# H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes

The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The current purse for the event is $500,000.

## History

The inaugural running of the event was on 18 August 1984 as the seventh race on the undercard of Travers Stakes day as The King's Bishop Stakes and was won by Commemorate who was trained by Hall of Fame trainer Lazaro Barrera in a time of 1:223⁄5. King's Bishop was originally owned by Houston Astros founding president Craig F. Cullinan Jr. and trained by H. Allen Jerkens, who trained the horse to wins in the 1973 Carter Handicap and Fall Highweight Handicap for Allaire du Pont.
The event was not held in 1986.
In 1987 the event was classified as Grade III, upgraded to Grade II in 1992 and since 1999 the race has been a Grade I event.
In 2017 the New York Racing Association renamed the race for the late Hall of Fame trainer H. Allen Jerkens, who over a career spanning seven decades, his horses had upset racing champions – such as Onion's victory over Secretariat in the 1973 Whitney Handicap – earning him the nickname "the Giant Killer".
Several winners of the race have gone on to win American Champion Sprint Horse honors that same year, including Housebuster (1990), Lost in the Fog (2005), Runhappy (2015) and Drefong (2016). Hard Spun (2007) went on to top that year's World's Best Racehorse Rankings for three-year-old sprinters.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1:20.54 – Runhappy (2015)
Margins:
* 5+1⁄2 lengths – Tale of the Cat (1997)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 4 – John Velazquez (2002, 2006, 2010, 2019)
* 4 – Mike E. Smith (1991, 1992, 1993, 2016)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 5 – D. Wayne Lukas (1985, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – Lloyd R. French Jr. (1985, 1989)
* 2 – Michael Tabor (1996, 2004)
* 2 – Klaravich Stables (2017, 2024)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes ||||||||||
| 2023 | Domestic Product | Flavien Prat | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:21.71 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2023 | One in Vermillion | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Esteban Martinez | Jonathan Kalman | 7 furlongs | 1:22.63 | $485,000 | I | |
| 2022 | Jack Christopher | José Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant, Coolmore Stud, Gerry Isbister, Gerald Isbister, & Jim Bakke | 7 furlongs | 1:21.15 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2021 | Jackie's Warrior | Joel Rosario | Steven Asmussen | J Kirk & Judy Robison | 7 furlongs | 1:21.39 | $490,000 | I | |
| 2020 | Echo Town | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steven Asmussen | L & N Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:22.53 | $300,000 | I | |
| 2019 | Mind Control | John R. Velazquez | Gregory D. Sacco | Red Oak Stable (Brunetti), Madaket Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:21.43 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2018 | Promises Fulfilled | Luis Saez | Dale L. Romans | Robert J. Baron | 7 furlongs | 1:21.44 | $501,500 | I | |
| 2017 | Practical Joke | Joel Rosario | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence | 7 furlongs | 1:21.96 | $500,000 | I | |
| King's Bishop Stakes ||||||||||
| 2016 | Drefong | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | Charles Chu | 7 furlongs | 1:21.25 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2015 | Runhappy | Edgar S. Prado | Maria Borell | James McIngvale | 7 furlongs | 1:20.54 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2014 | The Big Beast | Javier Castellano | Anthony W. Dutrow | Alex & JoAnn Lieblong | 7 furlongs | 1:22.35 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2013 | Capo Bastone | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners | 7 furlongs | 1:22.22 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2012 | Willy Beamin | Alan Garcia | Richard E. Dutrow Jr. | James A. Riccio | 7 furlongs | 1:22.02 | $500,000 | I | |
