Dexter Cup
| Location | Freehold, New Jersey, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1960 |
| Race type | Harness race for standardbred trotters |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile (1,609 metres or 8 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | Freehold Raceway |
| Qualification | 3-year-olds |
The Dexter Cup is a harness racing event for three-year-old standardbred trotters raced at a distance of one mile. The race was created in 1960.
History
The Dexter Cup is a stakes race for three-year-old colts and geldings.[1] Its companion race for three-year-old fillies is called the Lady Suffolk.[2] The Dexter Cup was inaugurated in 1960 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York. The inaugural $60,000 Dexter Cup was held on September 17, 1960.[3] Named in memory of Dexter, the race honors one of the foremost trotters of the 19th century.[4]
The Dexter Cup is traditionally considered the first leg of the "Big Five" trotting stakes, which also include the Colonial Trot, Yonkers Trot, Hambletonian Stakes, and Kentucky Futurity.[5] It is held annually as the opening stakes event of the Grand Circuit season for three-year-old male trotters eligible to compete in the Hambletonian.[6]
The Dexter Cup was held at the now-defunct Roosevelt Raceway from 1960 to 1987.[7] At Roosevelt Raceway, The Dexter developed into the richest harness race of all time with a value of $183,463 in 1967.[4] It was relocated to Yonkers Raceway for the 1988 season.[7] In November 1991, Freehold Raceway signed a contract with the Hambletonian Society to host the Dexter Cup and the Lady Suffolk trots for the first time in 1992.[1] The closure of Freehold Raceway at the end of 2024 led to the Dexter Cup being reassigned to The Meadowlands Grand Circuit program in 2025.[8] The format was changed to eliminate eliminations and a final, instead splitting the race into divisions.[9]
Notable Dexter Cup winners include the world champions Armbro Goal, Joie De Vie, Defiant Yankee, Colt Comfort, Songcan, Lindy's Pride, Nevele Pride, and Carlisle.[1] Five horses have captured both the Dexter Cup and the Hambletonian Stakes: Speedy Scot (1963), Nevele Pride (1968), Lindy's Pride (1969), Armbro Goal (1988), and American Winner (1993).[10]
Distances
The Dexter Cup Trot was originally raced over one mile when inaugurated in 1960.
Locations
- 1960–1987: Roosevelt Raceway, Westbury, New York, U.S.
- 1988–1991: Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, U.S.
- 1992–2024: Freehold Raceway, Freehold, New Jersey, U.S.
- 2025–present: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.
Records
- Most wins by a driver
- 4 – Stanley Dancer (1964, 1968, 1971, 1986)
- Most wins by a trainer
- 3 – Ake Svanstedt (2016, 2021, 2023)
- Stakes record (1 mile)
- 1:53.4 – Hard Seven (2025)
Dexter Cup winners
| Year | Winner | Driver | Trainer | Owner | Time | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Quick Song | Ralph N. Baldwin | Ralph N. Baldwin | Castleton Farm | 2:10 2/5 | World trotting record | ||
| 1961 | Matastar | Harry Pownall | — | Arden Homestead Stable | 2:10 1/5 | World trotting record | ||
| 1962 | Lord Gordon | John Patterson | John Patterson | Leonard J. Buck/Allwood Stable | — | |||
| 1963 | Speedy Scot | Ralph N. Baldwin | Ralph N. Baldwin | Castleton Farm | — | |||
| 1964 | Dartmouth | Stanley Dancer | — | Castleton Farm | 2:08 4/5 | — | ||
