Excelsior Handicap

The Excelsior Handicap is a venerable American Thoroughbred horse race run at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York during the Spring of each year. In its 96th running in April 2008, the Grade III event is for three-year-olds and up and set at a distance of one mile and one furlong. It offers a purse of $200,000, added.

“Excelsior” is Latin for “Upward, ever upward,” and is the motto of the state of New York. In 1928, when Hall of Famer Grey Lag was ten years old, he came in third. He’d won this race as a five year old in l923.

The race was run at the old Jamaica Racetrack from 1903 to 1910, and then again from 1915 to 1959. In 1913, it was run at Belmont Park. It wasn’t run at all in 1909, 1911, 1912, 1914, 1933, and 1967.

Past winners

* 2008 - Temporary Saint (5) (Chuck Lopez)
* 2007 – Magna Graduate (5) (John Velazquez) (Noted for Corinthian leaping into the air out of the gate.)
* 2006 - West Virginia (5) (Norberto Arroyo Jr.)
* 2005 – Offlee Wild (5) (Rafael Bejarano)
* 2004 – Funny Cide (4) (Jose Santos)
* 2003 - Classic Endeavor (5) (Charles Lopez)
* 2002 - John Little (4) (Norberto Arroyo Jr.)
* 2001 - Cat's At Home (4) (F. Leon)
* 2000 - Lager (6) (H. Castillo Jr.)
* 1999 - Smart Coupons (6) (Rene R. Douglas)
* 1998 - Sir Bear (5) (E.M. Jurado)
* 1997 - Ormsby (5) (C.C. Lopez)
* 1996 - May I Inquire (5) (Joe Bravo)
* 1995 - Iron Gavel (5) (Jose Martinez)
* 1994 – Colonial Affair (4) (Jose Santos)
* 1993 - Devil His Due (4) (Mike E. Smith)
* 1992 - Defensive Play (5) (David R. Flores)
* 1991 - Chief Honcho (4) (Mike Smith)
* 1990 - Lay Down (6) (Chris Antley)
* 1989 - Forever Silver (5) (Julie Krone)
* 1988 - Lac Ouimet (5) (Jerry Bailey)
* 1987 - Lac Ouimet (4) (Eddie Maple)
* 1986 - Garthorn (6) (Rafael Meza)
* 1985 - Morning Bob (4) (Jacinto Vasquez)
* 1984 - Canadian Factor (4) (Jorge Velasquez)
* 1983 - Fast Gold (4) (Jean?Luc Samyn)
* 1982 - Globe (5) (Michael Venezia)
* 1981 - Irish Tower (4) (Jeffrey Fell)
* 1980 - Ring of Light (5) (Cash Asmussen)
* 1979 - Special Tiger (4) (George Martens)
* 1978 - Cox's Ridge (4) (Eddie Maple)
* 1977 - Turn And Count (4) (Steve Cauthen)
* 1976 - Double Edge Sword (6) (Angel Cordero Jr.)
* 1975 - Step Nicely (5) (Angel Cordero Jr.)
* 1974 - Everton 2nd (5) (Marco Castaneda)
* 1973 – Key To The Mint (4) (Ron Turcotte)
* 1972 - Autobiography (4) (Angel Cordero Jr.)
* 1971 - Loud (4) (Jacinto Vasquez)
* 1970 - Hydrologist (4) (Chuck Baltazar)
* 1969 - San Roque (4) (Heliodoro Gustines)
* 1968 - Peter Piper (5) (J. Velasquez)
* 1966 - Choker (6) (Bobby Ussery)
* 1965 - Tentacle (5) (W. Mayorga)
* 1964 - Uppercut (5) (Johnny Sellers)
* 1963 - Greek Money (4) (J. L. Rotz)
* 1962 - Hitting Away (4) (R. Ussery)

* 1961 - Mail Order (5) (L. Adams)
* 1960 - Talent Show (5) (R. Broussard)
* 1959 - Whitley (4) (S. Boulmetis)
* 1958 - Kingmaker (5) (R. Ussery)
* 1957 - Midafternoon (5) (Eddie Arcaro)
* 1956 - Find (6) (Eric Guerin)
* 1955 - Fisherman (4) (Hedley Woodhouse)
* 1954 - Find (4) (E. Guerin)
* 1953 - First Glance (6) (E. Guerin)
* 1952 - Spartan Valor (4) (James Stout)
* 1951 - Lotowhite (4) (E. Arcaro)
* 1950 - Arise (4) (D. Dodson)
* 1949 - My Request (4) (C. Erickson)
* 1948 - Knockdown (5) (F. Zufelt)
* 1947 - Coincidence (5) (Ted Atkinson)
* 1946 - Fighting Step (4) (J. Adams)
* 1945 - Saguaro (4) (M. Caffarella)
* 1944 - Alex Barth (4) (N. Jemas)
* 1943 - Riverland (5) (S. Brooks)
* 1942 - Waller (4) (C. Wahler)
* 1941 - Robert Morris (3) (N. Wall)
* 1940 - The Chief (5) (I. Anderson)
* 1939 - Thanksgiving (4) (R. Workman)
* 1938 - Caballero 2nd (6) (W. D. Wright)
* 1937 - Thorson (5) (W. Ray)
* 1936 - King Saxon (5) (C. Landolt)
* 1935 - King Saxon (4) (C. Rainey)
* 1934 - Watch Him (5) (E. Steffen)
* 1932 - Pompeius (3) (J. Knapp)
* 1931 - Mokatam (4) (W. Kelsay)
* 1930 - Minotaur (4) (Charles Kurtsinger)
* 1929 - Mowlee (4) (Laverne Fator)
* 1928 - Brown Flash (4) (V. Petersen)
* 1927 - Amberjack (4) (J. McCoy)
* 1926 - Turf Idol (4) (S. Hebert)
* 1925 - Sting (4) (B. Breuning)
* 1924 - Rialto (4) (J. Corcoran)
* 1923 – Grey Lag (5) (Laverne Fator)
* 1922 - Sennings Park (6) (C. Fairbrother)
* 1921 - Blazes (4) (T. Rice)
* 1920 - Boniface (5) (Earl Sande)
* 1919 - Naturalist (5) (C. Fairbrother)
* 1918 - George Smith (5) (W. Kelsay)
* 1917 – Roamer (6) (A. Schuttinger)
* 1916 - Sand Marsh (4) (J. Butwell)
* 1915 - Addie M. (4) (J. McCahey)
* 1906 - Merry Lark (4) (W. Miller)
* 1905 - Santa Catalina (3) (W. Miller)
* 1904 - Rostand (4) (H. Phillips)
* 1903 - Blackstock (4) (G. C. Fuller)

External links

* [http://www.nyra.com/ Aqueduct Racetrack official]