Massachusetts Handicap
| Ungraded race (discontinued) | |
 Starting gate at Suffolk Downs. | |
| Location | Suffolk Downs East Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | October 16, 1935 |
| Last run | 2008 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat |
| Website | Official website |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1⅛ miles (9 furlongs) 1½ miles (12 furlongs) (1970–1971) 1¼ miles (10 furlongs) (1948–1969) |
| Surface | Dirt Turf (1970–1971) |
| Track | Left-handed |
| Qualification | 3 years old and up |
| Weight | Handicap |
| Purse | $500,000 |
| Bonuses | $200,000 $100,000 |
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]
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:
- 14 lengths – Commentator (2008)
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:
- 4 – Jerry D. Bailey (1995, 1996, 1998, 2001)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 3 – Sonny Hine (1986, 1997, 1998) and Clyde Troutt (1959, 1960, 1962)
Winners
* Day Court finished first in 1959 but was disqualified and placed second.
* Raced in two divisions in 1977.
References
- ^ Seven Additional Graded Stakes in 2009
- ^ Thirteen Fewer Graded Stakes in 2011
- ^ "Champion Smashes Track Mark To Win". New York Times. 1942-07-16. Section Sports, page 24. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- ^ Champions – The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds (2005)
- ^ Suffolk Downs Economics
- ^ MassCap Returns
- ^ 2008 Breeders' Cup Challenge series
External links
- History at MassCap.com