# Garden State Stakes

The Garden State Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid November at the now defunct Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. A futurity event for two-year-olds, it is sometimes referred to as the Garden State Futurity. By 1956, the total purse offered was more than $300,000 (including all nomination and starting fees), making it the richest horse race in the world.
The race was contested on dirt until 1994 when it was changed to a race on turf. It was raced at various distances:
* On dirt:
* Inception – 1952: 6 furlongs on dirt
* 1953–1972, 1993: 1+1⁄16 miles on dirt
* 1985–1992: 1+1⁄8 miles on dirt
* 1998 : 1 mile on dirt (1998 race switched from turf due to heavy rains)
* On turf:
* 1994–1995 : 1+1⁄16 miles on turf
* 1996–1997, 1999 : 1 mile on turf
In 1955, the racetrack created a counterpart for fillies called the Gardenia Stakes.
The Garden State Stakes was placed on hiatus in 1973 and after a fire destroyed the racetrack on April 14, 1977 it would not be run again until a new track was built by International Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. through its wholly owned subsidiary, Garden State Race Track, Inc. headed by Robert E. Brennan that opened on April 1, 1985. The March 18, 2000 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Garden State Stakes had been cancelled for financial reasons.

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Furlongs) | Time |
| 1999 | Judges' View | Jesus Castanon | Luis Collazo | Lee A. Rogalski | 8 F | 1:39.10 |
| 1998 | Who Did It and Run | Felix Ortiz | Debra Sones | Debra Sones | 8 F | 1:36.51 |
| 1997 | Keep it Strait | Charles C. Lopez | Joseph H. Pierce Jr. | M. Delfiner & A. Gilman | 8 F | 1:43.05 |
| 1996 | Fitz | Victor Molina | Edward Colettti Jr. | Ken and Sarah Ramsey | 8 F | 1:40.69 |
| 1995 | Claramount Hill | Julie Krone | Philip M. Serpe | Double R. Stable | 8.5 F | 1:44.26 |
| 1994 | Alleged Impression | Mario Verge | Eddie Gaudet | Morris Bailey | 8.5 F | 1:44.56 |
| 1993 | Tri For The Gold | Matthew Vigliotti | Robert Seeger | Plumstead Stables | 8.5 F | 1:45.02 |
| 1992 | Fling | Nick Santagata | Ronald Glorioso | Prescott & Pamela McCardell | 9 F | 1:53.58 |
| 1991 | Tank | Rick Wilson | Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. | Bohemia Stable | 9 F | 1:51.03 |
| 1990 | Killer Diller | James Bruin | Frank A. Alexander | Barry K. Schwartz | 9 F | 1:52.40 |
| 1989 | Faultless Ensign | Chris DeCarlo | Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. | B. W. Perkins Sr./Anthony Tornetta | 9 F | 1:51.20 |
| 1988 | Tsarbaby | Herb McCauley | D. Wayne Lukas | Peter M. Brant | 9 F | 1:52.20 |
| 1987 | Mister S M | Frank Lovato Jr. | Stephen L. DiMauro | Samuel F. Morrell | 9 F | 1:49.80 |
| 1986 | Fobby Forbes | Randy Romero | Carlos Garcia | Due Process Stable | 9 F | 1:51.00 |
| 1985 | Spend a Buck | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Cam Gambolati | Hunter Farm | 9 F | 1:45.80 |
| 1972 | Secretariat | Ron Turcotte | Lucien Laurin | Meadow Stable | 8.5 F | 1:44.40 |
| 1971 | Riva Ridge | Ron Turcotte | Lucien Laurin | Meadow Stable | 8.5 F | 1:43.60 |
| 1970 | Run the Gantlet | John L. Rotz | J. Elliott Burch | Rokeby Stable | 8.5 F | 1:45.00 |
| 1969 | Forum | Walter Blum | Eugene Jacobs | Herbert A. Allen Sr. | 8.5 F | 1:44.40 |
| 1968 | Beau Brummel | Braulio Baeza | Edward A. Neloy | Ogden Mills Phipps | 8.5 F | 1:44.60 |
| 1967 | Bugged | Eddie Belmonte | Ivor G. Balding | C. V. Whitney | 8.5 F | 1:44.80 |
| 1966 | Successor | Braulio Baeza | Edward A. Neloy | Wheatley Stable | 8.5 F | 1:44.20 |
| 1965 | Prince Saim | Joe Culmone | Al Pepino | Pepino brothers | 8.5 F | 1.42.80 |
| 1964 | Sadair | Manuel Ycaza | Les Lear | North Forty Stable | 8.5 F | 1:41.00 |
| 1963 | Hurry to Market | W. C. Cook | David Erb | Roger Wilson/Mrs. T. P. Hull Jr. | 8.5 F | 1:45.20 |
| 1962 | Crewman | Bill Shoemaker | Winbert F. Mulholland | George D. Widener Jr. | 8.5 F | 1:44.00 |
| 1961 | Crimson Satan | Bill Shoemaker | Gordon R. Potter | Crimson King Farm | 8.5 F | 1:44.20 |
| 1960 | Carry Back | Johnny Sellers | Jack A. Price | Mrs. Katherine Price | 8.5 F | 1:46.40 |
| 1959 | Warfare | Ismael Valenzuela | Hack Ross | Bellehurst Stable (Clifton Jones Jr.) | 8.5 F | 1:42.80 |
| 1958 | First Landing | Eddie Arcaro | Casey Hayes | Christopher Chenery | 8.5 F | 1:46.40 |
| 1957 | Nadir | Bill Hartack | Moody Jolley | Claiborne Farm | 8.5 F | 1:44.20 |
| 1956 | Barbizon | Bill Hartack | Horace A. Jones | Calumet Farm | 8.5 F | 1:44.80 |
| 1955 | Prince John | Angel Valenzuela | Walter A. Kelley | Elmendorf Farm | 8.5 F | 1:42.60 |
| 1954 | Summer Tan | Eric Guerin | Sherrill W. Ward | Dorothy Firestone | 8.5 F | 1:46.20 |
| 1953 | Turn-To | Henry Moreno | Eddie Hayward | Cain Hoy Stable | 8.5 F | 1:46.20 |
| 1952 | Laffango | Nick Shuk | Merritt A. Buxton | Trio Stable | 6 F | 1:11.40 |
| 1951 | Candle Wood | Chris Rogers | Lyman A. Brusie | Robert C. Hanna | 6 F | 1:11.80 |
| 1950 | Iswas | Joe Culmone | Dan W. Kerns | Brookfield Farm | 6 F | 1:11.40 |
| 1949 | Cornwall | Bob Strange | B. Frank Christmas | Abram S. Hewitt | 6 F | 1:11.40 |
| 1948 | Blue Peter | Wayne Wright | Andy Schuttinger | Joseph M. Roebling | 5 F | 1:00.80 |
| 1947 | Itsabet | Don Padgett | Dan W. Kerns | Brookfield Farm | 6 F | 1:11.60 |
| 1946 | Double Jay | Johnny Breen | Walter L. McCue | Ridgewood Stable | 6 F | 1:11.00 |
| 1945 | Air Rate | Harry Pratt | Ralph Lentini | Frederick Wyse | 6 F | 1:13.20 |
| 1944 | Alexis | | John A. Healey | Christiana Stable | 6 F | |