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The Matchmaker Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The Grade III race is open to Fillies and Mares, Three-years-old & up and is run on turf over a distance of 1�...> miles (9 furlongs).
Inaugurated in 1967 at Atlantic City Race Course, the race was run on dirt from 1967 to 1978 and again in 1983. Run at 1 3/16 miles from 1967 through 1996, the race was moved to Monmouth Park in 1997. Until 2004, it was known as the Matchmaker Handicap and was run in mid June until being made part of the Haskell Invitational day held on the first Sunday in August. Taylor Made Stallions has sponsored the Matchmaker since 2005.
Only one horse has ever won this race twice. Allaire du Pont's filly, Politely, accomplished the feat with back-to-back victories in the first two runnings. In 2009, the Matchmaker was taken off the turf because of heavy rain in New Jersey earlier in the day. Originally carded as a grade III event, the Matchmaker loses its graded status pending a final decision by the American Graded Stakes Committee.
| Stakes Race | Grade | Purse |
|---|---|---|
| Violet Stakes | III | $150,000 |
| Monmouth Stakes | III | $250,000 |
| Pegasus Stakes | III | $200,000 |
| Boiling Springs Stakes | III | $155,000 |
| Salvator Mile Stakes | III | $200,000 |
| United Nations Stakes | I | $765,000 |
| Jersey Shore Stakes | III | $150,000 |
| Matchmaker Stakes | III | $200,000 |
| Oceanport Stakes | III | $200,000 |
| Haskell Invitational Handicap | I | $1,000,000 |
| Monmouth Oaks | III | $150,000 |
| Philip H. Iselin Stakes | III | $250,000 |
| Molly Pitcher Stakes | II | $250,000 |
| Sapling Stakes | III | $150,000 |
| Cliff Hanger Stakes | III | $150,000 |
| Eatontown Stakes | III | $150,000 |
| Monmouth Cup Stakes | II | $300,000 |
| Red Bank Stakes | III | $200,000 |