| 2011 | Caleb's Posse | Rajiv Maragh | Donnie K. Von Hemel | McNeil Stables & Cheyenne Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:21.59 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2010 | Discreetly Mine | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | E. Paul Robsham Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:23.16 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2009 | †Capt. Candyman Can | Javier Castellano | Ian R. Wilkes | Joseph Rauch, David Zell | 7 furlongs | 1:22.35 | $300,000 | I | |
| 2008 | Visionaire | Alan Garcia | Michael R. Matz | Team Valor & Vision Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:21.94 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2007 | Hard Spun | Mario G. Pino | J. Larry Jones | Fox Hill Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:22.34 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2006 | Henny Hughes | John R. Velazquez | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Zabeel Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:21.96 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2005 | Lost in the Fog | Russell Baze | Greg Gilchrist | Harry J. Aleo | 7 furlongs | 1:22.56 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2004 | Pomeroy | Edgar S. Prado | Patrick L. Biancone | Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith | 7 furlongs | 1:20.99 | $250,000 | I | |
| 2003 | Valid Video | Joe Bravo | Dennis J. Manning | Mack Fehsenfeld | 7 furlongs | 1:22.14 | $200,000 | I | |
| 2002 | Gygistar | John R. Velazquez | Mark A. Hennig | Edward P. Evans | 7 furlongs | 1:22.85 | $200,000 | I | |
| 2001 | Squirtle Squirt | Jerry D. Bailey | Robert J. Frankel | David J. Lanzman | 7 furlongs | 1:21.97 | $200,000 | I | |
| 2000 | More Than Ready | Pat Day | Todd A. Pletcher | James T. Scatuorchio | 7 furlongs | 1:22.49 | $200,000 | I | |
| 1999 | Forestry | Chris Antley | Bob Baffert | Aaron U. & Marie Jones | 7 furlongs | 1:21.00 | $200,000 | I | |
| 1998 | Secret Firm | Edgar S. Prado | H. Graham Motion | Mea Culpa Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.78 | $200,000 | II | |
| 1997 | Tale of the Cat | Julie Krone | John H. Forbes | Phantom House Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:21.71 | $150,000 | II | |
| 1996 | Honour and Glory | José A. Santos | D. Wayne Lukas | Michael Tabor | 7 furlongs | 1:21.78 | $108,200 | II | |
| 1995 | Top Account | Pat Day | Neil J. Howard | William S. Farish III | 7 furlongs | 1:22.50 | $113,500 | II | |
| 1994 | Chimes Band | Jerry D. Bailey | D. Wayne Lukas | Fares Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:21.80 | $109,500 | II | |
| 1993 | Mi Cielo | Mike E. Smith | Peter M. Vestal | Tom M. Carey | 7 furlongs | 1:21.60 | $123,800 | II | |
| 1992 | Salt Lake | Mike E. Smith | D. Wayne Lukas | William T. Young | 7 furlongs | 1:21.40 | $122,400 | II | |
| 1991 | Take Me Out | Mike E. Smith | William I. Mott | Bertram R. Firestone | 7 furlongs | 1:21.60 | $124,000 | III | |
| 1990 | Housebuster | Craig Perret | Jimmy Croll | Robert P. Levy | 7 furlongs | 1:21.80 | $90,150 | III | |
| 1989 | Houston | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Lloyd R. French Jr. | 7 furlongs | 1:22.00 | $86,550 | III | |
| 1988 | King's Nest | Chris McCarron | Richard E. Dutrow Sr. | Sandra D. Bender | 7 furlongs | 1:21.80 | $88,800 | III | |
| 1987 | Templar Hill | Chris McCarron | Paul D. Seefeldt | Ervin Kowitz | 7 furlongs | 1:23.00 | $86,150 | III | |
| 1986 | 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 |
| 1985 | Pancho Villa | Darrel G. McHargue | D. Wayne Lukas | Lloyd R. French Jr. | 7 furlongs | 1:22.20 | $55,900 | Listed | |
| 1984 | Commemorate | Frank Lovato Jr. | Laz Barrera | Windfields Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.60 | $55,700 | Listed | |
Notes:
† In the 2009 event Vineyard Haven was first past the post but disqualified for drifting out in the straight and twice bumping Capt. Candyman Can. Capt. Candyman Can was declared the winner.