Comely Stakes

Grade III race
Comely Stakes
Location	Aqueduct Racetrack Queens, New York
Inaugurated	1945
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	Aqueduct Racetrack at NYRA
Race information
Distance	1 mile (8 furlongs)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-old fillies
Weight	Assigned
Purse	$150,000

The Comely Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Run in mid-April, since 1960 it has been open to three year old fillies who are willing to race one mile on the dirt track. The race is a Grade III event with a purse of $150,000 and has been a prep to the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing or the Kentucky Oaks. The American Graded Stakes Committee downgraded it to a Grade III race in 2010. [1]

The race was named in honor of the filly Comely, who, in a remarkable performance as a two-year-old, defeated older male horses in winning the first running of the Fall Highweight Handicap in 1914.

Inaugurated in 1945 at Jamaica Racetrack, it was raced there through 1951 and again in 1959. For 1952 and 1953 it was hosted by the Empire City Race Track in Yonkers and Belmont Park in 1976, 1981, 1984, and again in 1985. There was no race run from 1954 to 1958.

Since inception, the Comely has been contested at a 1¹/16 miles for three-year-old fillies from 1945 through 1953 and again in 1993. In 1959, the race was restricted to two-year-olds and run as a five furlong sprint. From 1960 through 1990, it was run at seven furlongs.

The Comely was run in two divisions in 1953, 1963, and 1970.

Records

Speed record:

• 1:21.20 - Ruffian (1975) (at former distance of 7 furlongs)
• 1:33.50 - Bella Bellucci (2002) (at current distance of 1 mile)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 4 - Braulio Baeza (1962, 1963, 1967, 1970)
• 4 - Jorge Chavez (1995, 1996, 1998, 2004)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 - Alfred G. Vanderbilt II (1951, 1953)
• 2 - Wheatley Stable (1960, 1970)
• 2 - William Haggin Perry (1963, 1964)
• 2 - George D. Widener, Jr. (1965, 1969)
• 2 - Diana M. Firestone (1980, 1981)
• 2 - Joseph Allen (1982, 1989)
• 2 - Bohemia Stable (1994, 1997)

