# Honorable Miss Handicap

The Honorable Miss Handicap is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old or older over a distance of six furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $200,000.

## History

The event is named after the winning mare Honorable Miss who won the Fall Highweight Handicap twice at Belmont Park defeating male company.
The inaugural running of the event was on 3 November 1985 at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York during the NYRA Big A Fall Meeting as the Honorable Miss Stakes and was won by the three-year-old filly Schematic, who was trained by the US Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito in a time of 1:101⁄5. The following year the distance of the event was increased to 1 mile, and in 1987 the event was moved to Belmont Park and held during the NYRA Fall Meeting in October.
The event was idle for four years, and NYRA resumed it they scheduled the race at Saratoga as a six-furlong sprint race.
In 1996 the event was classified as Grade III and upgraded to Grade II in 2004.
The distance for the event was increased to six and a half furlongs only for the 1993 running.
The event was run in split divisions in 2000.

## Records

Speed record:
* 6 furlongs: 1:08.76 – Echo Zulu (2023)
Margins:
* 12+1⁄2 lengths – Wisla (1986)
Most wins:
* 2 – Bourbon Belle (1999, 2000)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 – Edgar S. Prado (2002, 2003, 2009)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 – Steven M. Asmussen (2005, 2015, 2023)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – George & Kay Hofmeister, Donna Salmen & Susan Bunning (1999, 2000)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| At Saratoga – Honorable Miss Handicap |||||||||||
| 2024 | Spirit Wind | 5 | Mike E. Smith | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Miller Racing | 6 furlongs | 1:10.36 | $194,000 | II | |
| 2023 | Echo Zulu | 4 | Flavien Prat | Steve Asmussen | L and N Racing & Winchell Thoroughbreds | 6 furlongs | 1:08.76 | $186,000 | II | |
| 2022 | Kimari | 5 | Joel Rosario | Wesley A. Ward | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Westerberg Limited & Jonathon Poulin | 6 furlongs | 1:10.78 | $186,000 | II | |
| 2021 | Bell's the One | 5 | Corey Lanerie | Neil Pessin | Lothenbach Stables | 6 furlongs | 1:09.83 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2020 | Come Dancing | 6 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Carlos F. Martin | Blue Devil Racing Stable | 6 furlongs | 1:08.74 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2019 | Minit to Stardom | 4 | Alex Cintron | Jose M. Camejo | Brittlyn Stable | 6 furlongs | 1:08.81 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2018 | Finley'sluckycharm | 5 | Brian Hernandez Jr. | W. Bret Calhoun | Carl R. Moore | 6 furlongs | 1:09.48 | $194,000 | II | |
| 2017 | Paulassilverlining | 5 | José L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Juddmonte Farms | 6 furlongs | 1:10.10 | $196,000 | II | |
| 2016 | Haveyougoneaway | 5 | Kendrick Carmouche | Thomas Morley | Sequel Racing | 6 furlongs | 1:09.94 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2015 | † Street Story | 4 | Javier Castellano | Steven M. Asmussen | Whispering Oaks Farm | 6 furlongs | 1:09.14 | $190,000 | II | |
| 2014 | R Free Roll | 4 | Paco Lopez | Danny Gargan | Averill Racing & Silver Oak Stable | 6 furlongs | 1:10.12 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2013 | Dance to Bristol | 4 | Xavier Perez | Ollie L. Figgins III | Susan H. Wantz | 6 furlongs | 1:09.73 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2012 | C C's Pal | 5 | Junior Alvarado | Richard E. Dutrow Jr. | Eric Fein | 6 furlongs | 1:09.88 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2011 | Tar Heel Mom | 6 | Alex O. Solis | Stanley M. Hough | Alex Rankin | 6 furlongs | 1:10.42 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2010 | Secret Gypsy | 5 | Jamie Theriot | Ronny W. Werner | Richland Hills Stable & John Kuehl | 6 furlongs | 1:09.82 | $147,000 | II | |
