The Tidal Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race on turf run from 1964 through 1993. A race for horses age three and older, it was inaugurated on July 18, 1964, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. It remained there through 1974 after which it was transferred to Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Tidal Handicap
Discontinued race (discontinued)
LocationBelmont Park,
Elmont, New York
United States
Inaugurated1964
Last run1993
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance1+38 miles
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree years old and older
PurseUS$100,000

From inception, the Tidal Handicap was run in late June or early July until 1991 when it was moved to a run date in mid-October.[1]

The Tidal Handicap was the third of Belmont Park's four major summer grass races for older horses. The unofficial series began with the Red Smith Handicap (G2) in early June, followed by the Bowling Green Handicap (G1) in mid-June, and finished with the Sword Dancer Handicap (G1) at the end of July.[2]

History

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The 1964 inaugural running at Aqueduct Racetrack was won by Master Dennis under jockey Fernando Alvarez for future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Burley Parke and owner Harbor View Farm, the stable that in 1978 would win the U.S. Triple Crown series.[3]

The 1966 winner Assagai went on to be voted that year's American Champion Male Turf Horse.[4]

Fort Marcy, a multiple National Champion runner, including 1970 American Horse of the Year honors, and a future Hall of Fame inductee for the Rokeby Stables of Paul Mellon, became the first horse to win the Tidal Handicap more than once. He did it for the first time in 1967 on a soft Aqueduct course with future Canadian and U.S. Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte aboard.[5] Carrying high weight, Fort Marcy won it for the second time in 1969 and again over a course soft enough that it resulted in a very slow winning time. This time his jockey was Manny Yacaza, another future Hall of Fame inductee. In the winner's circle, legendary Big Band leader Duke Ellington presented a trophy to each of Fort Marcy's team made up of owner Paul Mellon, one of only five people made an Exemplar of Racing, jockey Ycaza and trainer J. Elliott Burch, a future Hall of Fame inductee and a son and grandson of Hall of Fame trainers.[6][7]

William Haggin Perry's Tiller would be the only other horse to win the Tidal Handicap twice. Trained by David Whiteley, Tiller came into the July 2, 1978 Tidal Handicap having broken the Belmont Park turf course record with a time of 2:13 flat for the mile and three-eighths in the June 17 Bowling Green Handicap. Tiller was ridden in that race by future Canadian Hall of Fame jockey Jeffrey Fell who was also aboard for his win in the Tidal Handicap.[8] Tiller got his second win in the Tidal in 1980 under jockey Ruben Hernandez.[1]

Trainer Jose Martin, son of U.S. Hall of Fame trainer Pancho Martin of Sham fame, got his first stakes win in a New York Racing Association event when he won the 1973 Tidal Handicap with Jogging.[9]

Noble Dancer broke the Belmont Park course record in winning the 1977 Tidal Handicap. He was ridden by Steve Cauthen whose win was his first ever in a race on grass. A future U.S. Hall of Fame inductee, in 1978 Cauthen would win the U.S. Triple Crown aboard Affirmed.[10]

In 1984, the Tidal Handicap was won by a horse named Win. The race was run over the Belmont Park dirt track after rainy weather resulted in track officials determining the turf course to be unsafe. Trained by Sally Bailie, Win apparently liked the dirt as he beat the closest horse to him by 11 lengths.[11]

The Tidal Handicap of 1986 was won by Darby Dan Farm's Proud Truth.[1] In 1985 Proud Truth had won the Breeders' Cup Classic.[12]

With Approval came into the 1990 Tidal Handicap as the prior year's Canadian Triple Crown winner and Canada's Horse of the Year. The future Canadian Hall of Fame inductee did not disappoint, getting an easy win.[13][14] Reporting on his performance, the New York Times said "With Approval confirmed his standing as the best grass horse in the East this year."[15]

When last run on 18 October 1993 the event held Grade 2 classification.[1]

Records

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Speed record:

