The Manila Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one mile on the turf scheduled annually in early July at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The current purse is $250,000. History
The event is named after the US Hall of Famer Manila, the 1986 U.S. Champion Older Male Horse who won the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs.
The event was inaugurated on June 28, 2014, and run over a distance of one mile and was won by R. Lee Lewis's Cabo Cat. Cabo Cat started at odds of 8/1 was ridden by jockey Joe Bravo who settled near the rear from the gate, was four-wide into the lane, rallied down the stretch while widest and held off Long On Value in the final stages to win by a length in a time of 1:33.57.
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA did not schedule the event in their updated and shortened spring-summer meeting.
Three winners of this event have gone on and have won Grade I events. In 2023 the event was upgraded by the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to a Grade III.
In 2024 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.
Records Speed record 1 mile: 1:31.56 – Win Win Win (2019)
Margins lengths – Up the Ante (2018)
Most wins by a jockey 2 – John R. Velazquez (2016, 2023)
Most wins by a trainer 2 – Chad C. Brown (2017, 2025)
Most wins by an owner No owner has won the event more than once
Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade RefAt Saratoga 2025Flavien PratChad C. BrownMadaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss & Michael J. Caruso1 mile1:33.11$200,000IIIAt Aqueduct 2024Neat Junior AlvaradoRobert AtrasRed White & Blue Racing1 mile1:36.27$242,500 IIIAt Belmont Park 2023More Than Looks John R. VelazquezCherie DeVauxVictory Racing Partners1 mile1:33.19$250,000III2022 Annapolis Irad Ortiz Jr. Todd A. Pletcher Bass Racing 1 mile1:32.81 $100,000Listed2021 OriginalJames GrahamJohn P. TerranovaEric Fein1 mile1:37.75$100,000 Listed2020Race not held2019Win Win Win Julian PimentelMichael J. Trombetta Live Oak Plantation1 mile 1:31.56$100,000 2018Up the AnteJavier CastellanoChristophe Clement Castleton Lyons1 mile 1:35.42$100,000 2017Bricks and MortarJoel RosarioChad C. BrownKlaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence1 mile 1:33.12$100,000 2016Giant RunJohn R. VelazquezThomas AlbertraniRobert C. Baker & William L. Mack 1 mile 1:32.85$100,000 2015GalleryJose LezcanoMichael DiniBallybrit Stable 1 mile 1:35.35$95,000 2014Cabo CatJoe BravoMark HennigR. Lee Lewis1 mile 1:33.57$100,000
See also List of American and Canadian Graded races
References