# Royal Palm Handicap

The Royal Palm Handicap was a Thoroughbred race for horses age three and older raced between 1946 and 2001 at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida. It was raced on dirt from inception in 1946 to 1976 after which it was run on the grass course with the exceptions of 1986 and 1997 when, for safety concerns due to the effects of inclement weather, the race was shifted to the main dirt track.

## Historical notes

The inaugural running of the Royal Palm took place on January 23, 1946 and was won by the four-year-old gelding Concordian. Owned by Barney Murphy, trained by Robert Odom and ridden by Joe Renick, they would soon follow up with another win in Hialeah's McLennan Handicap.
Three Rings won this race in three consecutive years from 1949 through 1951. Retired with earnings of $297,077, Three Rings had been purchased for $7,500 by Evelyn L. Hopkins of Cleveland, Ohio from his breeder/owner John Phipps at a June 17, 1948 sale at Aqueduct Racetrack.
There was no race in 1977 and on its return on January 21, 1978 the Royal Palm became a race on turf.
The 1988 Royal Palm Handicap was run on December 5, 1987.
In the March 26, 1995 edition, D J's Rainbow and Gone For Real raced to a dead heat win.
The Royal Palm Handicap had its final running on opening day March 17, 2001 when Hialeah Park was celebrating its 75th anniversary. Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey rode Del Mar Show to victory for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:39.60 @ 1-1/16 miles: Social Retiree (1994)
* 1:48.20 @ 1-1/8 miles: Hitting Away (1962)
Most wins:
* 3 - Three Rings (1949, 1950, 1951)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 4 - Jerry Bailey (1978, 1983, 1984, 2001)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 3 - William J. Knapp (1949, 1950, 1951)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 - Evelyn L. Hopkins (1949, 1950, 1951)
* 3 - Ogden Phipps (1962, 1963, 1964)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Miles) | Time | Gr. |
| 2001 | Del Mar Show | 4 | Jerry Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson Living Trust | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:39.80 | L/R |
| 2000 | Wertz | 4 | Eibar Coa | Joseph Calascibetta | Sunshine Thoroughbred Corp. | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:40.86 | L/R |
| 1999 | Hurrahy | 6 | Eibar Coa | Martin D. Wolfson | Martin L. Cherry | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:39.98 | G3 |
| 1998 | Born Mighty | 4 | Jose Rivera II | William P. White | Judson Van Worp | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:43.04 | G3 |
| 1997 | Laughing Dan | 4 | Pedro Rodriguez | Luis Olivares | Cobble View Stable (Gardner F. Landon) | 1-1/16 m (d) | 1:42.36 | G3 |
| 1996 | Marcie's Ensign | 4 | Eibar Coa | Luis Olivares | Stanley Ersoff | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:40.00 | G3 |
| 1995 | D J's Rainbow (DH) Gone For Real | 5 | Wigberto Ramos Joe Bravo | George R. Handy Flint S. Schulhofer | G. Thompson & James Velsor Morven Stud | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:40.06 | G3 |
| 1994 | Social Retiree | 7 | Jose A. Santos | Barclay Tagg | Barclay Tagg | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:39.60 | |
| 1993 | I'm a Lil Devil | 6 | Miguel A. Gonzalez | Cindy A. Baulieu | Lawrence Durocher Jr. | 1-1/8 m (t) (±) | 1:47.80 | |
| 1992 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1991 | Stage Colony | 4 | Ricardo Lopez | Burke Kessinger Jr. | Gary Drake & Bruce Barton | 1 1/16 m (t) | 1:43.40 | |
| 1990 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1989 | Equalize | 7 | Jose A. Santos | Angel Penna Sr. | Alejandro Menditeguy | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:40.60 | G3 |
| 1988 | Salem Drive | 5 | Gene St. Leon | Richard J. Lundy | Virginia Kraft Payson | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:42.20 | G3 |
| 1987 | Storm on the Loose | 4 | Jorge Velasquez | Phil England | Richard R. Kennedy | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.80 | G3 |
| 1986 | Czar Nijinsky | 4 | Herb McCauley | Clarence J. Hofher | Jacqueline & Miquel Torrealba | 1-1/16 m (d) | 1:40.40 | G3 |
| 1985 | Dr. Schwartzman | 4 | Craig Perret | Warren A. Croll Jr. | Blanche P. Levy | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.80 | G3 |
| 1984-1 | Out of Hock | 5 | Carlos E. Lopez Sr. | Stanley M. Rieser | Charles J. Cella | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.00 | |
| 1984-2 | Erin's Tiger | 6 | Jerry Bailey | Richard S. Nieminski | Mrs. Dennis Wuesener | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:42.00 | |
| 1983-1 | McCann | 5 | Jerry Bailey | Stephen A. DiMauro | Dogwood Stable | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.00 | |
