The Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in March at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. It is open to three-year-olds and up and is run at miles (nine furlongs) on the dirt. An ungraded stakes race, it offers a purse of $100,000. The stake will run this year on Saturday, March 17, 2018.
The race was named in honor of African-American trainer Harrison E. Johnson, a Maryland-based trainer who died in 1985 at age 45 in a plane crash along with George F. Griffith while flying from Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York to Virginia. Johnson was piloting the plane. The native of Adelphi, Maryland, had been a trainer since the spring of 1969. His best race horse was Gutsy O'Shay, winner of the 1973 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga. That gelding was named Maryland-bred two-year-old champion in 1973.2007 Maryland Jockey Club Media Guide, page 216 on March 3, 2007.
Records
Speed record: miles - 1:48.60 - Ibex (1993) miles - 1:55.80 - Big Rut (1998) & Super Memory (1995)
Most wins by an horse: 2 - Due North (1990 & 1991)
Most wins by a jockey: 4 - Edgar Prado (1990, 1993, 1996 & 1997)
Most wins by a trainer: 2 - H. Graham Motion (2008 & 2009) 2 - Mary E. Eppler (1994, 2015) 2 - Katherine M. Voss (1990 & 1991)
Winners of the Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Stakes Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner (Miles) Time Purse$2022 - 0:00.00$100,0002021 Cordmaker 6 Victor R. Carrasco Rodney Jenkins Hillwood Stable LLC 1:49.37$100,0002020 Senior Investment6 Emmanuel Esquivel Scott A. Lake Richard Malouf1:50.96$100,0002019 Cordmaker4 Victor R. Carrasco Rodney Jenkins Hillwood Stables1:50.29$100,0002018 Something Awesome7 Edgar Prado Jose Corrales Stronach Stables1:50.86$100,0002017 Matt King Coal 4 Victor Carrasco Linda L. Rice Lady Shelia Stable1:51.07$100,0002016 Race not held2015 Page McKenney5 Horacio Karamanos Mary E. Eppler Staple/Jalin Stable1:50.88$100,0002014 Ground Transport4 Trevor McCarthy Michael H. Stidham West Point Thoroughbreds1:52.17$100,0002013 Norman Asbjornson 5 Jeremy Rose Christopher Grove Tom McClay & Harry Nye1:51.77$125,0002012 Eighttofasttocatch 6 Sheldon Russell Timothy Keefe Sylvia Heft1:53.43$100,0002011 Eighttofasttocatch5 Sheldon Russell Timothy Keefe Sylvia Heft1:50.30$75,0002010 Indian Dance 4 Luis Garcia Lawrence Murray Sondra Bender1:51.04 $70,0002009 Bullsbay5 Jeremy Rose H. Graham Motion Mitchell Ranch1:50.33 $75,0002008 Arcata4 Jeremy Rose H. Graham Motion Mark Westenhoefer1:53.00 $60,0002007 Sweetnorthernsaint4 Mario Pino Michael Trombetta Joe Balsamo & Ted Theos1:51.20 $75,0002006 Reckless Ways5 Anna Napravnik Edmond Gaudet Lacey Gaudet 1:50.60 $75,0002005 Lusty Latin6 Erick Rodriguez Mark Shuman Al Bingel1:52.00 $50,0002004 Jorgie Stover6 Kaymarie Kreidel John Alecci Michael Gill1:49.40 $75,0002003 P Day8 Ryan Fogelsonger Charles Hadry Cheryl Resch1:49.40 $75,0002002 First Amendment5 Ramon Dominguez Mark Shuman Bonita Farm1:49.20 $50,0002001 Duckhorn4 Travis Dunkelberger Patrick B. Byrne Windmill Manor Farms2:00.60 $85,0002000 S W Clarence6 Rick Wilson Thomas Lingenfelter Springwater Farms1:56.20$75,0001999 Fred Bear Claw5 Larry Reynolds Archie Smith, Jr. J R Stable1:56.60 $55,0001998 Big Rut5 Larry Reynolds Hamilton Smith James W. Peters, Jr.1:55.80 $55,0001997 Western Echo5 Edgar Prado Grover Delp Xanthus Farm1:57.20 $75,0001996 Michael's Star4 Edgar Prado Guadalipe Preciado Hidden Lane Farm1:56.80 $75,0001995 Super Memory5 Omar Klinger King T. Leatherbury King T. Leatherbury1:55.80 $75,0001994 Local Problem5 Allen Stacy Mary E. Eppler Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr.1:49.60 $75,0001993 Ibex6 Edgar Prado Gary Capuano Dylan Williams1:48.60 $75,0001992 Gala Spinaway4 Greg McCarron Bernard P. Bond Gertrude & Skip Leviton1:51.00 $75,0001991 Due North9 Rick Wilson Katherine M. Voss Susan McGill1:51.00 $75,0001990 Due North8 Edgar Prado Katherine M. Voss Susan McGill1:51.60 $75,0001989 Baldski's Choice5 Greg McCarron Bernard P. Bond Arnold & Sylvia E. Heft1:51.00 $57,5001988 Entertain5 Vincent Bracciale Kumpe & Pullen1:51.60 $60,0001987 Midnight Call4 Mario Pino William M. Backer1-mile1:37.20 $60,0001986 Sparrowvon4 Alberto Delgado Hank Allen Jacque-Scott Stable 1-mile1:37.00 $60,000
See also Harrison E. Johnson Memorial Handicap top three finishers Laurel Park Racecourse
References
External links Laurel Park website