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(miles)
Time
Grade
Win
$
1993 Mio Robertino 4 Walter Guerra Nicholas Zito Robert Perez 1-3/8 m 2:17.82 $71,280 G2
1992 Revasser 3 Thierry Jarnet Andre Fabre Juddmonte Farms 1-3/8 m 2:14.52 $74,280 G2
1991 Passagere du Soir 4 Mike E. Smith Andre Fabre Paul de Moussac 1-3/8 m 2:15.30 $74,760 G2
1990 With Approval 4 Craig Perret Roger Attfield Kinghaven Farms 1-3/8 m 2:12.23 $52,560 G2
1989 Three Engines 4 Jean-Luc Samyn Michael J. Kelly Adele L. Rand 1-3/8 m 2:15.67 $72,840 G2
1988 Glaros 6 Robbie Davis Thomas Skiffington Jr. Mandysland Farm (Richard Eamer) 1-3/8 m 2:16.40 $103,140 G2
1987 Dance of Life 4 Randy Romero MacKenzie Miller Rokeby Stables 1-3/8 m 2:16.00 $105,840 G2
1986 Proud Truth 4 Jorge Velasquez John M. Veitch Darby Dan Farm 1-3/8 m 2:13.00 G2
1985 Who's For Dinner 6 Angel Cordero Jr. Jan H. Nerud Tartan Stable 1-3/8 m 2:15.40 $89,460 G2
1984 Win 4 Antonio Graell Sally A. Bailie Sally A. Bailie, Frederick Ephraim, Paul Cornman 1-3/8 m 2:18.60 $73,200 G2
1983 Hush Dear 5 Jean-Luc Samyn J. Elliott Burch Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney 1-3/8 m 2:12.80 G2
1982 Nijinsky's Secret 4 Jeffrey Fell William J. Hirsch Jr. Hedley McDougald 1-3/8 m 2:12.60 G2
1981 Masked Marvel 5 Angel Cordero Jr. Angel Penna Sr. Wildenstein Stable 1-3/8 m 2:13.20 $34,980 G2
1980 Tiller 6 Ruben Hernandez David A. Whiteley William Haggin Perry 1-3/8 m 2:12.80 $34,200 G2
1979 Golden Reserve 5 Jean-Luc Samyn Michael Kay G. Watts Humphrey 1-3/8 m 2:13.20 $33,150 G2
1978 Tiller 4 Jeffrey Fell David A. Whiteley William Haggin Perry 1-3/8 m 2:13.00 G2
1977 Noble Dancer 5 Steve Cauthen Thomas J. Kelly Spring Hill Stable (Haakon Fretheim) 1 3/8 m 2:12.60 G2
1976 Erwin Boy 5 Ron Turcotte James P. Conway Sea High Stable (Erwin Finsterwald & Fred Baum) 1-3/8 m 2:16.00 $35,100 G2
1975 Brigand 4 Heliodoro Gustines Leonard Imperio Nelson Bunker Hunt 1-3/8 m 2:13.80 $34,950 G2
1974 Halo 5 Jorge Velasquez MacKenzie Miller Cragwood Stable 1-3/16 m 1:55.00 $35,310 G2
1973 Jogging 6 Angel Cordero Jr. Jose A. Martin Phillip Wise 1-3/16 m 1:53.40 $34,920 G2
1972 Droll Role 4 Eddie Maple Thomas J. Kelly John M. Schiff 1-3/16 m 1:54.00 $35,460
1971 Run The Gantlet 3 Robert Woodhouse J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables 1 3/16 m 1:51.60 $36,600
1970 Mr. Leader 4 Chuck Baltazar MacKenzie Miller Cragwood Stable 1-1/8 m 1:49.80 $40,040
1969 Fort Marcy 5 Manuel Ycaza J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables 1-1/8 m 1:55.20 $37,895
1968 More Scents 4 Angel Cordero Jr. Philip G. Johnson Meadowhill Stable (Morton Rosenthal & Alfred Green) 1-1/8 m 1:47.60 $38,220
1967 Fort Marcy 3 Ron Turcotte J. Elliott Burch Rokeby Stables 1-1/8 m 1:52.20 $37,365
1966 Assagai 3 Larry Adams MacKenzie Miller Charles W. Engelhard Jr. 1-1/8 m 1:49.00 $38,805
1965 Or et Argent 4 Robert Ussery Wayne Stucki Colin Campbell 1-1/8 m 1:49.40 $38,155
1964 Master Dennis 4 Fernando Alvarez Burley Parke Harbor View Farm 1-1/8 m 1:49.00 $18,785
  • † Run on the main dirt track.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Tidal Handicap". Equibase Co LLC. 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  2. ^ "Horse Racing; Upset in the Tidal For Three Engines". New York Times, Section 8, page 5. 1989-07-09. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  3. ^ "Master Dennis Captures Tidal". New York Daily News, page 144. 1964-07-19. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
  4. ^ The Bloodhorse.com Champion's history charts Archived September 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Fort Marcy, $7, Wins Tidal Handicap". New York Times, Section Sports, page 143. 1967-07-30. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  6. ^ "Fort Marcy Is Victor in Tidal Handicap at Aqueduct". New York Times, Section Sports, page 1. 1969-07-27. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  7. ^ J. Elliott Burch at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Archived July 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Tiller Romps at Belmont". New York Times, page 10. 1978-07-03. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  9. ^ "Jose Martin,Trainer of Groovy, Dies at 63". Bloodhorse.com. 2006-11-23. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  10. ^ "Cauthen Gets 'Triple' Again at Belmont". New York Times, page 33. 1977-06-30. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  11. ^ "Slew o' Gold To Make '84 Debut Today". New York times, Section C, page 9. 1984-07-02.
  12. ^ "Event By Year". Breederscup.com. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  13. ^ "With Approval". Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. 1993-12-01. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  14. ^ "With Approval coasts in Tidal 'Cap". Louisville Courier-Journal. 1990-07-08. Retrieved 2021-06-22.
  15. ^ "With Approval Wins". New York Times, Section 8, page 4. 1990-07-08. Retrieved 2021-06-21.