Winners of the Comely Stakes since 1969

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2011	Hot Summer	Luis Saez	David Fawkes	Harold L. Queen	1:35.58
2010	Touching Beauty	Mike Luzzi	James Jerkens	Gainesway Stable/Cornacchia	1:37.90
2009	Dream Play	Eddie Castro	Kiaran McLaughlin	Stewart Armstrong	1:39.51
2008	Sherine	Alan Garcia	Anthony W. Dutrow	Zayat Stables	1:37.25
2007	Boca Grande	Mike E. Smith	C.R. McGaughey III	Phipps Stable	1:36.54
2006	Miraculous Miss	Kent Desormeaux	Steve Klesaris	Puglisi Stables/S. Klesaris	1:36.67
2005	Acey Deucey	Diane Nelson	John Morrison	Jeffrey Tucker	1:35.95
2004	Society Selection	Jorge Chavez	H. Allen Jerkens	Irving & Majorie Cowan	1:35.89
2003	Cyber Secret	Shaun Bridgmohan	Richard E. Dutrow, Jr.	Goldfarb et al.	1:35.97
2002	Bella Bellucci	Gary L. Stevens	Neil D. Drysdale	Michael Tabor	1:33.50
2001	Two Item Limit	Richard Migliore	Stephen L. DiMauro	Joseph Graffeo	1:36.17
2000	March Magic	Richard Migliore	Richard Violette, Jr.	Ralph M. Evans	1:36.79
1999	Madison's Charm	Jean-Luc Samyn	Thomas A. Hauswald	Donald A. Adam	1:35.54
1998	Fantasy Angel	Jorge Chavez	Martin D. Wolfson	Martin L. Cherry	1:37.44
1997	Dixie Flag	Jean-Luc Samyn	H. Allen Jerkens	Bohemia Stable	1:36.96
1996	Little Miss Fast	Jorge Chavez	Juan Serey	James A. Riccio	1:36.58
1995	Nappelon	Jorge Chavez	Rene Araya	R Kay Stable	1:36.26
1994	Dixie Luck	Filiberto Leon	H. Allen Jerkens	Bohemia Stable	1:37.02
1993	Private Light	Robbie Davis	C. R. McGaughey III	Ogden Mills Phipps	1:44.19
1992	Saratoga Dew	Herb McCauley	Gary Sciacca	Charles F. Engel	1:37.22
1991	Meadow Star	Chris Antley	Leroy Jolley	Carl Icahn	1:38.00
1990	Fappaburst	Jacinto Vasquez	Philip G. Johnson	Susan Kaskel	1:21.60
1989	Surging	Angel Cordero, Jr.	D. Wayne Lukas	Joseph Allen	1:23.00
1988	Avie's Gal	Jorge Velasquez	John J. Lenzini, Jr.	John Cioci	1:22.40
1987	Devil's Bride	Rafael Meza	John Gosden	Oak Cliff Stable	1:23.60
1986	Misty Drone	Jacinto Vasquez	Alton H. Quanbeck	Maud McDougald	1:24.00
1985	Mom's Command	Abigail Fuller	Edward T. Allard	Peter Fuller	1:22.20
1984	Wild Applause	Pat Day	MacKenzie Miller	Rokeby Stable	1:23.20
1983	Able Money	Antonio Graell	Anthony Russo	Faith Donnelly	1:23.80
1982	Nancy Huang	Jorge Velasquez	Howard M. Tesher	Joseph Allen	1:24.40
1981	Expressive Dance	Don MacBeth	Leroy Jolley	Diana M. Firestone	1:23.40
1980	Cybele	Cash Asmussen	Leroy Jolley	Diana M. Firestone	1:22.60
1979	Countess North	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Stephen A. DiMauro	Michael Rutherford	1:23.40
1978	Mashteen	Ruben Hernandez	Laz Barrera	Leslie Combs II	1:23.00
1977	Bring Out The Band	Don Brumfield	James W. Murphy	Hickory Tree Stable	1:23.60
1976	Tell Me All	John Ruane	H. Allen Jerkens	Hobeau Farm	1:23.20
1975	Ruffian	Jacinto Vasquez	Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr.	Locust Hill Farm	1:21.20
1974	Clear Copy	Daryl Montoya	Jerome Hirsch	Leon J. Hekimian	1:24.40
1973	Java Moon	Angel Cordero, Jr.	Lou Rondinello	Darby Dan Farm	1:22.80
1972	Stacey d'Ette	John Ruane	Dave Erb	Dave Erb	1:21.60
1971	Forward Gal	Michael Hole	Warren A. Croll, Jr.	Aisco Stable	1:23.40
1970	Predictable	Robert Ussery	Edward A. Neloy	Wheatley Stable	1:24.00
1970	Royal Signal	Braulio Baeza	Stephen A. DiMauro	Mrs. L. W. Knapp, Jr.	1:24.00
1969	Ta Wee	Eddie Belmonte	John A. Nerud	Tartan Stable	1:22.60

Earlier winners

• 1968 - Best In Show
• 1967 - Gala Honors
• 1966 - Swift Lady
• 1965 - What a Treat
• 1964 - Face The Facts
• 1963 - Pams Ego
• 1963 - Lamb Chop

• 1962 - Upswept
• 1961 - Seven Thirty
• 1960 - Irish Jay
• 1959 - Bally Ache (2)
• 1953 - La Corredora (4)
• 1953 - Home Made (3)
• 1952 - Devilkin (3)

• 1951 - Bed o'Roses (4)
• 1950 - Siama (3)
• 1949 - Lithe (3)
• 1948 - Conniver (4)
• 1947 - Elpis (5)
• 1946 - Bonnie Beryl (3)
• 1945 - Moon Maiden (7)