Man O War Stakes

The Man o' War Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Now Raced in July, it is a Grade I event offering a purse of $500,000 and is open to horses three-years-old and up. Run at one and three-eighths mile on the grass, the race sometimes attracts top European horses such as Fantastic Light and Daylami. The top finishers in the Man o' War Stakes often go on to run in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

The inaugural running of the Man o' War took place in 1959 at Aqueduct Racetrack where it was also held in 1961, plus from 1963 to 1967, and again in 1987. Run as the Man o' War Handicap in 1959 and 1961, it is named for the great Man o' War, selected as No.1 in the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century. The race was won in 1973 by another legendary horse, Secretariat. In 2008 the Man o' War was moved from Belmont's fall schedule into its summer schedule, replacing the Bowling Green Handicap in an attempt to more fairly represent turf competition.

Belmont Park Graded Stakes Races

Stakes Race Grade Purse
Westchester Handicap III $150,000
Beaugay Stakes III $150,000
Fort Marcy Stakes III $100,000
Peter Pan Stakes II $200,000
Sheepshead Bay Stakes II $250,000
Metropolitan Handicap I $750,000
Sands Point Stakes II $200,000
Acorn Stakes I $300,000
Ogden Phipps Handicap I $400,000
Vagrancy Handicap II $200,000
Brooklyn Handicap II $200,000
Jaipur Stakes III $150,000
Belmont Stakes I $1000,000
Just A Game Stakes I $500,000
Manhattan Handicap I $500,000
True North Handicap II $400,000
Woody Stephens Stakes II $400,000
Hill Prince Stakes III $150,000
Mother Goose Stakes I $300,000
New York Stakes II $200,000
Dwyer Stakes II $200,000
Bed O'Roses Handicap III $150,000
Poker Stakes III $150,000
Suburban Handicap II $350,000
Victory Ride Stakes III $150,000
Man O'War Stakes I $600,000
Bowling Green Handicap II $150,000
Garden City Stakes I $250,000
Noble Damsel Stakes III $100,000
Gallant Bloom Handicap II $150,000
Kelso Handicap II $200,000
Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes I $500,000
Beldame Invitational Stakes I $350,000
Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes I $500,000
Jockey Club Gold Cup I $750,000
Vosburgh Invitational Stakes I $350,000
Miss Grillo Stakes III $100,000
Pilgrim Stakes III $100,000
Tempted Stakes III $100,000
Nashua Stakes II $150,000
Frizette Stakes I $300,000
Jamaica Handicap I $250,000
Champagne Stakes I $300,000
Athenia Stakes III $100,000
Knickerbocker Stakes III $100,000
Turnback The Alarm Handicap III $100,000
Bold Ruler Handicap III $100,000