The Huron Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run between 1901 and 1940 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Raced on dirt, it was run at a distance of 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs) with the exception of 1914 when the distance was set at 1 1/4 miles (10 furlongs).[1]

Huron Handicap
Discontinued stakes race
LocationSaratoga Race Course
Saratoga Springs, New York,
United States
Inaugurated1901
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
Race information
Distance1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds

Historical notes

edit

The 1920 edition of the Huron Handicap saw William Coe's outstanding filly Cleopatra equal the track record in winning the race under future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Linus McAtee. [2] While not a major event, the Huron nonetheless drew top horses and was won by other stellar runners such as Roamer, an American Horse of the Year and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, The Finn, a 1915 Champion and Belmont Stakes winner, Johren who won the Latonia Derby and the Belmont Stakes, Sarazen, a two-time American Horse of the Year, plus both Whiskery and Reigh Count who each won the Kentucky Derby.

On August 25, 1938, the Huron Handicap was won by a female trainer for the first time in its history. Mary Hirsch, daughter of future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Max Hirsch, won the race with the colt Thanksgiving owned by another female, Anne Corning.[3] Just 13 days earlier Mary Hirsch won the most important race of her career when she became the first female trainer to ever win the very prestigious Travers Stakes, also with Thanksgiving.[4]

The final running on August 30, 1940 was won by Jacomar, a colt owned by "Cosmetics Queen" Elizabeth Arden.[5] Previously, Jacomar had set a new Aqueduct track record on June 15 of 1:42 4/5 for 1 1/16 miles on dirt in winning the Shevlin Stakes.[6]

The 1911–1912 statewide shutdown of horse racing

edit

On June 11, 1908, the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation.[7] The owners of Saratoga Race Course, and other racing facilities in New York State, struggled to stay in business without income from betting.[8] Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which resulted in the Huron Handicap offering a purse in 1908 that was less than one-quarter of what it had been in earlier years. These small purses made horse racing unprofitable and impossible for even the most successful horse owners to continue in business. As such, for the 1909 and 10 racing seasons management of the Saratoga racing facility dropped some of its minor stakes races and used the purse money to bolster its most important events.[9]

In spite of strong opposition by prominent owners such as August Belmont Jr. and Harry Payne Whitney, reform legislators were not happy when they learned that betting was still going on at racetracks between individuals and they had further restrictive legislation passed by the New York Legislature in 1910.[10] The Agnew–Perkins Law, a series of four bills and recorded as the Executive Liability Act, made it possible for racetrack owners and members of its board of directors to be fined and imprisoned if anyone was found betting, even privately, anywhere on their premises.[11] After a 1911 amendment to the law that would limit the liability of owners and directors was defeated in the Legislature, every racetrack in New York State shut down.[12] As a result, the Great Trial Stakes was not run in 1911 and 1912.

Owners, whose horses of racing age had nowhere to go, began sending them, their trainers and their jockeys to race in England and France. Many horses ended their racing careers there and a number remained to become an important part of the European horse breeding industry. Thoroughbred Times reported that more than 1,500 American horses were sent overseas between 1908 and 1913 and of them at least 24 were either past, present, or future Champions.[13] With a February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, horse racing and the Huron Handicap returned in 1913.[14][15]

