Spring Stakes (Sheepshead Bay)

The Spring Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run on dirt for twenty-five years between 1886 and 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, from inception through 1889 it was raced over a distance of 6 furlongs (3,960 ft; 1,207 m) and then from 1890 through 1909 it was run on the futurity course at a distance of 5+3⁄4 furlongs (3,795 ft; 1,157 m). Its final running in 1910 was at a distance of 5 furlongs (3,300 ft; 1,006 m).^[1][2][3]

Spring Stakes

Location	Sheepshead Bay Race Track, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York
Inaugurated	1886
Race type	Thoroughbred – Flat racing
Race information
Distance	5 furlongs (3,300 ft; 1,006 m)
Track	Dirt, left-handed
Qualification	Two-year-olds

Historical notes

The inaugural running of the Spring Stakes took place on June 22, 1886. It was won by Tremont, a colt would who would finish the year having won all thirteen of his starts.^[4]

Scottish Chieftain, the 1896 winner, went on to win the 1897 Belmont Stakes which race would become the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series.^[5]

The 1900 edition of the Spring Stakes was won by Richard T. Wilson Jr.'s The Parader who would go on to win the 1901 Preakness Stakes, a race that would become the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series.

1909: Eddie Dugan beat Eddie Dugan

The Spring Stakes of 1909 was won by Uncas Chief who went wire-to-wire under one of the country's top jockeys Eddie Dugan. Running second and in close pursuit throughout was a colt owned by Sam Hildreth named Eddie Dugan to honor the jockey.^[6]

The End of a Race and of a Racetrack

Passage of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation by the New York Legislature under Republican Governor Charles Evans Hughes led to a state-wide shutdown of racing in 1911 and 1912.^[7][8] A February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913.^[9] However, it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.^[10][11]

Records

Speed record:

• 1:09 2/5 @ 5+3⁄4 furlongs (3,795 ft; 1,157 m): Strathmeath (1890)
• 1:13 1/5 @ 6 furlongs (3,960 ft; 1,207 m): Chapultepec (1907)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 3 – Edward Garrison (1889, 1892, 1894)
• 3 – Fred Taral (1891, 1896, 1897)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – Frank McCabe (1886, 1888, 1889)
• 3 – John J. Hyland (1894, 1895, 1897)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 – Dwyer Brothers Stable (1894, 1895, 1897)

Winners

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Dist. (Miles)	Time	Win$
1910	Round The World	2	Frank Keogh	William G. Yanke	William G. Yanke	5 F	1:02.00	$540
1909	Uncas Chief	2	Eddie Dugan	Samuel T. Booker	Thomas L. Watt	6 F	1:14.00	$420
1908	Statesman	2	Dalton McCarthy	Frank E. Gardner	Frank E. Gardner	6 F	1:16.40	$3,240
1907	Chapultepec	2	Joe Notter	Fred Burlew	Fred Burlew	6 F	1:13.20	$3,820
1906	Ethon	2	Jack Martin	Charles A. Mulholland	George C. Bennett	6 F	1:14.80	$3,910
1905	Bill Phillips	2	Arthur Redfern	Thomas J. Healey	Richard T. Wilson Jr.	6 F	1:14.40	$3,435
1904	Red Friar	2	Jack Martin	Richard O. Miller	Philip J. Dwyer	6 F	1:13.60	$3,420
1903	Gallant	2	Andrew Minder	Thomas E. Mannix	Thomas E. Mannix & Co.	6 F	1:13.20	$3,520
1902	Hurst Park	2	Willie Shaw	James G. Rowe Sr.	James R. & Foxhall P. Keene	6 F	1:13.60	$3,545
1901	Chilton	2	Willie Shaw	William C. Smith	George E. Smith	6 F	1:14.00	$675
1900	The Parader	2	Patrick A. McCue	Thomas J. Healey	Richard T. Wilson Jr.	53⁄4 F	1:10.00	$1,730
1899	Mischievous	2	Willie Martin	Thomas Welsh	Charles Fleischman's Sons	53⁄4 F	1:10.60	$1,790
1898	Ethelbert	2	Tod Sloan	Lewis Elmore	James Galway	53⁄4 F	1:11.00	$1,780
1897	Firearm	2	Fred Taral	John J. Hyland	August Belmont Jr.	53⁄4 F	1:11.00	$1,450
1896	Scottish Chieftain	2	Fred Taral	Matthew Byrnes	Marcus Daly	53⁄4 F	1:13.40	$1,425
1895	Hazlet	2	Henry Griffin	John J. Hyland	David Gideon & John Daly	53⁄4 F	1:11.20	$1,450
1894	Waltzer	2	Edward Garrison	John J. Hyland	David Gideon & John Daly	53⁄4 F	1:12.40	$1,950
1893	St. Maxim	2	Alonzo Clayton	Robert Tucker	Charles Fleischmann & sons	53⁄4 F	1:14.00	$3,145
1892	Comanche	2	Edward Garrison	Augustus Hannon	Empire Stable	53⁄4 F	1:12.80	$2,760
1891	Victory	2	Fred Taral	William Lakeland	William Lakeland	53⁄4 F	1:15.00	$3,300
1890	Strathmeath	2	Marty Bergen	Green B. Morris	Green B. Morris	53⁄4 F	1:09.40	$2,940
1889	Blackburn	2	Edward Garrison	Frank McCabe	Dwyer Brothers Stable	6 F	1:15.50	$3,125
1888	Aurania	2	Jim McLaughlin	Frank McCabe	Dwyer Brothers Stable	6 F	1:16.00	$3,325
1887	Satisfaction	2	William J. Fitzpatrick	R. Wyndham Walden	R. Wyndham Walden	6 F	1:18.00	$3,700
1886	Tremont	2	Jim McLaughlin	Frank McCabe	Dwyer Brothers Stable	6 F	1:16.50	$2,185