Inaugurated in 1887 as the Brooklyn Derby at the now defunct Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, in 1918 it was renamed for the Dwyer brothers, Mike & Phil, who dominated thoroughbred racing in the late 19th century. At one time, it was a Grade I stakes race that was a major part of the American Thoroughbred racing season. It was known as the Dwyer Handicap from 1957 to 1978.
Since inception, the race has been contested at various distances:
1 mile : 2015 to present
1+1⁄16 miles – 1887–1924, 1935–1939, 1994 to 2014
1+1⁄8 miles – 1888–1897, 1915–1924, 1935–1939, 1975–1993, 2010
1+3⁄16 miles – 1956–1959
1+1⁄4 miles – 1910–1914, 1925, 1940–1955, 1960–1974
In 1908 Fair Play was the first of three generations to win the Dwyer. His son, Man o' War, won it in 1920; and Man o' War's sons American Flag and Crusader won it in 1925 and 1926, respectively. The 1920 Dwyer turned into a match race when the owner of John P. Grier was the only one willing to run their horse against Man o' War. However, confronting John P. Grier proved to be one of his hardest races. The two horses raced head-to-head for most of the distance until John P. Grier put his nose in front at the eighth pole, but Man o' War came back to win by more than a length.
This race was downgraded to a Grade III for its 2014 running.[2]
SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Stonestreet Stables, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC & Catherine Donovan