| 2009 | Game Face | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Todd A. Pletcher | Zabeel Racing International | 6 furlongs | 1:10.70 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2008 | Any Limit | 5 | Cornelio Velásquez | H. Allen Jerkens | Joseph V. Shields Jr. | 6 furlongs | 1:09.98 | $147,000 | II | |
| 2007 | Burmilla | 4 | Rafael Bejarano | Eoin G. Harty | Darley Stable | 6 furlongs | 1:09.51 | $147,000 | II | |
| 2006 | Stormy Kiss (ARG) | 4 | Javier Castellano | Barclay Tagg | Lael Stables | 6 furlongs | 1:10.58 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2005 | Forest Music | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Steven M. Asmussen | Stonestreet Stables | 6 furlongs | 1:10.06 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2004 | My Trusty Cat | 4 | Pat Day | David R. Vance | Carl F. Pollard | 6 furlongs | 1:10.37 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2003 | Willa On the Move | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Anthony W. Dutrow | Peter G. Angelos | 6 furlongs | 1:09.92 | $107,600 | III | |
| 2002 | Mandy's Gold | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Michael E. Gorham | Steeplechase Farm | 6 furlongs | 1:09.24 | $108,500 | III | |
| 2001 | Big Bambu | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Alan Sobol | Edward E. Marshall & John Schoonover | 6 furlongs | 1:09.64 | $103,000 | III | |
| 2000 | Debby d'Or | 5 | Shane Sellers | Daniel G. Switzer | Albert Lobrillo | 6 furlongs | 1:10.11 | $110,750 | III | Division 1 |
| 2000 | Bourbon Belle | 5 | Willie Martinez | Peter W. Salmen Jr. | George & Kay Hofmeister, Donna Salmen & Susan Bunning | 6 furlongs | 1:08.93 | $109,750 | III | Division 2 |
| 1999 | Bourbon Belle | 4 | Patrick A. Johnson | Peter W. Salmen Jr. | George & Kay Hofmeister, Donna Salmen & Susan Bunning | 6 furlongs | 1:09.53 | $112,600 | III | |
| 1998 | Furlough | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Ogden Phipps | 6 furlongs | 1:11.32 | $81,275 | III | |
| Honorable Miss Stakes |||||||||||
| 1997 | Dancin Renee | 5 | Richard Migliore | Robert Triola | Sanford Bacon | 6 furlongs | 1:09.16 | $80,775 | III | |
| 1996 | Twist Afleet | 5 | Mike E. Smith | John C. Kimmel | Lucille Conover | 6 furlongs | 1:09.91 | $81,675 | III | |
| 1995 | Low Key Affair | 4 | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Moyglare Stud | 6 furlongs | 1:09.67 | $80,325 | Listed | |
| 1994 | Classy Mirage | 4 | Julie Krone | H. Allen Jerkens | Middletown Stables | 6 furlongs | 1:09.72 | $81,126 | Listed | |
| 1993 | Nannerl | 6 | Jerry D. Bailey | Flint S. Schulhofer | Marablue Farm | 6+1⁄2 furlongs | 1:15.19 | $48,400 | | |
| 1992 | Nice Assay | 4 | Chris McCarron | J. Paco Gonzalez | John A. Toffan | 6 furlongs | 1:08.97 | $52,700 | Listed | |
| 1988–1991 | 1988–1991 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| At Belmont Park |||||||||||
| 1987 | Funistrada | 4 | Robbie Davis | Jan H. Nerud | John A. Nerud | 1 mile | 1:36.60 | $55,500 | | |
| At Aqueduct |||||||||||
| 1986 | Wisla | 3 | Jacinto Vásquez | David A. Whiteley | William Haggin Perry | 1 mile | 1:36.40 | $53,750 | | |
| 1985 | Schematic | 3 | Robbie Davis | Nicholas P. Zito | William Hackman | 6 furlongs | 1:10.20 | $85,950 | | |
Notes:
† In 2015, La Verdad finished first but was later disqualified and unplaced for a drug violation.