| Class | Grade III |
|---|---|
| Location | Monmouth Park Racetrack Oceanport, New Jersey, United States |
| Inaugurated | 1878 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Website | www |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds |
| Weight | Assigned |
| Purse | $100,000[1] |
The Long Branch Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to three-year-olds, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles (8.5 furlongs). It is generally viewed as a prep race for the Haskell Invitational. The race is named after nearby Long Branch, New Jersey.
First run in 1878,[2] it was raced annually through 1893 as the Long Branch Handicap after which the race track closed its gates. The race was revived in 1947, following the 1946 reopening of the new Monmouth Park. The race was discontinued after the 1958 running—as a handicap, it was not drawing large fields.[3] In 1963, it was restarted as the Long Branch Stakes.[4]
The race was run annually from 1878 to 1893 (16 editions), and was later run annually from 1947 to 1958 (12 editions). After a four-year hiatus, the race was resumed in 1963, and has been run annually since then. The 2019 running was the 85th edition of the race.[5]
Since being resumed in 1963, the race has been open to three-year-olds. In 1963, the distance was three-quarters of a mile (six furlongs).[6] From 1964 through 1989, the distance was one mile, some years run on dirt and some years run on turf.[7][1] Since 1990, the race has been run at a 1+1⁄16 mile distance on dirt.
These races were run over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles, open to three-year-olds and up.
These races were run at a distance of 1+1⁄4 mile (10 furlongs), and not restricted to three-year-olds.
