Remsen Stakes

Road to the Kentucky Derby > Remsen Stakes

Remsen Stakes Race Facts

• Location: Aqueduct Racetrack - Jamaica, NY
• Inaugural Race: 1904
• Distance: 1 & 1/8 miles (9 furlongs)
• Track Type: Left-handed, Dirt
• Age Qualifications: Two-year-olds
• 2023 Purse: $250,000
• 2023 Race Date: Saturday, December 2nd

The Remsen Stakes is one of the earliest Road to the Kentucky prep-races in New York. Held each year early in their late fall and winter meet, winners of the contest are awarded 10-5-3-2-1 points.

2023 Remsen Stakes Race Results

Exotic Payoffs:

• $1 Exacta (3-7) Paid: $18.80
• $0.50 Trifecta (3-7-5) Paid: $45.00
• $0.10 Superfecta (3-7-5-4) Paid: $30.40

Watch the 2023 Remsen Stakes

The History of the Remsen Stakes

The Remsen Stakes (G2) is the last 2-year-old race in the New York Racing Association area that forms part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby series. The winner earns 10 points, the runner-up five, the third-place finisher three, the fourth-place finisher two, and finally the fifth place finisher one.

Named after Colonel Joremus Remsen, who led the American Revolutionary Forces in the 1776 Battle of Long Island, the Remsen Stakes was initially a sprint race, but its relevance to the Kentucky Derby grew after World War II when its distance was increased to a mile. Currently it’s run at 1 1/8 miles on the first Saturday in December.

Initially held at Jamaica Racetrack, it became even more important to the Triple Crown picture once it moved to Aqueduct in 1959. Seven Remsen Stakes winners between then and 1994 went on to win Classics the following season, five of them becoming multiple Classic winners. They were Carry Back (Derby and Preakness), Northern Dancer (Derby and Preakness), Damascus (Preakness and Belmont), Pleasant Colony (Derby and Preakness), Pine Bluff (Preakness), Go For Gin (Derby), and Thunder Gulch (Derby and Belmont).

Between 1995 and 2021, however, no Remsen winner had taken out a Classic – 2006 Derby and Belmont runner-up Bluegrass Cat got the closest – but several horses during that timeframe became grade one winners, including Coronado’s Quest, Court Vision, To Honor and Serve, Overanalyze, and Honor Code.

2021 winner Mo Donegal finally broke through with his win at the 2022 Belmont Stakes. He defeated a field that included, Rich Strike, fresh off his historic come-from-behind win at the Kentucky Derby.

With the advent of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, most of the best 2-year-olds miss the Remsen Stakes, meaning there are often relatively few runners with stakes experience. Greater experience will help find the winner, but talent and stamina are also key.

Remsen Stakes Past Winners