# Ballerina Handicap

The Ballerina Handicap is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old or older over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The event currently carries a purse of $500,000.

## History

The inaugural running of the Ballerina Stakes was 20 August 1979 and was won by the Ogden Phipps-owned three-year-old filly Blitey, who was ridden by the US Hall of Fame jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. on a muddy track in a time of 1:231⁄5. The race is named for Howell E. Jackson's filly, Ballerina, who won the 1954 inaugural running of the Maskette Stakes, run today as the Grade I Go For Wand Handicap.
In 1981 the event was classified as Grade III, upgraded to Grade II in 1984 and to Grade I in 1988. The sudden rise in stature of the event was due to the quality of runners who won this event and continued to win important Grade I races. In particular the winner of the second running in 1980 was the 1979 US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly Davona Dale, the 1983 winner Ambassador of Luck who went onto become the US Champion Older Dirt Female Horse and Lady's Secret, the 1985 winner as a three-year-old, who in the following year would win the Breeders' Cup Distaff.
The only dual winner of the event, Shine Again failed by a nose to win a third time as a six-year-old when she was beaten by the 13-1 outsider Harmony Lodge in 2003.
The event continues to be a part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series with the winner of the Ballerina Stakes automatically qualifying for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint.

## Records

Speed record:
* 7 furlongs: 1:20.95 – Echo Zulu (2023)
Margins:
* 9+1⁄4 lengths – Hilda's Passion (2011)
Most wins:
* 2 – Shine Again (2001, 2002)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 5 – John Velazquez (2005, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2021)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 5 – C. R. McGaughey III (1984, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1999)
Most wins by an owner:
* 2 – Ogden Phipps (1979, 1999)
* 2 – Eugene V. Klein (1985, 1986)
* 2 – Kinsman Stable (1993, 2000)
* 2 – Bohemia Stable (2001, 2002)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade |
| Ballerina Handicap |||||||||||
| 2024 | Society | 5 | Tyler Gaffalione | Steven Asmussen | Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds | 7 furlongs | 1:22.00 | $500,000 | I |
| 2023 | Echo Zulu | 4 | Florent Geroux | Steven Asmussen | L and N Racing & Winchell Thoroughbreds | 7 furlongs | 1:20.95 | $500,000 | I |
| 2022 | Goodnight Olive | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | First Row Partners & Team Hanley | 7 furlongs | 1:21.40 | $500,000 | I |
| 2021 | Gamine | 4 | John Velasquez | Bob Baffert | Micheal Lund Petersen | 7 furlongs | 1:21.61 | $500,000 | I |
| Ballerina Stakes |||||||||||
| 2020 | Serengeti Empress | 4 | Luis Saez | Thomas M. Amoss | Joel Politi | 7 furlongs | 1:21.63 | $300,000 | I |
| 2019 | Come Dancing | 5 | Javier Castellano | Carlos F. Martin | Blue Devil Racing Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:21.48 | $480,000 | I |
| 2018 | Marley's Freedom | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Bob Baffert | Cicero Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:21.39 | $500,000 | I |
| 2017 | By the Moon | 5 | Rajiv Maragh | Michelle Nevin | Jay Em Ess Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.97 | $500,000 | I |
| 2016 | Haveyougoneaway | 5 | John R. Velazquez | Thomas Morley | Gary Barber & Sequel Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:21.63 | $500,000 | I |
| 2015 | Unbridled Forever | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Dallas Stewart | Charles E. Fipke | 7 furlongs | 1:22.54 | $500,000 | I |
| 2014 | Artemis Agrotera | 3 | Rajiv Maragh | Michael E. Hushion | Chester Broman & Mary R. Broman | 7 furlongs | 1:21.89 | $500,000 | I |
| 2013 | Dance to Bristol | 4 | Xavier Perez | Ollie L. Figgins III | Susan H. Wantz | 7 furlongs | 1:23.11 | $500,000 | I |
| 2012 | Turbulent Descent | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier & Derrick Smith | 7 furlongs | 1:22.13 | $500,000 | I |
| 2011 | Hilda's Passion | 4 | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Starlight Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:22.06 | $250,000 | I |
