The Philadelphia Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held thirty-eight times between 1913 and 1950 at Havre de Grace Racetrack in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Run on dirt, the race was open to horses of either sex age three and older.

From inception in 1913 through 1919, and again from 1947 through 1950, the event was contested at a sprint distance of six furlongs. In between, it was raced at a mile and a sixteenth.

Historical notes First run on April 26, 1913, Ten Point easily won the inaugural edition of the Philadelphia Handicap while equaling the track record despite giving weight to the rest of the field. Ten Point went on the run second in the May 10 Kentucky Derby.

In 1919 Commander J. K. L. Ross got the first of his three Philadelphia Handicap wins when Billy Kelly won for him. A gelding Billy Kelly's outstanding career would lead to induction into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. Five other horses would also have Hall of Fame careers beginning with Exterminator (1923) then Sun Beau (1931), two-time winner Equipoise (1933–1934), Challedon (1942) and Armed who broke the track record in winning the 1946 race.

Billy Kelly returned to compete in the 1920 Philadelphia Handicap along with stablemate Sir Barton who had won the 1919 U. S. Triple Cown. The race would see an astonishing upset when 106-1 longshot Crystal Ford came home ahead of the nine other runners. Star Master finished second in front of the third- and fourth-place finishers Billy Kelly and Sir Barton who were giving the winner 32 and 26 pounds, respectively.

Thanksgiving, a good runner owned by Anne Corning, had already won a number of races including the Travers Stakes when he won the 1939 Philadelphia Handicap. Thanksgiving's trainer was Mary Hirsch, someone who had overcome many obstacles to become the first woman in the United States licensed to train Thoroughbred racehorses. Mary Hirsch was the only female trainer to win the Philadelphia Handicap and through 2019 remains the only female trainer to have won the Travers Stakes.

World War II saw racing restricted in the United States and Havre de Grace Racetrack was forced to cancel all of its spring races in 1943 which included the Philadelphia Handicap.

In 1945 the Philadelphia Handicap was run at Pimlico Race Course due to Federal government wartime gasoline rationing that saw all four of Maryland's major racetracks consolidate their races into the Pimlico facility.

The following year the distance was changed to a six furlong sprint and was won by another Calumet horse, Pep Well, who was ridden by Albert Snider. Until his untimely death on March 5, 1948, Snider was the regular jockey for the great Citation and had won all nine races he was aboard. Snider was scheduled to ride in the May 1, 1948 Kentucky Derby but after his death Eddie Arcaro was hired to ride Citation and would win that year's Triple Crown.

On April 19, 1950, The Pincher won what would turn out to be the last running of the Philadelphia Handicap as horse racing came to an end at the Havre de Grace Racetrack at the close of that 1950 spring meeting.

Records Speed record: 1:10 2/5 @ 6 furlongs: Pep Well (1947) 1:43 1/5 @ 1 1/16 miles Armed (1946)

Most wins: 2 - Boniface (1921, 1922) 2 - Equipoise (1933, 1934) 2 - Pep Well (1947, 1949)

Most wins by a jockey: 3 - Maurice Peters (1936, 1939, 1940)

Most wins by a trainer: 3 - Henry McDaniel (1921, 1922, 1923)

Most wins by an owner: 3 - J. K. L. Ross (1919, 1921, 1922) 3 - Calumet Farm (1946, 1947, 1949)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Dist. (M / F) Time Win$1950The Pincher4John GilbertGeorge MohrHenry H. Hecht6 F1:10.40$5,7951949Pep Well6Robert J. MartinHorace A. JonesCalumet Farm6 F1:11.60$9,1201948Circus Clown3Ovie ScurlockThomas F. Root Sr.William J. Walden6 F1:12.80$8,8201947Pep Well4Albert SniderHorace A. JonesCalumet Farm6 F1:10.20$8,9601946Armed5Douglas DodsonBen A. JonesCalumet Farm1 m1:43.20$18,3501945Gay Bit4Robert J. MartinAlbert DunneBobanet Stable (R. Bruce Livie)1 m1:46.80$3,2001944Rounders5Nick JemasWilliam BoothWilliam G. Helis Sr.1 m1:45.40$12,4501943 Race not held due to wartime restrictions1942Challedon6George WoolfEdward A. ChristmasBranncastle Farm (William L. Brann & Robert S. Castle)1 m1:45.40$7,9251941Ringie4John GilbertP. Dallee WattsGustave Ring1 m1:44.60$7,9251940Masked General6Maurice PetersWilliam MulhollandBrandywine Stable1 m1:44.20$8,1001939Thanksgiving4Maurice PetersMary HirschAnne Corning1 m1:49.20$7,9251938Burning Star4Melvin LewisJohn J. GreelyShandon Farm Stable (Richard L. & Patrick J. Nash)1 m1:45.80$7,9501937Whopper5Harry RichardsDuval A. HeadleyHal Price Headley1 m1:45.60$6,4001936Black Gift4Maurice PetersLeon CarterLeon Carter1 m1:45.80$6,6251935Stand Pat4Robert WatsonFrank GilpinEdward F. Seagram1 m1:44.20$6,5501934Equipoise6Raymond WorkmanThomas J. HealeyC. V. Whitney1 m1:44.40$5,8001933Equipoise5Raymond WorkmanThomas J. HealeyC. V. Whitney1 m1:44.60$6,3751932Lightning Bolt4Pete WallsWilliam BrennanLiz Whitney1 m1:45.00$8,8501931Sun Beau6Charles KurtsingerAndy SchuttingerWillis Sharpe Kilmer1 m1:44.80$9,0001930Inception4Fred StevensOscar ChaneyMrs. Oscar Chaney1 m1:52.20$9,6001929Petee-Wrack4Steve O'DonnellWilliam BoothJohn R. Macomber1 m1:45.40$8,3251928Canter5Steve O'DonnellHarry RitesJ. Edwin Griffith1 m1:46.40$8,9501927Single Foot5Jack ChalmersHarry RitesJ. Edwin Griffith1 m1:45.40$8,6501926Edisto4Edgar BarnesWilliam H. BringloeEdward F. Seagram1 m1:46.80$8,7251925Leopardess4Red HarveyClyde S. PhillipsGreentree Stable1 m1:47.40$3,9501924Spot Cash4Fred StevensJames W. HealyAlbert C. Bostwick Jr.1 m1:43.40$3,3501923Exterminator8Linus McAteeHenry McDanielWillis Sharpe Kilmer1 m1:45.80$3,3501922Boniface7Clarence TurnerHenry McDanielJ. K. L. Ross1 m1:45.00$3,8351921Boniface6James ButwellHenry McDanielJ. K. L. Ross1 m1:48.20$3,5001920Crystal Ford4Laverne FatorAndrew G. BlakelyNosreme Stable1 m1:45.40$3,7001919Billy Kelly3Earl SandeH. Guy BedwellJ. K. L. Ross6 F1:12.40$1,3711918Hauberk6Charles PeakJake ByerJ. F. Sweeney6 F1:12.40$1,8051917Pennant6Frank RobinsonJames G. Rowe Sr.Harry Payne Whitney6 F1:13.20$1,7701916A. N. Akin4Frank RobinsonEdward TrotterEdward Trotter6 F1:13.00$1,6301915Slumber4James GrothJames G. Rowe Sr.Harry Payne Whitney6 F1:12.20$1,6451914Sherwood7Wilmer WardL. BlumeJ. W. Hedrick6 F1:12.80$1,7351913Ten Point3James ButwellCalvin BanksAnthony L. Aste6 F1:11.60$1,785

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