 Inaugurated in 1960, it was run as the Edgemere Handicap until 1981.Previously, there had been a race on dirt known as the Edgemere Handicap which was contested at a distance of a mile and one furlong.Last run in 1957, this turf race was renamed the Red Smith Handicap in honor of the late Walter "Red" Smith, an honored and respected sports columnist for over 45 years who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1976.