet	John Lamley	Hardy Campbell, Jr.	Michael F. Dwyer	2:40.00
1892	Reckon	Penn	Not found	J. A. & A. H. Morris	2:33.50
1893	Gloaming I	Alonzo Clayton	Not found	John G. Follansbee	2:33.00
1946	Lucky Draw	Conn McCreary	Bert Mulholland	George D. Widener, Jr.	2:01.80
1947	Round View	Louis Hildebrandt	Hollie Hughes	Sanford Stud Farms	2:01.20
1948	Tide Rips	Porter Roberts	William L. Passmore	Bayard Sharp	2:03.20
1949	Three Rings	Hedley Woodhouse	Willie Knapp	Evelyn L. Hopkins	2:03.60
1950	Greek Ship	Joe Culmone	Preston M. Burch	Brookmeade Stable	2:02.40
1951	Arise	Sam Boulmetis, Sr.	James C. Bentley	Addison Stable	2:04.80
1952	One Hitter	Ted Atkinson	John M. Gaver, Sr.	Greentree Stable	2:04.20
1953	My Celeste	Logan Batcheller	William S. Cotton	Constance Morabito	2:05.20
1954	Bassanio	Sidney Cole	Jim Fitzsimmons	Ogden Phipps	2:02.20
1955	Helioscope	Sam Boulmetis, Sr.	Howard Hausner	William G. Helis, Jr.	2:02.20
1956	Nashua	Eddie Arcaro	Jim Fitzsimmons	Leslie Combs II	2:02.80
1957	Dedicate	Eddie Arcaro	G. Carey Winfrey	Jan Burke	2:01.80
1958	Bold Ruler	Eddie Arcaro	Jim Fitzsimmons	Wheatley Stable	2:01.60
1959	Sword Dancer	Bill Shoemaker	J. Elliott Burch	Brookmeade Stable	2:05.00
1960	First Landing	Eddie Arcaro	Casey Hayes	Meadow Stable	2:02.80
1961	Don Poggio	Sam Boulmetis, Sr.	Pancho Martin	Gustave Ring	2:02.40
1962	Carry Back	John L. Rotz	Jack A. Price	Dorchester Farm	2:00.40
1963	Decidedly	Manuel Ycaza	Horatio Luro	El Peco Ranch	2:02.00
1964	Mongo	Wayne Chambers	Frank A. Bonsal	Montpelier	2:01.80
1965	Repeating	Hedley Woodhouse	Lucien Laurin	Mrs. L. Laurin	2:04.20
1966	Bold Bidder	Pete D. Anderson	Woody Stephens	John R. Gaines	2:03.60
1967	Handsome Boy	Jacinto Vasquez	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	2:02.00
1968	Bold Hour	William Boland	Sylvester Veitch	George D. Widener, Jr.	2:03.00
1969	Verbatim	Pete Anderson	James P. Conway	Elmendorf Farm	2:02.20
1970	Gladwin	Heliodoro Gustines	Evan S. Jackson	Hastings Harcourt	2:02.60
1971	Jontilla	John Giovanni	R. Cleff	William R. Kelly	2:01.00
1972	West Coast Scout	John L. Rotz	Mervin Marks	Oxford Stable	2:02.20
1973	West Coast Scout	Larry Adams	Mervin Marks	Oxford Stable	2:01.20
1974	True Knight	Miguel A. Rivera	Lou Rondinello	Darby Dan Farm	2:02.00
1975	Royal Glint	Craig Perret	Gordon R. Potter	Dan Lasater	2:00.60
1976	Hatchet Man	Vincent Bracciale, Jr.	John M. Gaver, Jr.	Greentree Stable	2:00.60
1977	Majestic Light	Sandy Hawley	John W. Russell	Ogden Mills Phipps	2:00.40
1978	Life's Hope	Craig Perret	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	2:03.20
1979	Text	Bill Shoemaker	Vincent Clyne	Elmendorf Farm	1:47.40
1980	Spectacular Bid	Bill Shoemaker	Grover G. Delp	Hawksworth Farm	1:48.00
1981	Amber Pass	Cash Asmussen	Sonny Hine	Entremont Stable	1:47.40
1982	Mehmet	Eddie Delahoussaye	Robert J. Frankel	Chlad & Mevorach	1:48.20
1983	Bates Motel	Terry Lipham	John H. M. Gosden	Jacqueline Getty	1:47.20
1984	Believe The Queen	Donnie Miller Jr.	H. Allen Jerkens	Bohemia Stable	1:48,20
1985	Spend a Buck	Laffit Pincay, Jr.	Cam Gambolati	Hunter Farm	1:46.80
1986	Roo Art	Bill Shoemaker	D. Wayne Lukas	Barbara Holleran	1:48.80
1987	Bordeaux Bob	Chris Antley	D. Wayne Lukas	Mark Barge	1:48.20
1988	Alysheba	Chris McCarron	Jack Van Berg	D. & P. Scharbauer	1:47.80
1989	Proper Reality	Jerry Bailey	Robert E. Holthus	Juanita Winn	1:48.00
1990	Beau Genius	Ricardo Lopez	Gerald S. Bennett	Brian Davidson	1:48.20
1991	Black Tie Affair	Pat Day	Ernie T. Poulos	Jeff Sullivan	1:47.80
1992	Jolie's Halo	Edgar Prado	Robert W. Camac	Arthur I. Appleton	1:46.80
1993	Valley Crossing	Chris Antley	Richard W. Small	Robert E. Meyerhoff	1:49.20
1994	Taking Risks	Mark T. Johnston	King T. Leatherbury	Lakeville Stables	1:48.20
1995	Schossberg	Dave Penna	Phil England	Steve A. Stavro	1:49.20
1996	Smart Strike	Craig Perret	Mark Frostad	Sam-Son Farm	1:41.40
1997	Formal Gold	Kent Desormeaux	William W. Perry	John D. Murphy	1:40.20
1998	Skip Away	Jerry Bailey	Sonny Hine	Carolyn H. Hine	1:47.20
1999	Frisk Me Now	Edwin L. King, Jr.	Robert J. Durso	Carol R. Dender	1:49.20
2000	Rize	Jose C. Ferrer	Norman R. Pointer	Runnin Horse Farm	1:48.40
2001	Broken Vow	Ramon Dominguez	H. Graham Motion	Pin Oak Stable	1:49.40
2002	Cat's At Home	Jose A. Velez, Jr.	Mark A. Hennig	Edward P. Evans	1:49.00
2003	Tenpins	Robby Albarado	Donald Winfree	Joseph V. Vitelli	1:50.20
2004	Ghostzapper	Javier Castellano	Robert J. Frankel	Stronach Stables	1:47.66
2005	West Virginia	Jose A. Velez, Jr.	Todd Pletcher	Don & Roberta Zuckerman	1:50.83
2006	Park Avenue Ball	Chris Decarlo	Jim Ryerson	Char-Mari Stable	1:49.73
2007	Gottcha Gold	Chuck Lopez	Edward Plesa, Jr.	Centaur Farms Inc.	1:48.36
2008	Honest Man	Terry J. Thompson	J. Larry Jones	WinStar Farm/Foxhill Farms	1:49.12
2009	Chirac	Elvis Trijullo	Jane Cibelli	Pia M. Kirkham	1:49.11
2010	Duke of Mischief	Eibar Coa	David Fawkes	Lieblong/Fawkes Racing/McMaster	1:51.15
2011	Where's Sterling	Paco Lopez	Nick Canani	Frank Calabrese	1:48.57
2012	San Pablo	Christopher P. DeCarlo	Todd Pletcher	Burning Sands Stable	1:49.59
2013	Last Gunfighter	Joe Bravo	Chad C. Brown	John D. Gunther	1:52.03
2014	Balance of Power	Charles C. Lopez	David Jacobson	Drawing Away Stable/Jacobson	1:48.78
2015	Valid	Nik Juarez	Marcus J. Vitali	Crossed Sabres Farm	1:50.14
2016	Baccelo (BRZ)	Nik Juarez	David Jacobson	David Jacobson	1:48.55
2017	Just Call Kenny	Eddie Castro	Patrick B. McBurney	ABL Stable, et al.	1:47.73