# Honey Fox Stakes

The Honey Fox Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years or older held over a distance of 1 mile on the turf scheduled annually in late February or early March at Gulfstream Park, Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $150,000.

## History

The event was inaugurated on 25 May 1984 as the Honey Fox Stakes for three-year-old fillies over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles and pitted the two divisional winners Oakbrook Lady, Delta Mary from the newly created Herecomesthebride Stakes which was held 16 days earlier. Oakbrook Lady was victorious over Delta Mary with longshot Lady Mellody a distant third in a time of 1:43 flat.
The event was named after the winning mare Honey Fox who won thirteen races in her career including the Grade II Orchid Handicap.
In 1985 Gulfstream Park introduced a new race which was a predecessor to today's named event, known as the Joe Namath Stakes which continued the conditions established in the inaugural running in 1984 with a shorter distance of one mile. This race was named after the New York Jets Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Namath. In 1986 the event's conditions were changed to handicap which also saw a rename to Joe Namath Handicap. Gulfstream Park acknowledges that the Honey Fox Stakes had its beginnings from the Joe Namath Handicap.
However, the name Honey Fox was used in events and a branch continued in 1985 and with the last running in 1991.
Between 1985 and 1989 the event was held in split divisions.
The event was upgraded to Grade III in 1994.
The event was renamed to the Honey Fox Handicap in 2000 and between 2013 and 2017 it was run as a Grade II race.
In 2009, the race was changed from a handicap to an stakes allowance weight basis and rename to the original name of the event - Honey Fox Stakes.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1 mile 1:32.78 – Chili Flag (FR) (2024)
* 1+1⁄16 miles 1:38.31 – Wend (2016)
Margins:
* 12 lengths – One Fine Lady (1985)
Most wins:
* 2 – One Fine Lady (1985, 1986)
* 2 – Fieldy (IRE) (1989, 1990)
* 2 – Centre Court (2013, 2014)
* 2 – Celestine (2017, 2018)

### Most wins by a jockey

* 7 – Jerry D. Bailey (1990, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004)

