Dexter Cup
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| Location | Freehold, New Jersey, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1960 |
| Race type | Harness race for standardbred trotters |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1 mile (1,609 metres or 8 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | Freehold Raceway |
| Qualification | 3-year-olds |
The Dexter Cup is a harness racing event for three-year-old standardbred trotters raced at a distance of one mile. The race was created in 1960.
The Dexter Cup is a stakes race for three-year-old colts and geldings.[1] Its companion race for three-year-old fillies is called the Lady Suffolk.[2] The Dexter Cup was inaugurated in 1960 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York. The inaugural $60,000 Dexter Cup was held on September 17, 1960.[3] Named in memory of Dexter, the race honors one of the foremost trotters of the 19th century.[4]
The Dexter Cup is traditionally considered the initial leg of the "Big Five" trotting stakes, which also include the Colonial Trot, Yonkers Trot, Hambletonian Stakes, and Kentucky Futurity.[5] It is held annually as the opening stakes event of the Grand Circuit season for three-year-old male trotters eligible to compete in the Hambletonian.[6]
The Dexter Cup was held at the now-defunct Roosevelt Raceway from 1960 to 1987.[7] At Roosevelt Raceway, The Dexter developed into the richest harness race of all time with a value of $183,463 in 1967.[4] It was relocated to Yonkers Raceway for the 1988 season.[7] In November 1991, Freehold Raceway signed a contract with the Hambletonian Society to host the Dexter Cup and the Lady Suffolk trots for the first time in 1992.[1] The closure of Freehold Raceway at the end of 2024 led to the Dexter Cup being reassigned to The Meadowlands Grand Circuit program in 2025.[8] The format was changed to eliminate eliminations and a final, instead splitting the race into divisions.[9]
Notable Dexter Cup winners include the world champions Armbro Goal, Joie De Vie, Defiant Yankee, Colt Comfort, Songcan, Lindy's Pride, Nevele Pride, and Carlisle.[1] Five horses have captured both the Dexter Cup and the Hambletonian Stakes: Speedy Scot (1963), Nevele Pride (1968), Lindy's Pride (1969), Armbro Goal (1988), and American Winner (1993).[10]
Distances
The Dexter Cup Trot was originally raced over one mile when inaugurated in 1960.
Locations
- 1960–1987: Roosevelt Raceway, Westbury, New York, U.S.
- 1988–1991: Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, U.S.
- 1992–2024: Freehold Raceway, Freehold, New Jersey, U.S.
- 2025–present: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.