| 1983-2 | Discovered | 5 | Don MacBeth | Carl J. Domino | J. Louis Levesque Stables, Inc. | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:40.80 | |
| 1982 | Roll of Power | 5 | Alfred Gibert | Mitri Saliba | Buckram Oak Farm (Mahmoud Fustok) | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.80 | |
| 1981 | Spence Bay | 6 | Octavio Vergara | Neal J. Winick | Nelson Bunker Hunt & Summa Stable | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.00 | |
| 1980 | French Colonial | 5 | Jacinto Vasquez | David A. Whiteley | Lazy F Ranch | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:41.00 | |
| 1990 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1978-1 | Interdicto | 5 | Mickey Solomone | Michael Aronow | Michael Aronow | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:42.80 | |
| 1978-2 | Dreaming of Moe | 4 | Jerry Bailey | Neal J. Winick | Maribel G. Blum | 1-1/16 m (t) | 1:42.80 | |
| 1977 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1976 | Knightly Sport | 4 | Heliodoro Gustines | John M. Gaver Jr. | Greentree Stable | 7 f (d) | 1:22.20 | G3 |
| 1975 | Sports Editor | 4 | Jorge Velasquez | John A. Nerud | June M. Benson | 7 f (d) | 1:22.20 | G3 |
| 1974 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1973-1 | Nose For Money | 4 | Don MacBeth | W. R. (Bill) Smith | Warren Bleidner | 7 f (d) | 1:22.80 | G3 |
| 1973-2 | Traffic Cop | 4 | Marco Castaneda | James P. Conway | Adele L. Rand | 7 f (d) | 1:22.60 | G3 |
| 1972 | Farewell Party | 4 | Robert Woodhouse | J. Elliott Burch | Rokeby Stables | 7 f (d) | 1:22.60 |
| 1971 | Lion Sleeps | 5 | Bill Hartack | John Zarthar | Celestino Dilibero | 7 f (d) | 1:23.20 |
| 1970 | Fast Hilarious | 4 | Jacinto Vasquez | Joseph M. Bollero | Dorothy Comiskey Rigney | 7 f (d) | 1:21.60 |
| 1969 | Royal Exchange | 4 | Angel Cordero Jr. | Henry Forrest | Calumet Farm | 7 f (d) | 1:21.80 |
| 1968 | Jim J | 4 | Angel Cordero Jr. | Edward J. Yowell | Harold H. Polk | 7 f (d) | 1:23.00 |
| 1967 | Bold and Brave | 4 | Braulio Baeza | Edward A. Neloy | Wheatley Stable | 7 f (d) | 1:23.20 |
| 1966 | Gallant Romeo | 5 | Kennard Knapp | Willard L. Proctor | J. Graham Brown | 7 f (d) | 1:23.40 |
| 1965 | Sunstruck | 5 | William Boland | H. Allen Jerkens | Hobeau Farm | 7 f (d) | 1:23.20 |
| 1964 | Royal Ascot | 4 | Wayne Chambers | Alfred A. Robertson | Ogden Phipps | 7 f (d) | 1:23.20 |
| 1963 | Hitting Away | 5 | Johnny Sellers | James E. Fitzsimmons | Ogden Phipps | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:47.60 |
| 1962 | Hitting Away | 4 | Bobby Ussery | James E. Fitzsimmons | Ogden Phipps | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:48.20 |
| 1961 | Yorky | 4 | Johnny Sellers | Jimmy Jones | Calumet Farm | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.60 |
| 1960 | Stratmat | 6 | George Gibb | Harry Silver | Modan Stable (Moe Fiengold) | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.20 |
| 1959 | Petare | 8 | Gustavo Ávila | Millard F. Ziadie | Anselmo A. Dorato | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:48.60 |
| 1958 | Kingmaker | 5 | Robert Ussery | Frank I. Wright | Happy Hill Farm (Cortright & Ella Wetherill) | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:52.20 |
| 1957 | First Served | 6 | Sam Boulmetis | John A. Nerud | James J. Crowley | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:50.00 |
| 1956 | Sea O Erin | 5 | Bill Hartack | Harry Trotsek | Hasty House Farm | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:50.40 |
| 1955 | Sea O Erin | 4 | Kenneth Church | Harry Trotsek | Hasty House Farm | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:53.00 |
| 1954 | Count Cain | 4 | Robert Permane | John W. Nizlek | John W. Nizlek | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.20 |
| 1953 | Crafty Admiral | 5 | Kenneth Church | Robert B. Odom | Charfran Stable (Charles & Frances Cohen) | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:53.80 |
| 1952 | Greek Ship | 5 | Ronnie Nash | Preston M. Burch | Brookmeade Stable | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.40 |
| 1951 | Three Rings | 6 | Hedley Woodhouse | William J. Knapp | Evelyn L. Hopkins | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:50.60 |
| 1950 | Three Rings | 5 | Hedley Woodhouse | William J. Knapp | Evelyn L. Hopkins | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.40 |
| 1949 | Three Rings | 4 | Douglas Dodson | William J. Knapp | Evelyn L. Hopkins | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:50.20 |
| 1948 | Incline | 5 | Douglas Dodson | Charles M. Feltner | Joseph Tucci | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.60 |
| 1947 | Round View | 4 | Louis F. Hildebrandt | Hollie Hughes | Sanford Stud Farms | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:50.20 |
| 1946 | Concordian | 4 | Joe Renick | Robert B. Odom | Barney A. Murphy | 1-1/8 m (d) | 1:49.60 |