| 1965 | Armbro Flight | Joe O'Brien | Joe O'Brien | Elgin, Ted, and Charles Armstrong | 2:03 3/5 | $39,943 | ||
| 1966 | Carlisle | Billy Haughton | — | — | — | |||
| 1967 | Flamboyant | Billy Haughton | — | — | 2:04 3/5 | $91,731 | ||
| 1968 | Nevele Pride | Stanley Dancer | Stanley Dancer | Nevele Acres & Louis Resnick | 2:02 2/5 | |||
| 1969 | Lindy's Pride | Howard Beissinger | Howard Beissinger | Frank and Tom Antonacci (Lindy Farms) | 2:00 3/5 | |||
| 1970 | Marlu Pride | Hervé Filion | Hervé Filion | August J. Portanova | 2:01 2/5 | Stakes record | ||
| 1971 | Quick Pride | Stanley Dancer | Stanley Dancer | Florida Stables | 2:03 | $53,843 | ||
| 1972 | Songcan | George Sholty | Don Prussack | Nevele Acres & Don Hy Stable, Inc. | 2:02 4/5 | — | ||
| 1973 | Knightly Way | John F. Simpson Jr. | John F. Simpson Jr. | Clarence Gaines | 2:01.3 | — | ||
| 1974 | Surge Hanover | William Wellwood | William Wellwood | William Wellwood | 2:03 4/5 | $56,190 | ||
| 1975 | Songflori | Delvin Miller | Delvin Miller | Del Miller, John F. Simpson Jr., & the Messenger Stables | — | |||
| 1976 | Soothsayer | Delvin Miller | Mike Crocco | Mike Crocco | 2:02 4/5 | $83,145 | ||
| 1977 | Cold Comfort | Peter Haughton | Billy Haughton | H.P.H. Stable | — | $83,328; First father-son team to win[11] | ||
| 1978 | Brisco Hanover | Jim Miller | Jim Miller | — | Mel Barr | — | ||
| 1979 | Chiola Hanover | Jimmy Allen | Bill Vaughn | Michael & Allan Chasanoff | 2:02 2/5 | $87,613 | ||
| 1980 | Nevele Impulse | Dick Macomber | Dick Macomber | Hans Enggren | 2:02 2/5 | — | ||
| 1981 | Defiant Yankee | Howard Beissinger | — | — | 2:01 | Track record tie | ||
| 1982 | Mystic Park | Frank O'Mara | Frank O'Mara | — | 2:01 2/5 | $82,073 | ||
| 1983 | Joie De Vie | Buddy Gilmour | Ned Martin | — | 2:01 4/5 | $131,695 | ||
| 1984 | Speed Merchant | Anthony Quartarolo | Anthony Quartarolo | — | 1:59 2/5 | Track record tie | ||
| 1985 | Master Willie | Sören Nordin | — | — | 2:00 | — | ||
| 1986 | Mangrove | Stanley Dancer | — | — | 2:00 2/5 | — | ||
| 1987 | Crowns Best | John Campbell | — | — | — | $83,981 | ||
| 1988 | Armbro Goal | John Campbell | Jan Johnson | Jimmy Plate | 1:54 4/5 | $110,683 | ||
| 1990 | Royal Troubadour | Carl Allen | Carl Allen | Carl Allen | 1:58.3 | Stakes record | ||
| 1991 | Crowns Invitation | Michel Lachance | Jerry Riordan | Lou Guida | 1:54 4/5 | — | ||
| 1992 | McCluckey | Jack Moiseyev | Joe Holloway | — | 2:00 3/5 | — | ||
| 1993 | American Winner | Ron Pierce | Per Eriksson | — | — | — | ||
| 1994 | Mr Lavec | Jimmy Takter | Jimmy Takter | — | 1:58.2 | Stakes record | ||
| 1995 | Super Wally | Rod Allen | Ed Perry | Loren Houston | — | — | ||
| 1996 | Armbro Ogen | Jack Moiseyev | Brett Pelling | Brett Pelling & Peter & Gail McCann | — | $75,872.50 | ||
| 1997 | Armbro Plato | Ray Schnittker | Ray Schnittker | Ray Schnittker, Seal Stable, Earl Scheelar, & Ron Kelkenberg | 1:58 4/5 | — | ||
| 1998 | Trade Balance | Ron Pierce | — | — | 2:02.2 | — | ||
| 1999 | Pearsall Hanover | Mickey McNichol | — | Wildenstein Stable | 1:59 | $79,575 | ||
| 2000 | Ambro Trick | Ray Schnittker | Paul Doherty | Ray Schnittker, Seal Stable, Earl Schleer, & Kelks Inc. | 1:57 4/5 | Stakes record | ||
| 2001 | SJ's Caviar | Robert Blanton Jr. | Belinda Blanton | Solomon, Bartling and Kosmos Horse Breeders | 1:56 1/5 | Stakes record | ||
| 2002 | Trainforthefuture | Michel Lachance | Robert Macintosh | — | 1:59.1 | — | ||
