# Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap

The Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap is a Grade III race for thoroughbred horses run at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois each year. The Hawthorne Gold Cup trophy has always been made of solid gold.
The Hawthorne Gold Cup is currently a Grade III event for three-year-olds and up, at one and one-quarter miles (ten furlongs) on the dirt, and currently carries a purse of $250,000.
The Hawthorne Gold Cup was not run in 1934 and 1936 as a result of the Great Depression, not during World War II from 1940 through 1945, and not in 1978 when the grandstand was destroyed by fire. While the facilities were being rebuilt, the 1979 race was held at nearby Sportsman's Park. The race was also not run in 2016, due to purse money hardships in Illinois.
Historically, a premier race of the season that attracted the best horses from across the United States, U.S. Hall of Fame horse Sun Beau won it three times in a row between 1929 and 1931. Other Hall of Fame inductees have their name on the Gold Cup, including Equipoise (1933), Discovery (1935), Challedon (1936), Round Table, who won it back-to-back in 1957 and 1958, Kelso (1960) and Dr. Fager in 1967.
In 1959, Day Court, ridden by Henry Moreno, set a new track record in winning the race, a record that stood until Ron Turcotte broke it again in 1970 aboard Gladwin.
In 1979, the race was run at 9 furlongs.

## Records

Time record: (at current 1+1⁄4 miles distance)
* 1:58. 4/5 – Gladwin (1970) and Group Plan (1974)
Largest Winning Margin:
* 10 lengths – Cryptoclearance (1988)
Most wins:
* 3 – Sun Beau (1929, 1930, 1931)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 – Willis Sharpe Kilmer (1929, 1930, 1931)
* 3 – Walmac Farm (1948, 1949, 1955)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 – William Boland (1952, 1956, 1962)
Most wins by a Trainer:
* 3 – Howard Wells (1948, 1949, 1950)
* 3 – Robert J. Frankel (1983, 1984, 1985)
* 3 – Todd Pletcher (2008, 2014, 2015)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
| 2017 | Scuba | 6 | Alonso Quinonez | Brendan P. Walsh | DARRS, Inc. | 2:03.12 |
| 2016 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 2015 | Commissioner | 4 | Florent Geroux | Todd Pletcher | WinStar Farm | 2:02.09 |
| 2014 | Red Rifle | 4 | Florent Geroux | Todd Pletcher | Twin Creeks Racing Stables | 2:03.24 |
| 2013 | Last Gunfighter | 4 | Joe Bravo | Chad C. Brown | John D. Gunther | 2:06.11 |
| 2012 | Pool Play | 7 | Miguel Mena | Mark E. Casse | William S. Farish IV | 2:06.36 |
| 2011 | Headache | 5 | Paco Lopez | Michael Maker | Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey | 2:04.68 |
| 2010 | Redding Colliery | 4 | Rosie Napravnik | Kiaran McLaughlin | Mrs. Fitriani Hay | 2:04.16 |
| 2009 | Awesome Gem | 6 | David Flores | Craig Dollase | West Point Thoroughbreds | 2:04.36 |
| 2008 | Fairbanks | 5 | Richard Migliore | Todd Pletcher | Team Valor | 2:04.57 |
| 2007 | Student Council | 5 | Richard Migliore | Steve Asmussen | Millennium Farms | 2:05.00 |
