Forward Gal Stakes
| Grade III race | |
| Location |
Gulfstream Park Hallandale, Florida, United States |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1981 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | Gulfstream Park |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 7 furlongs |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-old fillies |
| Weight | 122 lbs. with allowances |
| Purse | $125,000 (since 2023) |
| Bonuses | Qualification points –Road to the Kentucky Oaks |
The Forward Gal Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in late January or early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $125,000.
History
The race is named for Forward Gal, the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 1970 and a career winner of twelve events in 26 starts.
The inaugural running of the event was on 12 February 1981 and was won by Hickory Tree Stable's Dame Mysterieuse by 1+1⁄4 lengths in a time of 1:221⁄5. Dame Mysterieuse starting as the 8/5 favorite was ridden by French-born jockey Jean-Luc Samyn and was trained by Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens. Woody Stephens also trained the second placegetter Heavenly Cause and the fourth place finisher Del La Rose in the race.
The following year, 1982, the event was run in split divisions.
The 1984 winner Miss Oceana began her three-year-old career in the event after winning three Grade I events as a two-year-old. Starting at short odds of 2/5on Miss Oceana breezed winning the race by three lengths in a time of 1:222⁄5 providing Woody Stephens with his third winner after only four runnings of the event.
The event was upgraded in 1986 by the American Graded Stakes Committee to Grade III race.
In the 1989 the event was won by Eugene V. Klein's Open Mind, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner from the year before and US Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Trained by US Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., Open Mind won by two lengths, winning her third straight event. Open Mind would win seven more straight events including five Grade I events to be voted US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for 1989.
The event was upgraded to Grade II classification in 1991 and was downgraded back to Grade III in 1997. In 1997, the 17th running of the event H. Joseph Allen's Glitter Woman ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Mike E. Smith blitzed her rivals winning by a then record 9+3⁄4 lengths victory and setting a new stakes record time for the event in 1.21.76. The record stands to date, however the 2012 winner Broadway's Alibi created a new winning margin record thrashing her rivals by 16+3⁄4 lengths.
In 2004 the event was upgraded once again to Grade II and held the classification for fourteen runnings until 2017 when it was downgraded back to Grade III.
The event carries qualification points to the Kentucky Oaks as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Records
Speed record:
- 1:21.76 – Glitter Woman (1997)
Margins:
- 16+3⁄4 lengths – Broadway's Alibi (2012)
Most wins by an owner:
- 2 – Hickory Tree Stable (1981, 1982)
- 2 – Edward P. Evans (1991, 2001)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 4 – Luis Saez (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 4 – Todd A. Pletcher (2012, 2013, 2014, 2021)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Red Carpet Ready | Luis Saez | George R. Arnold II | Ashbrook Farm & Upland Flats Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:23.54 | $125,000 | III | |
| 2022 | Girl With a Dream | Luis Saez | Brad H. Cox | Jim Bakke & Gerald Isbister | 7 furlongs | 1:23.42 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2021 | Zaajel | Luis Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Shadwell Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:24.72 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2020 | Tonalist's Shape | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Saffie A. Joseph Jr. | Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham & Legacy Ranch | 7 furlongs | 1:24.47 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2019 | Feedback | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:23.51 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Take Charge Paula | Paco Lopez | Kiaran P. McLaughlin | Peter Deutsch | 7 furlongs | 1:23.47 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2017 | Tequilita | Luis Saez | Michael R. Matz | Dorothy Alexander Matz | 7 furlongs | 1:24.36 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2016 | Cathryn Sophia | Joel Rosario | John C. Servis | Cash is King | 7 furlongs | 1:22.04 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2015 | Birdatthewire | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Dale L. Romans | Forum Racing | 7 furlongs | 1:24.92 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2014 | Onlyforyou | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Glencrest