| 2003 | CR V Eight | Catello Manzi | Lars Nordin | — | 1:59.1 | — | ||
| 2004 | Beissinger Hanover | Michel Lachance | Ron Gurfein | — | 1:57 1/5 | — | ||
| 2005 | Lindy Five Hundred | George Brennan | Paul Doherty | Jones For President, KR Breeding, and Edward Pachula | 1:59.1 | — | ||
| 2006 | A Rod | George Brennan | Paul Doherty | Earl Schleer, the Kelk family, & Ray Schnittker | 1:58.1 | — | ||
| 2007 | Manfinity | George Brennan | Larry Rathbone | — | 1:58.2 | — | ||
| 2008 | Holiday Credit | Ron Pierce | Jimmy Takter | — | 1:56.3 | — | ||
| 2009 | Anders Bluestone | Tim Tetrick | Jimmy Takter | — | 1:55.3 | Stakes record | ||
| 2010 | Flex The Muscle | David Miller | Ray Schnittker | — | 1:56.2 | Schnittker's fifth victory | ||
| 2011 | Ice Machine | David Miller | Charlie Norris | — | 1:57.3 | — | ||
| 2012 | Not Afraid | Ron Pierce | Jimmy Takter | — | 1:55.4 | — | ||
| 2013 | Celebrity Maserati | Tom Jackson | Susanne Strandqvist | — | 1:58.3 | — | ||
| 2014 | Sumatra | Brian Sears | Tom Fanning | — | 1:57.4 | — | ||
| 2015 | Habitat | Yannick Gingras | Ron Burke | — | 1:56.4 | — | ||
| 2016 | Dante | Ake Svanstadt | Ake Svanstedt | Courant AB of Sweden | 1:59.4 | — | ||
| 2017 | Lord Cromwell | John Campbell | Ed Hart | Carolyn & Irv Atherton | 1:55 | Stakes record | ||
| 2018 | Lindy's Big Bang | David Miller | Richard Norman | — | 1:56.1 | — | ||
| 2019 | Osterc | Yannick Gingras | Per Engblom | Christina Takter | 1:57.0 | — | ||
| 2020 | No races | |||||||
| 2021 | Incommunicado | Yannick Gingras | Ake Svanstedt | Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E LLC, Arthur Geiger, & David Stolz | 1:56 3/5 | — | ||
| 2022 | Brave By Design | Joe Bongiorno | Jennifer Bongiorno | Brave By Design Stable | 1:57.2 | — | ||
| 2023 | Khaosan Road | Scott Zeron | Ake Svanstedt | Knutsson Trotting Inc. & Little E LLC | 1:57.4 | — | ||
| 2024 | Sir Pinocchio | Jason Bartlett | Ed Hart | Carolyn & Irv Atherton | 1:56.2 | — | ||
| 2025 | Hard Seven | Todd McCarthy | Nancy Takter | Let It Ride Stables, Maurice Chodash, & Boca Racing LLC | 1:53.4 | [8] | ||
References
- 1 2 3 "Dexter Cup, Suffolk shift to Freehold". The Star-Ledger. November 6, 1991. p. 77. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Richest Trot—The Dexter Cup". Lexington Herald-Leader. February 14, 1967. p. 11. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Dexter Purse Added to Card At Roosevelt". Democrat and Chronicle. January 24, 1960. p. 21. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- 1 2 "World's richest trotting race". Daily News. June 22, 1968. p. 145. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "DEXTER CUP TROT DRAWS FIELD OF 11". The New York Times. June 5, 1970. p. 44. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "ON ROAD TO HAMBLETONIAN". horseraceinsider.com. May 1, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- 1 2 "Big Goals For 'Goal'". Newsday. September 18, 1988. p. 339. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- 1 2 "Dexter Cup". hambletonian.com. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Meadowlands Announces 2025 Stakes Information, Adds ..." playmeadowlands.com. January 4, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Dexter Cup signals start of Road to the Hambletonian". ustrottingnews.com. April 28, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Super Wally runs away with Freehold's Dexter Cup Trot". Messenger-Press. May 18, 1995. p. 15. Retrieved 2026-03-26.