Gallant Bloom Stakes

The Gallant Bloom Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are three years old and older run over a distance of $6 1/2$ furlongs on the dirt held annually in late September at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It has been run at nearby Aqueduct Racetrack since 2022 due to construction at Belmont.

History
The event is named in honor of Gallant Bloom who won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Two-Year-Old Filly champion of 1968, the 1969 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and the 1969 American Champion Older Female Horse. In The Blood-Horse ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Gallant Bloom is ranked #79.

The event was inaugurated on 30 August 1992 at Saratoga Race Course as a race for three-year-old fillies over six furlongs and was won by the Canadian bred filly Apelia, who defeated the Grade I Frizette Stakes winner Preach by $6 1/2$ lengths. Later, in 2014 Apelia would be honored into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

After a one-year break, the Gallant Bloom resumed in 1994 at Belmont Park with handicap conditions for fillies and mares. In 1995 the distance of the event was increased to $2 3/4$ furlongs.

In 1997 the event was classified as Grade III and was upgraded to Grade II in 2001.

The quality of the entrants for the event has justified its high status. The 2007 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Indian Blessing won this event twice and is the only dual winner to date. In 2008 Indian Blessing went onto be crowned American Champion Female Sprint Horse.

In 2022 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park. The race also changed from handicap to weight-for-age conditions with allowances.

Records
Speed record:
 * $6 1/2$ furlongs: 1:14.71 – Dust and Diamonds (2012)

Margins:
 * $6 1/2$ lengths – Frank's Rockette   (2020)

Most wins:
 * 2 – Indian Blessing (2008, 2009)

Most wins by a jockey:
 * 5 – John Velazquez (1997, 2001, 2004, 2009, 2016)

Most wins by a trainer:
 * 4 – Steven M. Asmussen (2004, 2012, 2013, 2018)

Most wins by an owner:
 * 2 – Patti & Hal Earnhardt III (2008, 2009)
 * 2 – Mary & Chester Broman Sr. (2014, 2017)

Winners
Notes: † In 2023, Caramel Swirl originally finished third but was placed first when the top two finishers, Sterling Silver and Headland, were both disqualified for interference.