Massachusetts Handicap

The Massachusetts Handicap, frequently referred to as the "MassCap", was a flat thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and up held annually at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was an ungraded stakes race run over a distance of 9 furlongs on dirt. The race received Grade III status by the American Graded Stakes Committee for 2009,[1] but the race was never held. The MassCap was stripped of its graded status in 2011 as a result of not being run for two consecutive years.[2]

Massachusetts Handicap
Ungraded race (discontinued)
Starting gate at Suffolk Downs.
LocationSuffolk Downs
East Boston, Massachusetts, United States
InauguratedOctober 16, 1935
Last run2008
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat
WebsiteOfficial website
Race information
Distance1⅛ miles (9 furlongs)
1½ miles (12 furlongs) (1970–1971)
1¼ miles (10 furlongs) (1948–1969)
SurfaceDirt
Turf (1970–1971)
TrackLeft-handed
Qualification3 years old and up
WeightHandicap
Purse$500,000
Bonuses$200,000
$100,000

History

The Massachusetts Handicap was won by some of the biggest names in Thoroughbred racing history including Hall of Fame inductees Riva Ridge, Stymie, Seabiscuit, Eight Thirty and Triple Crown winner Whirlaway who broke the track record in his 1942 win.[3] On August 7, 1937, the great Seabiscuit won his seventh consecutive stakes race in track record time for the $70,000 purse of the 1937 MassCap.[4]

The MassCap had been a graded stakes race from 1973 through 1989. Notables horses such as Riva Ridge, Dixieland Band, and Private Terms all won during this time frame. In 1987, Waquoit beat Broad Brush in a thrilling race. In the 1955 Massachusetts Handicap, jockey Sam Boulmetis, Sr. rode Helioscope to a track record time of 2:01 for 1¼ miles.

The Suffolk Downs track continued to fight for its economic life since closing for a three-year period beginning in 1989. The MassCap was a frequent casualty of those circumstances.[5]

Later, in an attempt to bring the MassCap back to its former glory, new ownership offered a purse of $500,000 in 1995 and quickly drew the likes of Cigar and Skip Away to the track. By 1997, the race was, once again, a graded race. Suffolk Downs also provided a bonus of $200,000 if the winner won multiple Grade I or Group 1 stakes races at a mile or longer. An additional $100,000 was to be awarded if the winner had won one Grade I or Group 1 race and at least one other graded stakes race at a mile or longer in 2007.[6]

Part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, the winner of the 2008 Massachusetts Handicap -- which would prove to be the final MassCap held -- automatically qualified for the Breeders' Cup Classic.[7]

Records

Time record:

  • 1⅛ miles: 1:47.27 – Skip Away (1998) (new track record)

Largest margin of victory:

Most wins:

