The Dexter Cup is a harness racing event for three-year-old standardbred trotters raced at a distance of one mile. The race was created in 1960.

History The Dexter Cup is a stakes race for three-year-old colts and geldings. Its companion race for three-year-old fillies is called the Lady Suffolk. The Dexter Cup was inaugurated in 1960 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York. The inaugural $60,000 Dexter Cup was held on September 17, 1960. Named in memory of Dexter, the race honors one of the foremost trotters of the 19th century.

The Dexter Cup is traditionally considered the first leg of the "Big Five" trotting stakes, which also include the Colonial Trot, Yonkers Trot, Hambletonian Stakes, and Kentucky Futurity. It is held annually as the opening stakes event of the Grand Circuit season for three-year-old male trotters eligible to compete in the Hambletonian.

The Dexter Cup was held at the now-defunct Roosevelt Raceway from 1960 to 1987. At Roosevelt Raceway, The Dexter developed into the richest harness race of all time with a value of $183,463 in 1967. It was relocated to Yonkers Raceway for the 1988 season. In November 1991, Freehold Raceway signed a contract with the Hambletonian Society to host the Dexter Cup and the Lady Suffolk trots for the first time in 1992. The closure of Freehold Raceway at the end of 2024 led to the Dexter Cup being reassigned to The Meadowlands Grand Circuit program in 2025. The format was changed to eliminate eliminations and a final, instead splitting the race into divisions.

Notable Dexter Cup winners include the world champions Armbro Goal, Joie De Vie, Defiant Yankee, Colt Comfort, Songcan, Lindy's Pride, Nevele Pride, and Carlisle. Five horses have captured both the Dexter Cup and the Hambletonian Stakes: Speedy Scot (1963), Nevele Pride (1968), Lindy's Pride (1969), Armbro Goal (1988), and American Winner (1993).

Distances The Dexter Cup Trot was originally raced over one mile when inaugurated in 1960.

Locations 1960–1987: Roosevelt Raceway, Westbury, New York, U.S. 1988–1991: Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, New York, U.S. 1992–2024: Freehold Raceway, Freehold, New Jersey, U.S. 2025–present: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S.

Records Most wins by a driver 4 – Stanley Dancer (1964, 1968, 1971, 1986) Most wins by a trainer 3 – Ake Svanstedt (2016, 2021, 2023) Stakes record (1 mile) 1:53.4 – Hard Seven (2025)

