THE EMPIRE CLASSIC Handicap (NYB)
36th Running on Saturday, October 22, 2011
NY-Bred 3-year-olds & Up $200,000 1 1/8 Miles
Year Horse Wt. Time Owner Trainer Jockey Value
2010 Friend Or Foe (3) 116 1:46.94 Chester and Mary Broman, Sr. John Kimmel Alex Solis $120,000
2009 Haynesfield (3) 121 1:50.76 Turtle Bird Stable Steven Asmussen Ramon Dominguez $150,000
2008 Stud Muffin (4) 120 1:49.08 Zito, Crean, Romanelli David Duggan Alan Garcia $150,000
2007 Dr. V's Magic (3) 116 1:48.70 Majesty Stud Dominic Galluscio Kent Desormeaux $150,000
2006 Organizer (4) 115 1:49.45 Majesty Stud Dominic Galluscio Eibar Coa $150,000
2005 Spite the Devil (5) 119 1:50.80 Hardwicke Stable H. Allen Jerkens Javier Castellano $150,000
2004 Spite the Devil (4) 119 1:50.20 Hardwicke Stable H. Allen Jerkens Javier Castellano $150,000
2003 Well Fancied (5) 124 1:49.40 Goldfarb et. al. Richard Dutrow Jr. Edgar Prado $150,000
2002 Gander (6) 126 1:48.80 Gatsas Stable John Terranova II Richard Migliore $150,000
2001 Scottish Halo (4) 120 1:49.00 John C. Oxley Paul Rizzo H. Vega $150,000
2000 Turnofthecentury (3) 117 1:48.40 B. Schwartz & Hauman Mike Hushion Aaron Gryder $150,000
1999 Gander (3) 117 1:49.00 Gatsas Stables Charles Assimakopoulos Robbie Davis $150,000
1998 Mellow Roll (3) 114 1:49.40 Anstu Stables Todd Pletcher Jerry Bailey $150,000
1997 Instant Friendship (4) 118 1:48.00 My Jo Lee Stable Leo O’Brien John Velazquez $150,000
1996 Victory Speech (3) 123 1:49.40 Tabor/Magnier D. Wayne Lukas Mike Smith $150,000
1995 Sky Carr (5) 112 1:48.20 Virginia Kraft Payson James Bond Jorge Chavez $150,000
1994 Itaka (4) 124 1:49.00 Brophy Stable Carl J. Domino Mike Smith $45,000
1993 Gulliviegold (2) 115 1:11.80 Quarry One Stable Philip G. Johnson Jose Santos $40,860
1992 Carr Heaven (2) 115 1:10.40 Virginia Kraft Payson H. James Bond Jerry Bailey $52,470
1991 T.V. Heart Throb (2) 117 1:09.80 Henry G. Kogstat Edward C. Perdue John Grabowski $54,270
1990 Ambassador In Love (2) 115 1:11.80 Constantine Beler Gary Sciacca Angel Cordero Jr. $57,600
1989 Seaport Mac (2) 119 1:03.80 Bernard Connaughton Leo O'Brien Jerry Bailey $52,470
1988 Scarlet Ibis (2) 119 1:11.00 Michael T. Martin Richard T. DeStasio Jacinto Vasquez $53,100
1987 Fourstardave (2) 117 1:12.00 Richard Bomze Leo O`Brien Randy Romero $44,040
1986 Jazzing Around (2) 119 1:09.80 Mel Hatley D. Wayne Lukas Jose Santos $42,720
1985 B. C. Sal (2) 119 1:11.80 Stephen DiMauro Stephen DiMauro Richard Migliore $44,640
1984 Bazooka Babe (2) 116 1:11.80 Norman Petigrow Bruce Levine Eddie Maple $45,240
1983 Restless Feet (2) 119 1:11.80 Tanrackin Farm Thomas Waller Jerry Bailey $33,600
1982 Slewpy (2)  119 1:11.40 Equusequity Stable Sidney Watters Jr. Jeffrey Fell $35,040
1981 Salute Me Sir (2) 115 1:11.40 Arlene Schwartz John Campo Angel Cordero Jr. $34,260
1980 Adirondack Holme (2) 115 1:12.00 Assunta Louis Farm Ramon M. Hernandez Jorge Velasquez $35,160
1979 Restrainor (2) 119 1:12.00 Assunta Louis Farm Ramon M. Hernandez Ruben Hernandez $25,890
1978 Promenade All (2) 122 1:12.60 Michael Silver Albert S. Barrera Bernie Gonzalez $25,740
1977 Tequillo Boogie (2) 122 1:12.60 Milfer Farm Sally A. Bailie Pat Day $22,515
1976 Fratello Ed (2) 111 1:12.60 Assunta Louis Farm Ramon M. Hernandez George Martens $23,055

New York State, the 11th state to be admitted to the Union, is popularly known as the EMPIRE State. New York has long been a leader in the political, cultural and economic life of the United States. It has been called the Empire State since before 1800, a reference to its wealth and variety of resources, and probably derived from a comment, attributed to George Washington, that predicted that New York would become the seat of the new empire. The Empire State Building stands as a Manhattan skyscraper, located on 5th Avenue between 33rd and 34th streets, which, when it was completed in 1931, was the tallest building in the world, at 1,250 feet.

The EMPIRE STAKES for two year old New York Breds was inaugurated in 1976. Run at Belmont from 1989 to 1991, from 1993 to 1995, and from 1997 to the present; at Saratoga in 1992; at Aqueduct in 1996. Run at 5 1/2 furlongs in 1989. In 1994, the Empire Stakes was re-named as the EMPIRE CLASSIC. It was previously run for two-year-old colts at a distance of six furlongs, from 1976 to 1988 and from 1990 to 1993. Run at the distance of a mile and an eighth from 1994 to the present.