  • 2 – First Fiddle (1944, 1945), Air Pilot (1959, 1962), Smart (1964, 1965), Cigar (1995, 1996), Skip Away (1997, 1998)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Time
 Grade
2008 Commentator 7 John Velazquez Nick Zito Tracy Farmer 1:48.97 NG
2007 Brass Hat 6 Willie Martinez William B. Bradley Fred F. Bradley 1:49.72 NG
2005 – 2006 Race not held
2004 Offlee Wild 4 Edgar Prado Richard E. Dutrow Jr. AZ Azalea Stables LLC 1:49.14 II
2003 Race not held
2002 Macho Uno 4 Gary Stevens Joe Orseno Stronach Stables 1:50.52 II
2001 Include 4 Jerry D. Bailey Bud Delp Robert E. Meyerhoff 1:48.60 II
2000 Running Stag 6 John Velazquez Philip Mitchell Richard J. Cohen 1:49.45 II
1999 Behrens 5 Jorge Chavez H. James Bond Rudlein Stable 1:49.00 II
1998 Skip Away 5 Jerry D. Bailey Sonny Hine Carolyn Hine 1:47.27 III
1997 Skip Away 4 Shane Sellers Sonny Hine Carolyn Hine 1:47.80 III
1996 Cigar 6 Jerry D. Bailey William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson 1:49.60 NG
1995 Cigar 5 Jerry D. Bailey William I. Mott Allen E. Paulson 1:48.60 NG
1990 – 1994 Race not held
1989 Private Terms 4 Kent Desormeaux Charles H. Hadry Locust Hill Farm 1:49.40 II
1988 Lost Code 4 Craig Perret L. William Donovan Wendover Stable 1:50.20 II
1987 Waquoit 4 Chris McCarron Guido Federico Joseph Federico 1:49.00 II
1986 Skip Trial 4 Jean-Luc Samyn Sonny Hine Zelda Cohen 1:49.80 II
1985 Bounding Basque 5 Antonio Graell Woody Sedlacek Jacques D. Wimpfheimer 1:47.60 II
1984 Dixieland Band 4 Declan Murphy Charles Peoples Mary Sharp 1:52.00 II
1983 Let Burn 4 Jack Penney William W. Perry Scorpio Stable 1:48.80 II
1982 Silver Supreme 4 Eric Beitia Richard DeStasio Michael Berry 1:48.80 III
1981 Soldier Boy 5 Roger Danjean Dominique Imprescia Sandy Cooperstein 1:49.40 III
1980 Ring of Light 5 Frank Lovato Jr. Pancho Martin Viola Sommer 1:50.40 III
1979 Island Sultan 4 John Ruane David Hofmans Buckland Farm 1:48.60 II
1978 Big John Taylor 4 Jacinto Vásquez Doug Peterson Karen L. Taylor 1:48.40 II
1977 Blue Times 6 Ángel Cordero Jr. Laz Barrera Aaron U. Jones 1:49.40 II
1977 Swinging Hal 4 Steve Pagano James W. Woods John Martin 1:49.20 II
1976 Dancing Champ 4 Chris McCarron Bud Delp Windfields Farm 1:49.20 II
1975 Stonewalk 4 Ron Turcotte Daniel J. Lopez Timberland Stable 1:48.60 II
1974 Billy Come Lately 4 Don MacBeth John J. Tammaro Jr. Richard W. Palmer 1:48.60 II
1973 Riva Ridge 4 Ron Turcotte Lucien Laurin Meadow Stable 1:48.20 II
1972 Droll Role 4 Eddie Maple Thomas J. Kelly John M. Schiff 1:49.20
1971 Chompion 6 Jorge Velásquez Ivor G. Balding C. V. Whitney 2:34.40
1970 Semillant 5 Jean Cruguet Angel Penna Sr. Sarah Hall 2:37.20
1969 Beau Marker 4 Leroy Moyers Lucien Laurin Reginald N. Webster 2:04.60
1968 Out Of The Way 3 John L. Rotz Max Hirsch King Ranch 2:02.80
1967 Good Knight 5 Karl Korte Arnold Scruton Jr. Arnold Scruton 2:02.40
1966 Fast Count 3 Mike Venezia Ivor G. Balding C. V. Whitney 2:01.20
1965 Smart 6 Eldon Nelson Henry S. Clark Christiana Stables 2:01.60
1964 Smart 5 Eldon Nelson Henry S. Clark Christiana Stables 2:03.20
1963 Crimson Satan 4 Herberto Hinojosa Gordon R. Potter Crimson King Farm 2:01.20
1962 Air Pilot 8 Leroy Moyers Robert E. Holthus Horace J. Wise 2:01.40
1961 Polylad 5 Eddie Arcaro Thomas M. Miles Mrs. Quentin A. S. McKean 2:01.80
1960 Talent Show 5 Ray Broussard James P. Conway Ada L. Rice 2:03.60
1959 Air Pilot 5 Jack Leonard Clyde Troutt Ada L. Rice 2:02.40
1958 Promised Land 4 Pete D. Anderson Hirsch Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 2:01.80
1957 Greek Spy 4 Eric Guerin Sherrill W. Ward Charles U. Bay 2:03.20
1956 Midafternoon 4 William Boland Thomas M. Waller Mrs. Edward E. Robbins 2:04.00
1955 Helioscope 4 Sam Boulmetis Sr. Frank Caltrone William G. Helis Jr. 2:01.00
1954 Wise Margin 4 Keith Stuart Sam N. Edmundson Samuel Tufano 2:01.60
1953 Royal Vale 5 Jack Westrope James E. Ryan Esther D. du Pont 2:02.20
1952 To Market 4 William Boland Max Hirsch King Ranch 2:01.40
1951 One Hitter 5 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 2:02.20
1950 Cochise 4 Eddie Arcaro Virgil W. Raines Brandywine Stable 2:01.80
1949 First Nighter 4 Joseph Renick William J. Hirsch Sam A. Mason II 2:04.60
1948 Beauchef 5 Ruperto Donoso Robert B. Odom Andes Stable 2:02.60
1947 Stymie 6 Conn McCreary Hirsch Jacobs Ethel D. Jacobs 1:50.00
1946 Pavot 4 Arnold Kirkland Oscar White Walter M. Jeffords 1:49.80
1945 First Fiddle 6 Johnny Longden Eddie Mulrenan Mrs. E. Mulrenan 1:49.40
1944 First Fiddle 5 Johnny Longden Eddie Mulrenan Mrs. E. Mulrenan 1:49.00
1943 Market Wise 5 Vincenzo Nodarse George W. Carroll Louis Tufano 1:52.00
1942 Whirlaway 4 George Woolf Ben A. Jones Calumet Farm 1:48.20
1941 War Relic 3 Ted Atkinson Walter A. Carter Glen Riddle Farm 1:48.60
1940 Eight Thirty 4 Harry Richards Bert Mulholland George D. Widener Jr. 1:49.00
1939 Fighting Fox 4 James Stout James Fitzsimmons Belair Stud 1:52.00
1938 Menow 3 Nick Wall Duval A. Headley Hal Price Headley 1:52.60
1937 Seabiscuit 4 Red Pollard Tom Smith Charles S. Howard 1:49.00
1936 Time Supply 5 Raymond Workman Carl A. Roles Mrs. Frank A. Carreaud 1:49.80
1935 Top Row 4 George Woolf Albert A. Baroni Albert A. Baroni 1:49.40

* Day Court finished first in 1959 but was disqualified and placed second.
* Raced in two divisions in 1977.

References
  1. Seven Additional Graded Stakes in 2009
  2. Thirteen Fewer Graded Stakes in 2011
  3. "Champion Smashes Track Mark To Win". New York Times. 1942-07-16. Section Sports, page 24. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  4. Champions – The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds (2005)
  5. Suffolk Downs Economics
  6. MassCap Returns
  7. 2008 Breeders' Cup Challenge series
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