Dexter Cup winners Year Winner Driver Trainer Owner Time Notes 1960 Quick Song Ralph N. Baldwin Ralph N. Baldwin Castleton Farm 2:10 2/5 World trotting record 1961 Matastar Harry Pownall — Arden Homestead Stable 2:10 1/5 World trotting record 1962 Lord Gordon John Patterson John Patterson Leonard J. Buck/Allwood Stable — 1963 Speedy Scot Ralph N. Baldwin Ralph N. Baldwin Castleton Farm — 1964 Dartmouth Stanley Dancer — Castleton Farm 2:08 4/5 — 1965 Armbro Flight Joe O'Brien Joe O'Brien Elgin, Ted, and Charles Armstrong 2:03 3/5 $39,943 1966 Carlisle Billy Haughton — — — 1967 Flamboyant Billy Haughton — — 2:04 3/5 $91,731 1968 Nevele Pride Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Nevele Acres & Louis Resnick 2:02 2/5 1969 Lindy's Pride Howard Beissinger Howard Beissinger Frank and Tom Antonacci (Lindy Farms) 2:00 3/5 1970 Marlu Pride Hervé Filion Hervé Filion August J. Portanova 2:01 2/5 Stakes record 1971 Quick Pride Stanley Dancer Stanley Dancer Florida Stables 2:03 $53,843 1972 Songcan George Sholty Don Prussack Nevele Acres & Don Hy Stable, Inc. 2:02 4/5 — 1973 Knightly Way John F. Simpson Jr. John F. Simpson Jr. Clarence Gaines 2:01.3 — 1974 Surge Hanover William Wellwood William Wellwood William Wellwood 2:03 4/5 $56,190 1975 Songflori Delvin Miller Delvin Miller Del Miller, John F. Simpson Jr., & the Messenger Stables — 1976 Soothsayer Delvin Miller Mike Crocco Mike Crocco 2:02 4/5 $83,145 1977 Cold Comfort Peter Haughton Billy Haughton H.P.H. Stable — $83,328; First father-son team to win 1978 Brisco Hanover Jim Miller Jim Miller — Mel Barr — 1979 Chiola Hanover Jimmy Allen Bill Vaughn Michael & Allan Chasanoff 2:02 2/5 $87,613 1980 Nevele Impulse Dick Macomber Dick Macomber Hans Enggren 2:02 2/5 — 1981 Defiant Yankee Howard Beissinger — — 2:01 Track record tie 1982 Mystic Park Frank O'Mara Frank O'Mara — 2:01 2/5 $82,073 1983 Joie De Vie Buddy Gilmour Ned Martin — 2:01 4/5 $131,695 1984 Speed Merchant Anthony Quartarolo Anthony Quartarolo — 1:59 2/5 Track record tie 1985 Master Willie Sören Nordin — — 2:00 — 1986 Mangrove Stanley Dancer — — 2:00 2/5 — 1987 Crowns Best John Campbell — — — $83,981 1988 Armbro Goal John Campbell Jan Johnson Jimmy Plate 1:54 4/5 $110,683 1990 Royal Troubadour Carl Allen Carl Allen Carl Allen 1:58.3 Stakes record 1991 Crowns Invitation Michel Lachance Jerry Riordan Lou Guida 1:54 4/5 — 1992 McCluckey Jack Moiseyev Joe Holloway — 2:00 3/5 — 1993 American Winner Ron Pierce Per Eriksson — — — 1994 Mr Lavec Jimmy Takter Jimmy Takter — 1:58.2 Stakes record 1995 Super Wally Rod Allen Ed Perry Loren Houston — — 1996 Armbro Ogen Jack Moiseyev Brett Pelling Brett Pelling & Peter & Gail McCann — $75,872.50 1997 Armbro Plato Ray Schnittker Ray Schnittker Ray Schnittker, Seal Stable, Earl Scheelar, & Ron Kelkenberg 1:58 4/5 — 1998 Trade Balance Ron Pierce — — 2:02.2 — 1999 Pearsall Hanover Mickey McNichol — Wildenstein Stable 1:59 $79,575 2000 Ambro Trick Ray Schnittker Paul Doherty Ray Schnittker, Seal Stable, Earl Schleer, & Kelks Inc. 1:57 4/5 Stakes record 2001 SJ's Caviar Robert Blanton Jr. Belinda Blanton Solomon, Bartling and Kosmos Horse Breeders 1:56 1/5 Stakes record 2002 Trainforthefuture Michel Lachance Robert Macintosh — 1:59.1 — 2003 CR V Eight Catello Manzi Lars Nordin — 1:59.1 — 2004 Beissinger Hanover Michel Lachance Ron Gurfein — 1:57 1/5 — 2005 Lindy Five Hundred George Brennan Paul Doherty Jones For President, KR Breeding, and Edward Pachula 1:59.1 — 2006 A Rod George Brennan Paul Doherty Earl Schleer, the Kelk family, & Ray Schnittker 1:58.1 — 2007 Manfinity George Brennan Larry Rathbone — 1:58.2 — 2008 Holiday Credit Ron Pierce Jimmy Takter — 1:56.3 — 2009 Anders Bluestone Tim Tetrick Jimmy Takter — 1:55.3 Stakes record 2010 Flex The Muscle David Miller Ray Schnittker — 1:56.2 Schnittker's fifth victory 2011 Ice Machine David Miller Charlie Norris — 1:57.3 — 2012 Not Afraid Ron Pierce Jimmy Takter — 1:55.4 — 2013 Celebrity Maserati Tom Jackson Susanne Strandqvist — 1:58.3 — 2014 Sumatra Brian Sears Tom Fanning — 1:57.4 — 2015 Habitat Yannick Gingras Ron Burke — 1:56.4 — 2016 Dante Ake Svanstadt Ake Svanstedt Courant AB of Sweden 1:59.4 — 2017 Lord Cromwell John Campbell Ed Hart Carolyn & Irv Atherton 1:55 Stakes record 2018 Lindy's Big Bang David Miller Richard Norman — 1:56.1 — 2019 Osterc Yannick Gingras Per Engblom Christina Takter 1:57.0 — 2020 No races 2021 Incommunicado Yannick Gingras Ake Svanstedt Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E LLC, Arthur Geiger, & David Stolz 1:56 3/5 — 2022 Brave By Design Joe Bongiorno Jennifer Bongiorno Brave By Design Stable 1:57.2 — 2023 Khaosan Road Scott Zeron Ake Svanstedt Knutsson Trotting Inc. & Little E LLC 1:57.4 — 2024 Sir Pinocchio Jason Bartlett Ed Hart Carolyn & Irv Atherton 1:56.2 — 2025 Hard Seven Todd McCarthy Nancy Takter Let It Ride Stables, Maurice Chodash, & Boca Racing LLC 1:53.4

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