| 2006 | It's No Joke | 4 | Eddie Razo Jr. | Rebecca Maker | Stan Fulton | 2:03.89 |
| 2005 | Super Frolic | 5 | Victor Espinoza | Vladimir Cerin | Millennium Farms | 2:04.66 |
| 2004 | Freefourinternet | 6 | Greta Kuntzweiler | Michael J. Maker | Equirace.com | 2:03.34 |
| 2003 | Perfect Drift | 4 | Pat Day | Murray Johnson | Stonecrest Farm | 2:03.63 |
| 2002 | Hail The Chief | 5 | Jorge Chavez | Niall O'Callaghan | Peter M. Crane | 2:02.80 |
| 2001 | Duckhorn | 4 | Randall Meier | Patrick B. Byrne | Michael Tabor | 2:01.61 |
| 2000 | Dust On The Bottle | 5 | Tim Doocy | Glenn Hild | Sharon Hild | 2:03.09 |
| 1999 | Supreme Sound | 5 | Randall Meier | Michael W. Dickinson | Peter Harris | 2:01.19 |
| 1998 | Awesome Again | 4 | Pat Day | Patrick B. Byrne | Stronach Stables | 2:02.71 |
| 1997 | Buck's Boy | 4 | Mark Guidry | Hilary Pridham | Quarter B Farm | 2:00.54 |
| 1996 | Come On Flip | 5 | Christopher Emigh | Lou Goldfine | R. Ackerman & S. Sommer | 2:03.40 |
| 1995 | Yourmissinthepoint | 4 | Mark Guidry | Steve Klesaris | Mark Parezo | 2:01.00 |
| 1994 | Recoup The Cash | 4 | Juvenal L. Diaz | Jere R. Smith Sr. | Richard Trebat | 2:01.99 |
| 1993 | Evanescent | 6 | Aaron Gryder | Lou Goldfine | Mark Levy | 2:02.19 |
| 1992 | Irish Swap | 5 | Bruce Poyadou | Joseph E. Broussard | Randy Hendricks | 2:01.12 |
| 1991 | Sunny Sunrise | 4 | Chris Antley | Bud Delp | Harry & Mary Jo Meyerhoff | 2:04.10 |
| 1990 | Black Tie Affair | 4 | Juvenal L. Diaz | Ernie T. Poulos | Jeff Sullivan | 2:03.40 |
| 1989 | Cryptoclearance | 5 | José A. Santos | Scotty Schulhofer | Philip Teinowitz | 2:00.40 |
| 1988 | Cryptoclearance | 4 | José A. Santos | Scotty Schulhofer | Philip Teinowitz | 2:00.20 |
| 1987 | Nostalgia's Star | 5 | Fernando Toro | Jay M. Robbins | Hinds, Robbins & Duckett | 2:02.00 |
| 1986 | Ends Well | 5 | Randy Romero | Robert Reinacher Jr. | Greentree Stable | 2:00.60 |
| 1985 | Garthorn | 5 | Rafael Meza | Robert J. Frankel | Ann & Jerry Moss | 2:01.80 |
| 1984 | Proof | 4 | Ed Delahoussaye | Robert J. Frankel | Bertram R. Firestone/Jerry Moss | 2:01.20 |
| 1983 | Water Bank | 4 | Chris Lamance | Robert J. Frankel | Elmendorf Farm | 2:01.40 |
| 1982 | Recusant | 4 | Ronald Hirdes Jr. | Mike Ball | Donamire Farms | 2:01.80 |
| 1981 | Spruce Bouquet | 4 | Kerwin Clark | Roy C. Wood Jr. | Dan O. Wolfe | 2:04.20 |
| 1980 | Tunerup | 4 | Jorge Vasquez | Floreano Fernandez | Daybreak Farm | 2:00.60 |
| 1979 | Young Bob | 4 | Ron Turcotte | Gerard McGrath | J. A. Logan | 1:51.00 |
| 1977 | On The Sly | 4 | Gregg McCarron | Mel Gross | Balmak Stable | 2:01.60 |
| 1976 | Almost Grown | 4 | Michael Morgan | Jack Van Berg | Flash III Stable | 2:01.60 |
| 1975 | Royal Glint | 5 | Jorge Tejeira | Gordon R. Potter | Dan Lasater | 2:02.20 |
| 1974 | Group Plan | 4 | Jorge Velásquez | H. Allen Jerkens | Hobeau Farm | 1:58.80 |
| 1973 | Tri Jet | 4 | Braulio Baeza | Thomas W. Kelley | Fred W. Hooper | 2:01.40 |
| 1972 | Droll Role | 4 | Eddie Maple | Thomas J. Kelly | John M. Schiff | 2:00.40 |
| 1971 | Twice Worthy | 4 | Laffit Pincay Jr. | James P. Conway | Saddle Rock Farm | 1:59.40 |