### Most wins by a trainer

* 8 – William I. Mott (1996, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2015, 2016)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| Honey Fox Stakes |||||||||||
| 2024 | Chili Flag (FR) | 5 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb & Michael E. Kisber | 1 mile | 1:32.78 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2023 | Faith in Humanity (FR) | 4 | Joel Rosario | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 1 mile | 1:34.12 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2022 | In Italian (GB) | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | abt. 1 mile | 1:35.16 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2021 | Got Stormy | 6 | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark E. Casse | My Racehorse CA & Spendthrift Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.52 | $125,000 | III | |
| 2020 | Getmotherarose | 4 | Junior Alvarado | Thomas M. Bush | Mary Abeel Sullivan Trust | 1 mile | 1:34.73 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2019 | Precieuse (IRE) | 4 | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1 mile | 1:34.14 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Lull | 4 | José L. Ortiz | Christophe Clement | Claiborne Farm & Adele Dilschneider | 1 mile | 1:33.14 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2017 | Celestine | 5 | José L. Ortiz | Christophe Clement | Moyglare Stud Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.19 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2016 | Celestine | 4 | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Phaedrus Flights | 1 mile | 1:36.09 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2015 | Lady Lara (IRE) | 4 | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Swettenham Stud | 1 mile | 1:34.03 | $300,000 | II | |
| 2014 | Centre Court | 5 | Julien R. Leparoux | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 1 mile | 1:36.61 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2013 | Centre Court | 4 | Julien R. Leparoux | George R. Arnold II | G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 1 mile | 1:33.18 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2012 | Tapitsfly | 5 | Julien R. Leparoux | Dale L. Romans | Frank L. Jones Jr | 1 mile | 1:34.23 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2011 | Never Retreat | 6 | Julien R. Leparoux | Chris M. Block | Team Block | 1 mile | 1:34.24 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2010 | Wasted Tears | 5 | Cornelio H. Velasquez | Bart B. Evans | Bart B. Evans | 1 mile | 1:33.81 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2009 | I Lost My Choo | 4 | Jose Lezcano | Philip M. Serpe | Flying Zee Stable (Carl Lizza, Jr. &Herbert Hochreiter) | 1 mile | 1:33.40 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2008 | 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 | Race not held |
| Honey Fox Handicap |||||||||||
| 2007 | Wait a While | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | William S. Farish III & W. Temple Webber Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:39.37 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2006 | Wend | 5 | Edgar S. Prado | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:38.31 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2005 | Sand Springs | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Swettenham Stud | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:38.41 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2004 | Delmonico Cat | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Pam & Martin Wygod | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.30 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2003 | San Dare | 5 | Mark Guidry | Rick Hiles | David G. Mounts | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.19 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2002 | Batique | 6 | Jorge F. Chavez | Michael R. Matz | Helen K. Groves | abt. 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:49.32 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2001 | Spook Express (SAF) | 7 | Mike E. Smith | Thomas J. Skiffington | Kinloch Enterprises | 1 mile | 1:35.60 | $100,000 | III | |
| Joe Namath Handicap |||||||||||
| 2000 | Dominique's Joy | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Madeleine A. Paulson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:39.91 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1999 | Colcon | 6 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Cavallix | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.71 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1998 | Parade Queen | 4 | Pat Day | Neil J. Howard | William S. Farish III & Edward J. Hudson Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.10 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1997 | Rare Blend | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Claude R. McGaughey III | H. Joseph Allen | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.28 | $75,000 | III | On dirt |
| 1996 | Apolda | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Allen E. Paulson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:41.55 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1995 | Regal Joy | 4 | Dave Penna | Larry Bates | Margulies Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.79 | $60,000 | III | On dirt |
| 1994 | Sambacarioca | 5 | Jerry D. Bailey | Martin D. Wolfson | Team Valor Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.41 | $60,000 | III | On dirt |
| 1993 | Hero's Love | 5 | Earlie Fires | Daniel J. Vella | Frank Stronach | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.90 | $50,000 | Listed | |
| 1992 | Explosive Kate | 5 | Dave Penna | Louis M. Goldfine | Richard L. Duchossois | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.37 | $50,000 | Listed | |
| 1991 | Vigorous Lady | 5 | Michael Andre Lee | Joseph P. Bertolino | Monarch Stable | 1 mile & 70 yards | 1:40.30 | $50,000 | Listed | On dirt |
| 1990 | Fieldy (IRE) | 7 | Jerry D. Bailey | Thomas J. Skiffington | Fernwood Stable | abt. 1 mile | 1:37.60 | $50,000 | Listed | |
| 1989 | Vana Turns | 4 | Randy Romero | George R. Arnold II | Glencrest Farm | 1 mile | 1:35.80 | $50,725 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1989 | Fieldy (IRE) | 6 | Craig Perret | Thomas J. Skiffington | Fernwood Stable | 1 mile | 1:36.00 | $50,225 | Listed | Division 2 |
| 1988 | Allegedum | 5 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Thomas J. Skiffington | Barbara Phillips | 1 mile | 1:36.00 | $51,525 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1988 | Shaughnessy Road | 4 | José A. Vélez Jr. | Carl A. Nafzger | Genter Frances A Stable | 1 mile | 1:35.20 | $51,025 | Listed | Division 2 |
| 1987 | Small Virtue | 4 | Jacinto Vásquez | H. Allen Jerkens | Tayhill Stable | 1 mile | 1:37.00 | $46,025 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1987 | Top Socialite | 5 | Craig Perret | Alan E. Goldberg | Betty Marcus | 1 mile | 1:37.40 | $46,525 | Listed | Division 2 |
| 1986 | Gypsy Prayer | 5 | Robert Neal Lester | James D. Frederiksen | Troy H. Seale | 7 furlongs | 1:22.00 | $49,975 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1986 | One Fine Lady | 4 | José A. Vélez Jr. | Al W. Hinson | Larry Foggle | 7 furlongs | 1:21.00 | $49,475 | Listed | Division 2 |
| Joe Namath Stakes |||||||||||
| 1985 | One Fine Lady | 3 | Victor H. Molina | Al W. Hinson | Larry Foggle | abt. 1 mile | 1:35.60 | $32,095 | Listed | Division 1 |
| 1985 | Affirmance | 3 | Eddie Maple | Frank Martin Sr. | Harbor View Farm | abt. 1 mile | 1:34.60 | $32,695 | Listed | Division 2 |

### Honey Fox (1984–1991)

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| Honey Fox Handicap |||||||||||
| 1991 | Be Exclusive (IRE) | 5 | Kendra Taylor | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:40.97 | $50,000 | Listed | |
| 1990 | Leave It Be | 5 | Herbert Castillo | Mark C. Dumas | Liberty D Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:47.00 | $40,000 | | |
| Honey Fox Stakes |||||||||||
| 1989 | View Of Royalty | 5 | Julio Pezua | J. David Braddy | Donald R. Dizney | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:32.00 | $34,950 | | |
| 1988 | Munchkin Michelle | 4 | Steve Gaffalione | Margie Allen | Black Chip Stable | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:29.80 | $38,130 | | |
| 1987 | Easter Mary | 3 | Julio Pezua | Hubert Hine | William A. Wood & Estate of Arnold Funger | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.20 | $40,845 | | |
| Honey Fox Purse |||||||||||
| 1986 | Connie's Taj | 4 | Jose A. Santos | Manuel A. Estavez | Manuel A. Estavez & Grassymeade Stables | abt. 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.20 | $25,000 | | |
| 1985 | Warglo | 5 | Robert Woodhouse | James Fogarty | Kenmare Farm | abt. 1 mile | 1:38.00 | $26,500 | | |
| Honey Fox Stakes |||||||||||
| 1984 | Oakbrook Lady | 3 | Alex Solis | Reed M. Combest | Oakbrook Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.00 | $33,425 | | 3YOF only |
Legend:
 Turf  Dirt