Farm (Lessee) | 7 furlongs | 1:22.50 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2013 | Kauai Katie | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | Stonestreet Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.13 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2012 | Broadway's Alibi | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | E. Paul Robsham | 7 furlongs | 1:21.94 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2011 | Pomeroys Pistol | Paco Lopez | Amy Tarrant | Hardacre Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.89 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2010 | Bickersons | Joe Bravo | Kelly J. Breen | Lori & George Hall | 7 furlongs | 1:22.35 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2009 | Frolic's Dream | Jermaine Bridgmohan | Martin D. Wolfson | Dare To Dream Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:24.15 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2008 | Bsharpsonata | Eric Camacho | Timothy E. Salzman | Cloverleaf Farm II | 7 furlongs | 1:23.09 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2007 | Forever Together | Elvis Trujillo | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.60 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2006 | Miraculous Miss | Jeremy Rose | Steve Klesaris | Puglisi Stables & Steve Klesaris | 7 furlongs | 1:22.78 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2005 | Letgomyecho | Javier Castellano | George R. Arnold II | Dixiana Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:23.24 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2004 | Madcap Escapade | Jerry D. Bailey | Frank L. Brothers | Bruce Lunsford | 7 furlongs | 1:22.97 | $150,000 | II | |
| 2003 | Midnight Cry | Edgar S. Prado | Kenneth G. McPeek | Barrister Hall Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:22.55 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2002 | Take the Cake | Rene R. Douglas | Carl A. Nafzger | Elizabeth J. Valando | 7 furlongs | 1:25.47 | $100,000 | III | |
| 2001 | Gold Mover | Jerry D. Bailey | Mark A. Hennig | Edward P. Evans | 7 furlongs | 1:22.43 | $113,000 | III | |
| 2000 | Miss Inquistive | Tommy Turner | Frank A. Passero Jr. | Colebrook Farms | 7 furlongs | 1:22.25 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1999 | China Storm | Pat Day | D. Wayne Lukas | Overbrook Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:23.69 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1998 | Uanme | Shane Sellers | Dallas Stewart | Horton Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:24.56 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1997 | Glitter Woman | Mike E. Smith | Claude R. McGaughey III | H. Joseph Allen | 7 furlongs | 1:21.76 | $75,000 | III | |
| 1996 | Mindy Gayle | Julie Krone | Julian Canet | Harvey Tenenbaum | 7 furlongs | 1:24.54 | $75,000 | II | |
| 1995 | Chaposa Springs | Heberto Castillo Jr. | Martin D. Wolfson | Suresh Chintamaneni | 7 furlongs | 1:24.18 | $73,100 | II | |
| 1994 | Mynameispanama | Marco Castaneda | Odin J. Londono Sr. | A. Garcia-de-Parades & Jorge Ameglio | 7 furlongs | 1:22.97 | $72,600 | II | |
| 1993 | Sum Runner | Randy Romero | Donald R. Winfree | S Solon Cohen Stables | 7 furlongs | 1:23.67 | $74,850 | II | |
| 1992 | Spinning Round | Jose A. Santos | James E. Baker | Kinsman Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:24.85 | $73,050 | II | |
| 1991 | Withallprobability | Craig Perret | D. Wayne Lukas | Edward P. Evans | 7 furlongs | 1:22.50 | $79,650 | II | |
| 1990 | Charon | Earlie Fires | Eugene Navarro | Stanley Ersoff | 7 furlongs | 1:24.80 | $60,300 | III | |
| 1989 | Open Mind | Angel Cordero Jr. | D. Wayne Lukas | Eugene V. Klein | 7 furlongs | 1:24.20 | $61,300 | III | |
| 1988 | On To Royalty | Craig Perret | Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. | Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. & Neil Litten | 7 furlongs | 1:23.20 | $61,700 | III | |
| 1987 | Added Elegance | Jacinto Vasquez | Frank Gomez | Wimborne Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:24.60 | $67,700 | III | |
| 1986 | Noranc | Herb McCauley | Joseph Provost | Peter Rosbeck & Jack Roberts | 7 furlongs | 1:23.80 | $60,000 | III | |
| 1985 | Lucy Manette | Craig Perret | J. Willard Thompson | William M. Hackman | 7 furlongs | 1:23.40 | $66,150 | ||
| 1984 | Miss Oceana | Eddie Maple | Woodford C. Stephens | Newstead Farm | 7 furlongs | 1:22.40 | $40,180 | ||
| 1983 | Unaccompanied | Robert Woodhouse | Dennis W. Ebert | Ben P. Walden & Wells P. Hardesty | 7 furlongs | 1:23.40 | $47,005 | ||
| 1982 | Trove | Larry Saumell | Woodford C. Stephens | Hickory Tree Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.80 | $29,712 | Division 1 | |
| All Manners | Odin J. Londono | Duke Davis | Mrs. Rosemary Bailey | 1:23.00 | $29,962 | Division 2 | |||
| 1981 | Dame Mysterieuse | Jean-Luc Samyn | Woodford C. Stephens | Hickory Tree Stable | 7 furlongs | 1:22.20 | $43,400 |