| 1970 | Gladwin | 4 | Ron Turcotte | Evan Jackson | H. Harcourt | 1:58.80 |
| 1969 | Nodouble | 4 | Eddie Belmonte | J. Bert Sonnier | Verna Lea Farm | 1:59.80 |
| 1968 | Nodouble | 3 | Martinez Heath | J. Bert Sonnier | Verna Lea Farm | 1:59.20 |
| 1967 | Dr. Fager | 3 | Braulio Baeza | John A. Nerud | Tartan Stable | 2:01.20 |
| 1966 | Bold Bidder | 4 | Pete D. Anderson | Woody Stephens | John R. Gaines | 2:02.60 |
| 1965 | Moss Vale | 4 | Ronnie Baldwin | Sam J. Molay | Gentilly Stable | 2:07.80 |
| 1964 | Going Abroad | 4 | Ray Broussard | Joseph H. Pierce Jr. | Edward & Harry Seltzer | 2:01.60 |
| 1963 | Admiral Vic | 3 | Mickey Solomone | Peter J. Dispenza | Sunny Blue Farm | 2:03.60 |
| 1962 | Beau Purple | 5 | William Boland | H. Allen Jerkens | Hobeau Farm | 2:04.20 |
| 1961 | T. V. Lark | 4 | Johnny Longden | Paul K. Parker | Preston W. Madden | 2:02.60 |
| 1960 | Kelso | 3 | Eddie Arcaro | Carl Hanford | Bohemia Stable | 2:02.00 |
| 1959 | Day Court | 4 | Henry Moreno | Walter A. Kelley | Elmendorf Farm | 1:59.20 |
| 1958 | Round Table | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | William Molter | Kerr Stable | 1:59.80 |
| 1957 | Round Table | 3 | Willie Harmatz | William Molter | Kerr Stable | 2:00.20 |
| 1956 | Dedicate | 4 | William Boland | G. Carey Winfrey | Jan Burke | 2:02.40 |
| 1955 | Hasseyampa | 4 | Billie Fisk | John J. Greely Jr. | Walmac Farm | 2:04.80 |
| 1954 | Rejected | 4 | Eric Guerin | William J. Hirsch | King Ranch | 2:11.60 |
| 1953 | Sub Fleet | 4 | Steve Brooks | Jack C. Hodgins | Dixiana Farm | 2:00.60 |
| 1952 | To Market | 4 | William Boland | William J. Hirsch | King Ranch | 2:01.40 |
| 1951 | Seaward | 6 | Avelino Gomez | Harry Trotsek | Hasty House Farm | 2:04.20 |
| 1950 | Dr. Ole Nelson | 4 | Gerald Porch | Howard Wells | M. A. & R. Saffir | 2:01.40 |
| 1949 | Volcanic | 4 | Angel Rivera | Howard Wells | Walmac Farm | 2:02.80 |
| 1948 | Billings | 3 | Melvin Peterson | Howard Wells | Walmac Farm | 2:06.00 |
| 1947 | Be Faithful | 5 | Willie Garner | H. H. Pete Battle | Mrs. E. E. Dale Shaffer | 2:03.20 |
| 1946 | Jack's Jill | 4 | Jesse Higley | John Milton Goode | Joseph A. Goodwin | 2:03.00 |
| 1939 | Challedon | 3 | Harry Richards | Louis Schaefer | William L. Brann | 2:03.20 |
| 1938 | Esposa | 6 | Nick Wall | Matthew P. Brady | Middleburg Stable | 2:13.80 |
| 1937 | Sahri II | 6 | Fred A. Smith | Jose Cuevas | Lawrence Barker | 2:04.20 |
| 1935 | Discovery | 4 | John Bejshak | Bud Stotler | Alfred G. Vanderbilt II | 2:04.40 |
| 1933 | Equipose | 5 | Raymond Workman | Thomas J. Healey | C. V. Whitney | 2:02.80 |
| 1932 | Plucky Play | 5 | George Woolf | Woody Fitzgerald | Northway Stable | 2:04.20 |
| 1931 | Sun Beau | 6 | Charles Kurtsinger | Jack Whyte | Willis Sharpe Kilmer | NF |
| 1930 | Sun Beau | 5 | Frank Coltiletti | William A. Crawford | Willis Sharpe Kilmer | NF |
| 1929 | Sun Beau | 4 | Frank Coltiletti | Andy Schuttinger | Willis Sharpe Kilmer | 2:01.60 |
| 1928 | Display | 5 | John Maiben | Thomas J. Healey | Walter J. Salmon Sr. | 2:03.00 |