| 2010 | Rightly So | 4 | Cornelio Velásquez | Anthony W. Dutrow | Zayat Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.58 | $250,000 | I |
| 2009 | Music Note | 4 | Rajiv Maragh | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.10 | $294,000 | I |
| 2008 | Intangaroo | 4 | Alonso Quinonez | Gary Sherlock | Tom Grether Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:22.18 | $239,333 | I |
| 2007 | Maryfield | 6 | Elvis Trujillo | Doug F. O'Neill | Mark Gorman, Nick J. Mestrandrea & Jim Perry | 7 furlongs | 1:22.78 | $250,000 | I |
| 2006 | Dubai Escapade | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Eoin G. Harty | Darley Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:23.07 | $240,000 | I |
| 2005 | Happy Ticket | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Andrew Leggio Jr. | Stewart Mather Madison | 7 furlongs | 1:24.53 | $250,000 | I |
| Ballerina Handicap |||||||||||
| 2004 | Lady Tak | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Steven M. Asmussen | Heiligbrodt Racing Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:21.09 | $250,000 | I |
| 2003 | Harmony Lodge | 5 | Richard Migliore | Todd A. Pletcher | Eugene & Laura Melnyk | 7 furlongs | 1:22.23 | $250,000 | I |
| 2002 | Shine Again | 5 | Jean-Luc Samyn | H. Allen Jerkens | Bohemia Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.26 | $250,000 | I |
| 2001 | Shine Again | 4 | Jean-Luc Samyn | H. Allen Jerkens | Bohemia Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.33 | $250,000 | I |
| 2000 | Dream Supreme | 3 | Pat Day | William I. Mott | Kinsman Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.97 | $250,000 | I |
| 1999 | Furlough | 5 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Ogden Phipps | 7 furlongs | 1:23.04 | $200,000 | I |
| 1998 | Stop Traffic | 5 | Shane Sellers | Richard E. Mandella | Diamond A Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:22.23 | $200,000 | I |
| 1997 | Pearl City | 3 | Joe Bravo | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.39 | $150,000 | I |
| 1996 | Chaposa Springs | 4 | Shane Sellers | Martin D. Wolfson | Suresh Chintamaneni | 7 furlongs | 1:21.80 | $150,000 | I |
| 1995 | Classy Mirage | 5 | Julie Krone | H. Allen Jerkens | Middletown Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.40 | $150,000 | I |
| 1994 | § Roamin Rachel | 4 | Pat Day | Claude R. McGaughey III | Tri Honors Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:21.80 | $108,400 | I |
| Ballerina Stakes |||||||||||
| 1993 | Spinning Round | 4 | Jorge F. Chavez | Carl J. Domino | Kinsman Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:21.40 | $115,200 | I |
| 1992 | Serape | 4 | Chris Antley | Henrietta Alexander George | Helen K. Groves | 7 furlongs | 1:21.20 | $118,600 | I |
| 1991 | Queena | 5 | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | Emory A. Hamilton | 7 furlongs | 1:22.00 | $120,400 | I |
| 1990 | § Feel The Beat | 5 | José A. Santos | D. Wayne Lukas | H. Joseph Allen | 7 furlongs | 1:22.00 | $119,800 | I |
| 1989 | Proper Evidence | 4 | Chris Antley | John L. Dalton | Harry A. Gampel | 7 furlongs | 1:23.20 | $121,800 | I |
| 1988 | Cadillacing | 4 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Claude R. McGaughey III | Ogden Mills Phipps | 7 furlongs | 1:21.60 | $115,000 | I |
| 1987 | I'm Sweets | 4 | Eddie Maple | Woodford C. Stephens | Brushwood Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.60 | $114,600 | II |
| 1986 | Gene's Lady | 5 | Randy Romero | D. Wayne Lukas | Eugene V. Klein | 7 furlongs | 1:22.40 | $113,200 | II |
| 1985 | § Lady's Secret | 3 | Donald MacBeth | D. Wayne Lukas | Eugene V. Klein | 7 furlongs | 1:22.60 | $90,300 | II |
| 1984 | Lass Trump | 4 | Pat Day | Claude R. McGaughey III | Alan Samford | 7 furlongs | 1:21.80 | $86,400 | II |
| 1983 | Ambassador of Luck | 4 | Antonio Graell | Mitchell C. Preger | Envoy Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.20 | $54,400 | III |
| 1982 | Expressive Dance | 4 | Donald MacBeth | Stanley M. Hough | Diana M. Firestone | 7 furlongs | 1:22.80 | $58,600 | III |
| 1981 | Love Sign | 4 | Ruben Hernandez | Sidney J. Watters Jr. | Stephen C. Clark Jr. | 7 furlongs | 1:22.60 | $54,000 | III |
| 1980 | Davona Dale | 4 | Jorge Velásquez | John M. Veitch | Calumet Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.20 | $56,330 | Listed |
| 1979 | Blitey | 3 | Ángel Cordero Jr. | Angel Penna Sr. | Ogden Phipps | 7 furlongs | 1:23.20 | $42,750 | Listed |
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry