Lawrence Realization Stakes

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The Lawrence Realization Stakes was an American horse race first run in 1889. The race was for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds and was last run at a distance of 1½ miles on turf. It was held annually at the Sheepshead Bay Racetrack at Gravesend, New York until 1913, and at Aqueduct Racetrack in 1959 and 1961, and from 1918 to 1969.

It moved to Belmont Park on Long Island where it was raced as a Grade III event until it was eliminated in 2005 by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in an effort to remain financially viable.

On September 4, 1920, Man O' War won the 1 5/8-mile Lawrence Realization by an estimated 100 lengths against a horse named Hoodwink, a race in which both horses were to simply run as they pleased. His time for the race: 2:40 4/5 shattered the world record by 1 3/5 seconds and was his fifth record-setting performance of that year.

For seven decades, the Lawrence Realization Stakes was one of the most prestigious annual racing events outside of the American Triple Crown.

[edit] Past winners

[edit] External links

• Belmont Park official website
• Turf Heritage, Turf Hallmarks