River City Handicap
Encyclopedia
The River City Handicap is a Grade III
T race on the turf
run at Churchill Downs
for Thoroughbred
horses aged three-years-old and up at a distance of one and one eighth miles (9 furlong
s). The River City runs on the day after Thanksgiving
on a card which includes the prestigious Clark Handicap
, a race as old as the Kentucky Derby
and the Kentucky Oaks
.
In its 35th running in 2012, the River City offers a purse of $200,000.
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
T race on the turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
run at Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
for Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses aged three-years-old and up at a distance of one and one eighth miles (9 furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s). The River City runs on the day after Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
on a card which includes the prestigious Clark Handicap
Clark Handicap
The Clark Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November/early December at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business...
, a race as old as the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and the Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
.
In its 35th running in 2012, the River City offers a purse of $200,000.
Past winners
- 2011 - Blues Street (7) (Robby AlbaradoRobby AlbaradoRobby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...
) - 2010 - Battle of Hastings (4)
- 2009 - Rahystrada (5) (Leandro Goncalves)
- 2008 - Karelian/Demarcation (Karelian/6, Demarcation/4) (Bill Troilo on Karelian, Jesus CastanonJesus CastanonJesus Lopez Castanon is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the 2011 Preakness Stakes. The son of a horse trainer, two brothers were also jockeys in Mexico. Castanon got his first win at Agua Caliente Racetrack in 1989 and later that year in the United States, won the Torrey...
Demarcation) dead heatTie (draw)To tie or draw is to finish a competition with identical or inconclusive results. The word "tie" is usually used in North America for sports such as American football. "Draw" is usually used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations and it is usually used for sports such as... - 2007 - Thorn Song (4) (Kent DesormeauxKent DesormeauxKent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...
) - 2006 – Bayeux (GB) (5) (John Velazquez)
- 2005 – America Alive (4) (Robby AlbaradoRobby AlbaradoRobby J. Albarado is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He began riding at the age of 12 at bush tracks in his native Louisiana and after turning professional, earned his first win at Evangeline Downs in 1990...
) - 2004 – G P Fleet (4) (Jose Martinez Jr.)
- 2003 – Hard Buck (4) (Brice Blanc)
- 2002 - Dr. Kashnikow (5) (Robby Albarado)
- 2001 - Dr. Kashnikow (4) (Robby Albarado)
- 2000 – Brahms (3) (Pat DayPat DayPatrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
) - 1999 - Comic Strip
- 1998 - Wild Event
- 1997 - Same Old Wish
- 1996 - Same Old Wish
- 1995 - Homing Pigeon
- 1994 - Lindon Lime
- 1993 - Secretos Hideaway
- 1992 - Cozzene's Prince