Records

edit

Speed record:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

edit
Year
Winner
Age
Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Furlongs)
Time
Win$
1940 Jacomar 3 Ruperto Donoso H. Hugh Dufford Elizabeth Arden 9.5 F 1:57.40 $3,550
1939 Maeda 3 Basil James George E. Phillips Maemere Farm (Dewitt Page) 9.5 F 1:56.00 $3,150
1938 Thanksgiving 3 Eddie Arcaro Mary Hirsch Anne C. Corning 9.5 F 1:58.40 $3,375
1937 Sammie 3 Sidney Hebert Peter W. Coyne Joseph E. Widener 9.5 F 1:58.60 $2,410
1936 Jean Bart 3 Harry Richards Preston M. Burch Walter M. Jeffords Sr. 9.5 F 1:58.60 $2,410
1935 Mantagna 3 Eddie Litzenberger George E. Phillips William H. Furst 9.5 F 1:59.20 $2,410
1934 Vicar 3 Tommy Malley James E. Fitzsimmons Belair Stud Stable 9.5 F 2:02.00 $2,135
1933 Caesar's Ghost 3 Dominick Bellizzi Robert Augustus Smith Brookmeade Stable 9.5 F 2:00.00 $2,135
1932 War Hero 3 John Gilbert George H. Conway Glen Riddle Farm 9.5 F 1:57.00 $2,850
1931 Hillsborough 3 Sidney Hebert Harry M. Unna Arthur Bartelstein 9.5 F 2:01.80 $3,800
1930 Spinach 3 Charles Kurtsinger William J. Spiers William Ziegler Jr. 9.5 F 1:57.60 $3,800
1929 The Nut 3 Mack Garner Joe Notter Warm Stable (S. B. Mason & A. W. Hanger) 9.5 F 1:58.00 $4,700
1928 Reigh Count 3 Chick Lang Bert S. Michell Fannie Hertz 9.5 F 2:00.80 $4,300
1927 Whiskery 3 Raymond Workman Fred Hopkins Harry P. Whitney 9.5 F 1:59.40 $3,800
1926 Crusader 3 Earl Sande George H. Conway Glen Riddle Farm 9.5 F 1:59.60 $4,050
1925 Peanuts 3 Frank Coltiletti George P. Odom Robert L. Gerry Sr. 9.5 F 1:58.80 $3,000
1924 Sarazen 3 John Maiben Max Hirsch Fair Stable 9.5 F 2:02.80 $3,850
1923 Rialto 3 Linus McAtee James G. Rowe Sr. Greentree Stable 9.5 F 1:57.60 $3,850
1922 Rockminister 3 Mack Garner Kay Spence Montfort Jones 9.5 F 1:57.40 $3,900
1921 Smoke Screen 3 Clarence Kummer James N. Evans Gifford A. Cochran 9.5 F 1:58.20 $3,800
1920 Cleopatra 3 Linus McAtee William H. Karrick William R. Coe 9.5 F 1:56.00 $2,325
1919 Purchase 3 Willie Knapp Sam Hildreth Sam Hildreth 9.5 F 1:59.20 $2,325
1918 Johren 3 Frank Robinson James G. Rowe Sr. Harry P. Whitney 9.5 F 1:57.40 $2,075
1917 Rickety 3 Frank Robinson James G. Rowe Sr. Harry P. Whitney 9.5 F 2:00.40 $1.925
1916 Spur 3 Johnny Loftus John H. McCormack James Butler 9.5 F 1:58.60 $1,425
1915 The Finn 3 James Butwell Edward W. Heffner Harry C. Hallenbeck 9.5 F 2:03.00 $1,050
1914 Roamer 3 James Butwell A. J. Goldsborough Andrew Miller 10 F 2:06.80 $2,200
1913 Cock O' The Walk 3 J. "Buddy" Glass John P. Mayberry Frederick Johnson 9.5 F 1:59.20 $1,630
1912 No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law.
1911
1910 Countless 3 Ted Koerner John W. May John G. Greener 9.5 F 1:59.20 $2,375
1909 Choirmaster of Chesterbrook 3 James Mulligan J. Simon Healy Edward B. Cassatt 9.5 F 2:06.00 $1,170
1908 Sir John Johnson 3 S. Sweet William Hayward Jr. Stephen Sanford 9.5 F 1:58.60 $500
1907 Kennyetto 3 Walter Miller William Hayward Jr. John Sanford 9.5 F 2:00.00 $2,300
1906 Content 3 Walter Miller Thomas Welsh Newcastle Stable 9.5 F 2:00.00 $1,705
1905 Bedouin 3 Willie Shaw John Huggins Herman B. Duryea 9.5 F 2:00.60 $1,795
1904 Fort Hunter 3 Gene Hildebrand John Dyment Jr. Nathaniel Dyment 9.5 F 2:01.60 $2,060
1903 Shorthose 3 William E. Haack Albert G. Weston Goughacres Stable 9.5 F 2:02.40 $1,985
1902 Sombrero 3 Tommy Burns Green B. Morris Green B. Morris 9.5 F 2:04.00 $1.755
1901 The Rhymer 3 Harry Cochran James J. McLaughlin John A. Monahan 9.5 F 2:03.00 $1,600

References

edit
  1. ^ "Huron Handicap To Spur – 1901–1916 winners". Daily Racing Form. 1916-08-23. Retrieved 2019-08-02 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  2. ^ "Huron Handicap is Won by Cleopatra". New York Times. 1920-08-27. p. 13. Retrieved 2019-07-22.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Impressive Victory Is Scored by Thanksgiving in Huron Handicap at the Spa". New York Times. 1938-08-26. p. 12. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  4. ^ "Travers Milestones – 1938" (PDF). NYRA – 2016 Media Guide. 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
  5. ^ "Jacomar Wins By Length Beats Asp and Snow Ridge in Huron Handicap". New York Times. 1940-08-31. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
  6. ^ "Jacomar, Chicuelo Win For Mrs. Lewis In Aqueduct Races". New York Times. 1940-06-16. Retrieved 2019-08-04.
  7. ^ "Penalties in the New York Bills". Daily Racing Form. 1908-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-26 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  8. ^ "Keep Up Betting Ban". New York Times. 1908-09-01. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  9. ^ "Coney Island Clubs Sturdy Stand". Daily Racing Form. 1908-08-11. Retrieved 2019-02-03 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  10. ^ Liebman, Bennett (May 24, 2009). "The First American Triple Crown Series". The Rail. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  11. ^ "Racing Men Attack Anti-Betting Bills – Place Every Man Who Makes Private Wager in Jeopardy". New York Times. 1910-04-07. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  12. ^ "Race Track Bill Defeated In Senate; Measure Modifying Directors' Liability for Gambling Fails of Passage". The New York Times. July 14, 1911. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  13. ^ "Racing Through the Century". Thoroughbred Times. February 14, 2000. Archived from the original on July 19, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  14. ^ "Oral Betting Held Legal: Appellate Division of New York Supreme Court Renders Important Decision". Daily Racing Form. 1913-02-22. Retrieved 2019-06-29 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  15. ^ "Destruction Wrought by Hughes". Daily Racing Form. 1908-12-15. Retrieved 2018-11-30 – via University of Kentucky Archives.