The Zephyr Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race that was run from 1886 through 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race for two-year-olds of either sex, it was a sprint race run on dirt. During its tenure, it was run at three different distances. From inception through 1900 it was run on the track's Futurity course at 5+34 furlongs with a setup that did not accommodate a standard six-furlong race.[1] (A furlong is 18 mi or 0.20 km.)

Zephyr Stakes
Discontinued stakes race
LocationSheepshead Bay Race Track
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Inaugurated1886–1910
Race typeThoroughbredFlat racing
Race information
DistanceFurlongs:
1886–1900: 5+34
1901–1909: 5+12
1910: 5
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationTwo-year-olds

The 1886 inaugural Zephyr Stakes was won by Tremont. Considered one of the great two-year-old horses in the history of American racing, Tremont's thirteen race wins set a record for the most by an undefeated two-year-old trained in the United States. Going into 2019, that record still stands. He earned 1886 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt honors.[2]

On June 11, 1908, the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation with penalties allowing for fines and up to a year in prison.[3] The owners of Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and other racing facilities in New York State, struggled to stay in business without betting.[4] Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which by 1909 saw the Mermaid Stakes offering a purse that was close to one-tenth of what it had been in earlier years.[5] Further restrictive legislation was passed by the New York Legislature in 1910 which deepened the financial crisis for track operators and led to a complete shut down of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912. When a Court ruling saw racing return in 1913 it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.

Records

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Speed record:

  • 5+12 furlongs: 1:06.40, Disadvantage (1901)
  • 5+34 furlongs: 1:09.40, Commando (1900)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners

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Year
Winner
Age Jockey
Trainer
Owner
Dist.
(Furlongs)
Time
Win
US$
1910 Round The World 2 Frank Keogh J. H. Armstrong William G. Yanke 5 F 0:59.80 $520
1909 Reybourn 2 James Butwell William O. Scully H. L. Lee 5.5 F 1:07.40 $455
1908 Torbellino 2 Joe McCahey Enoch Wishard Adolph B. Spreckels 5.5 F 1:07.00 $3,690
1907 Lady Winifred 2 Guy Garner James H. McCreery Frederick Johnson 5.5 F 1:07.20 $4,310
1906 Red River 2 Walter Miller T. J. Healey Richard T. Wilson Jr. 5.5 F 1:06.80 $4,470
1905 Gallavant 2 Arthur Redfern T. J. Healey Richard T. Wilson Jr. 5.5 F 1:08.00 $3,900
1904 Gamara 2 Gene Hildebrand T. J. Healey Richard T. Wilson Jr. 5.5 F 1:08.60 $3,735
1903 Race King 2 Frank O'Neill Jim McLaughlin Orville L. Richards 5.5 F 1:09.20 $3,900
1902 Golden Maxim 2 Winfield O'Connor James J. McLaughlin J. P. Kramer 5.5 F 1:08.40 $3,940
1901 Disadvantage 2 Willie Shaw Arthur Carter J. W. Smythe 5.5 F 1:06.40 $700
1900 Commando 2 Henry Spencer James G. Rowe Sr. James R. Keene 5.75 F 1:09.40 $1,800
1899 Killashandra 2 Patrick A. McCue Sam Hildreth Sydney Paget 5.75 F 1:11.40 $1,890
1898 Sir Hubert 2 Tod Sloan Thomas Welsh C. Fleischmann's Sons 5.75 F 1:11.20 $1,970
1897 Mont d'Or † 2 Joseph Scherrer William Hayward Sr. Sensation Stable (S. Deimel & H. S. Crossman) 5.75 F 1:11.00 $1,450
1896 Divide 2 Tod Sloan William H. Karrick Kensico Stable (J. P. Kramer & A. L. Aste) 5.75 F 1:13.20 $1,430
1895 Applegate 2 John J. McCafferty John J. McCafferty John J. McCafferty 5.75 F 1:11.40 $1,450
1894 Waltzer 2 Henry Griffin John J. Hyland David Gideon & John Daly 5.75 F 1:11.80 $1,950
1893 Dobbins 2 Willie Simms Hardy Campbell Jr. Richard Croker 5.75 F 1:12.00 $3,430
1892 Lovelace 2 Fred Taral John Hunter John Hunter 5.75 F 1:14.60 $3,100
1891 Nomad 2 Edward H. Garrison Albert Cooper Rosemeade Stable (Lee J. Rose) 5.75 F 1:15.00 $3,490
1890 Bolero 2 Marty Bergen Charles Leighton William Lawrence Scott 5.75 F 1:10.00 $3,340
1889 Blackburn 2 George Taylor Frank McCabe Dwyer Brothers Stable 5.75 F 1:15.50 $3,375
1888 Holiday 2 Robert Williams R. Wyndham Walden R. Wyndham Walden 5.75 F 1:15.00 $3,855
1887 King Fish 2 Jim McLaughlin Frank McCabe Dwyer Brothers Stable 5.75 F 1:15.00 $3,710
1886 Tremont 2 Jim McLaughlin Frank McCabe Dwyer Brothers Stable 5.75 F 1:17.25 $2,075
  • † In the 1897 race, Blueaway finished first but was disqualified for improper weight.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Coney Island's 1897 Stakes". Daily Racing Form. 1896-12-17. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  2. ^ "Tremont Stakes". NYRA. 2018-06-08. Retrieved 2018-11-23.
  3. ^ "Penalties in the New York Bills". Daily Racing Form. 1908-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-26 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  4. ^ "Keep Up Betting Ban". New York Times. 1908-09-01. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  5. ^ "Striking Falling off in Value of Ten Greatest Stakes". Daily Racing Form. 1910-07-16. Retrieved 2018-10-15 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  6. ^ "Blueaway Disqualified". New York Sun. 1897-06-02. Retrieved 2017-06-05.