The Forward Gal Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies, over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held annually in late January or early February at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The event currently carries a purse of $175,000.

History

The race is named for Forward Gal, the American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 1970 and a career winner of twelve events in 26 starts.

The inaugural running of the event was on 12 February 1981 and was won by Hickory Tree Stable's Dame Mysterieuse by lengths in a time of 1:22. Dame Mysterieuse starting as the 8/5 favorite was ridden by French-born jockey Jean-Luc Samyn and was trained by Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens. Woody Stephens also trained the second placegetter Heavenly Cause and the fourth place finisher Del La Rose in the race.

The following year, 1982, the event was run in split divisions.

The 1984 winner Miss Oceana began her three-year-old career in the event after winning three Grade I events as a two-year-old. Starting at short odds of 2/5on Miss Oceana breezed winning the race by three lengths in a time of 1:22 providing Woody Stephens with his third winner after only four runnings of the event.

The event was upgraded in 1986 by the American Graded Stakes Committee to Grade III race.

In the 1989 the event was won by Eugene V. Klein's Open Mind, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner from the year before and US Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Trained by US Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., Open Mind won by two lengths, winning her third straight event. Open Mind would win seven more straight events including five Grade I events to be voted US Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for 1989.

The event was upgraded to Grade II classification in 1991 and was downgraded back to Grade III in 1997. In 1997, the 17th running of the event H. Joseph Allen's Glitter Woman ridden by US Hall of Fame jockey Mike E. Smith blitzed her rivals winning by a then record lengths victory and setting a new stakes record time for the event in 1.21.76. The record stands to date, however the 2012 winner Broadway's Alibi created a new winning margin record thrashing her rivals by lengths.

In 2004 the event was upgraded once again to Grade II and held the classification for fourteen runnings until 2017 when it was downgraded back to Grade III.

The event carries qualification points to the Kentucky Oaks as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Records Speed record: 1:21.76 – Glitter Woman (1997)

Margins: lengths – Broadway's Alibi (2012)

Most wins by an owner: 2 – Hickory Tree Stable (1981, 1982) 2 – Edward P. Evans (1991, 2001) 2 – Stonestreet Stables (2012, 2025)

Most wins by a jockey: 5 – Luis Saez (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)

Most wins by a trainer: 4 – Todd A. Pletcher (2012, 2013, 2014, 2021)

Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Owner Distance Time Purse Grade Ref2026On Time Girl Irad Ortiz Jr.Brad H. CoxAlbaugh Family Stables 7 furlongs1:24.59$150,000III2025Eclatant Luis SaezBrad H. CoxStonestreet Stables 7 furlongs1:23.61$155,000III2024R Harper Rose Edgard Zayas Saffie A. Joseph Jr. Averill Racing & Two Eight Racing 7 furlongs1:24.34$145,000III 2023Red Carpet Ready Luis SaezGeorge R. Arnold IIAshbrook Farm & Upland Flats Racing 7 furlongs1:23.54$125,000III2022Girl With a Dream Luis SaezBrad H. CoxJim Bakke & Gerald Isbister 7 furlongs1:23.42$100,000III2021ZaajelLuis SaezTodd A. PletcherShadwell Stable7 furlongs1:24.72$100,000III2020Tonalist's ShapeIrad Ortiz Jr.Saffie A. Joseph Jr. Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham & Legacy Ranch 7 furlongs1:24.47$150,000III2019FeedbackIrad Ortiz Jr.Chad C. BrownKlaravich Stables7 furlongs1:23.51$150,000III2018Paco LopezKiaran P. McLaughlinPeter Deutsch7 furlongs1:23.47$200,000III2017TequilitaLuis SaezMichael R. MatzDorothy Alexander Matz7 furlongs1:24.36$200,000II2016Cathryn SophiaJoel RosarioJohn C. ServisCash is King7 furlongs1:22.04$200,000II2015BirdatthewireIrad Ortiz Jr.Dale L. RomansForum Racing7 furlongs1:24.92$200,000II2014OnlyforyouJavier CastellanoTodd A. PletcherGlencrest Farm (Lessee)7 furlongs1:22.50$200,000II2013Kauai KatieJohn R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherStonestreet Stables7 furlongs1:22.13$200,000II2012Broadway's AlibiJohn R. VelazquezTodd A. PletcherE. Paul Robsham7 furlongs1:21.94$200,000II2011Pomeroys PistolPaco LopezAmy TarrantHardacre Farm 7 furlongs1:22.89$200,000II2010BickersonsJoe BravoKelly J. BreenLori & George Hall7 furlongs1:22.35$150,000II2009Frolic's DreamMartin D. WolfsonDare To Dream Farm7 furlongs1:24.15$150,000II2008BsharpsonataEric CamachoTimothy E. SalzmanCloverleaf Farm II7 furlongs1:23.09$150,000II2007Forever TogetherElvis TrujilloJonathan E. SheppardAugustin Stable7 furlongs1:22.60$150,000II2006Miraculous MissJeremy RoseSteve KlesarisPuglisi Stables & Steve Klesaris7 furlongs1:22.78$150,000II2005LetgomyechoJavier CastellanoGeorge R. Arnold IIDixiana Farm7 furlongs1:23.24$150,000II2004Madcap EscapadeJerry D. BaileyFrank L. BrothersBruce Lunsford7 furlongs1:22.97$150,000II2003Midnight CryEdgar S. PradoKenneth G. McPeekBarrister Hall Stables7 furlongs1:22.55$100,000III2002Take the CakeRene R. DouglasCarl A. NafzgerElizabeth J. Valando7 furlongs1:25.47$100,000III2001Gold MoverJerry D. BaileyMark A. HennigEdward P. Evans7 furlongs1:22.43$113,000III2000Miss InquistiveTommy TurnerFrank A. Passero Jr.Colebrook Farms7 furlongs1:22.25$75,000III1999China StormPat DayD. Wayne LukasOverbrook Farm7 furlongs1:23.69$75,000III1998UanmeShane SellersDallas StewartHorton Stable 7 furlongs1:24.56$75,000III1997Glitter WomanMike E. SmithH. Joseph Allen7 furlongs1:21.76$75,000III1996Mindy GayleJulie KroneJulian CanetHarvey Tenenbaum7 furlongs1:24.54$75,000II1995Chaposa SpringsHeberto Castillo Jr.Martin D. WolfsonSuresh Chintamaneni7 furlongs1:24.18$73,100 II1994MynameispanamaMarco CastanedaOdin J. Londono Sr.A. Garcia-de-Parades & Jorge Ameglio7 furlongs1:22.97$72,600II1993Sum RunnerRandy RomeroDonald R. WinfreeS Solon Cohen Stables7 furlongs1:23.67$74,850II1992Spinning RoundJose A. SantosJames E. BakerKinsman Stable7 furlongs1:24.85$73,050II1991WithallprobabilityCraig PerretD. Wayne LukasEdward P. Evans7 furlongs1:22.50$79,650II1990CharonEarlie FiresEugene NavarroStanley Ersoff7 furlongs1:24.80$60,300III1989Open MindAngel Cordero Jr.D. Wayne LukasEugene V. Klein7 furlongs1:24.20$61,300III1988On To RoyaltyCraig PerretBenjamin W. Perkins Jr.Benjamin W. Perkins Jr. & Neil Litten7 furlongs1:23.20$61,700III1987Added EleganceJacinto VasquezFrank GomezWimborne Farm7 furlongs1:24.60$67,700III1986NorancHerb McCauleyJoseph ProvostPeter Rosbeck & Jack Roberts7 furlongs1:23.80$60,000III1985Lucy ManetteCraig PerretJ. Willard ThompsonWilliam M. Hackman7 furlongs1:23.40$66,150 1984Miss OceanaEddie MapleWoodford C. StephensNewstead Farm7 furlongs1:22.40$40,180 1983UnaccompaniedRobert WoodhouseDennis W. EbertBen P. Walden & Wells P. Hardesty7 furlongs1:23.40$47,005 1982TroveLarry SaumellWoodford C. StephensHickory Tree Stable7 furlongs1:22.80$29,712 All MannersOdin J. LondonoDuke DavisMrs. Rosemary Bailey1:23.00$29,9621981Dame MysterieuseJean-Luc SamynWoodford C. StephensHickory Tree Stable7 furlongs1:22.20$43,400

See also List of American and Canadian Graded races Forward Gal Stakes top three finishers Road to the Kentucky Oaks

External links 2021–22 Gulfstream Park Media Guide

References