Colins Ghost

In 1953, the New York Times published an article that called horse racing the “King Of Sports.” About 40 years prior, the sport was nearly dead, less then 15 tracks were in operation following gambling bans throughout the country. Horse racing took a tremendous turn during the first half of the twentieth century. While it is difficulty to identify any one moment where racing began its upswing, it is safe to say that 1919 was a turning point.

Image: Headline from Daily Racing Form, August 1, 1919

In 1919, the first World War war had ended, it was the eve of the Roaring Twenties, and a colt named Man o’ War hit the track. That year, Sir Barton won what would come to be known as the Triple Crown and the gelding Exterminator emerged as a superstar. Most importantly, the beginning of Prohibition signaled the last gasp for the floundering Progressive movement that spearheaded much of the anti-gambling sentiment that nearly killed racing in 1910. The “war” against gambling had subsided.

In 1919, the Washington Post published an article by handicapper Pack McKenna who wrote about the joys of playing the horses. Check the newspapers from the 1920s and you’ll see an increase in racing coverage. It is no coincidence that the New Yorker magazine hired a full time race writer in 1926 — a year after publishing its first issue. Racing’s move into the mainstream of popular culture had begun.

When Saratoga opened in 1919, the Daily Racing Form captured the spirit of the times in announcing the start of the summer meeting. The relief at the war’s end and the thrill of racing at the Spa is evident in the words of the anonymous writers for the Form.

Saratoga Race Course, circa 1919

On July 31 and August 1st, the Daily Racing Form wrote this in anticipation of opening day:

“The Saratoga course this season impressed the visitor as surpassing in appointment and beauty that of former years. Extensive additions have been built to the clubhouse section and the main grandstand has also come in for some alterations. The landscaping is exceedingly picturesque and park-like…

“…With everything in thorough order to the minutest detail, the thousands of visitors now here from every part of the country are sharing eagerness with the many horsemen for the bugle call that will bring the horses to the barrier at the beautiful Saratoga track tomorrow and usher in what is conceded will be the greatest season of sport ever held here. Ideal conditions are in prospect for the opening weather sharps predicting that it will be fair. The track is in excellent condition and conducive to a repetition of last years record breaking performances…

“…Probably never before has eastern interest in racing reached the height it does at present. It has attracted many heretofore supposed staid business men and the finish of this racing season will find many converts to the sport if not actual participants as owners or part owners in some extensive racing strings…

“…The long looked forward to in the turf World is at hand. This afternoon the one greatest race meeting of the American turf opens at Saratoga. It will continue through every racing day of the month of August.”

On August 2nd, DRF reported on the events of the first racing day:

“An epoch in American racing was readied today at Saratoga when the most representative crowd that has ever witnessed the sport at one time thronged the beautiful and spacious grounds here to witness the opening of what will undoubtedly be the greatest term of racing ever conducted at even this most famous of American tracks.

“Numerically the crowd was far greater than that of opening day last year and there appeared more general activity but then the war was still on last year and there were many in the crowd this afternoon that made merry and took a keen interest in the sport who were engaged in far grimmer work ‘over there.’ Shifting clouds and an occasional rainfall during the early morning hours threatened to mar the opening but the weather improvement was steady and by noon the sun shone in all its brilliancy…

And yes, they did have racing, although it did take a back seat in DRF’s reporting on opening day. Purchase won the Saratoga Handicap and the filly Miss Jemima beat the colts in the prestigious Flash Stakes:

“Kentucky triumphed over the east in the first real clash of the Saratoga season when Miss Jemima duplicated with a better performance that of Billy Kelly last year in the Flash Stakes that brought out some crack colts and fillies.

“True Miss Jemima did not run as fast as Billy Kelly did last year but she carried the steadier of 127 pounds eight more than did Billy Kelly and she conceded weight to all her opponents. Harry Payne Whitney’s Wildair regarded as one of the best in that establishment was favored by a twenty pound concession from the winner.

“The result of the race caused a reversal of the easterners hastily formed judgment as to Miss Jemima’s ability for she proved conclusively that she is a good filly and won like it…

“…Miss Jemima and Johnny Loftus were given an ovation on their return to the stand that lasted several minutes. From a monetary standpoint the prize did not call for much for the winners net share of the stakes only amounted to $2,750. Otto Stiefel who owns the filly came from St Louis expressly to witness her performance and was highly gratified by her showing….”

While Miss Jemima kicked off the two-year-old season at the Spa, she would be soon overshadowed by another two-year-old — Man 0′ War — who would race the following day.

Images: Cover of Saratoga racing program, 1919

The year 1919 was a significant year for racing and Saratoga. I will post additional stories about the Spa in 1919 over the next few weeks.

SOURCES, NOTES, AND OBSERVATIONS

“Saratoga’s Banner Season,” Daily Racing Form, July 31, 1919
“Awaiting the Bugle Call,” Daily Racing Form, August 1, 1919
“Saratoga Racing Today,” Daily Racing Form, August 1, 1919
“Miss Jemima Victorious,” Daily Racing Form, August 2, 1919

Thanks to Ron Micetic for scanning his copy of the 1919 program seen here.

UPDATE: Check out this piece from Brooklyn Backstretch on Saratoga Then and Now

I mentioned this last week but….the online version of the DRF is an outstanding resource — check it out

Hard to believe that Saratoga is upon us. I am taking the plunge and heading up for Travers weekend. This years running could be epic — think it will be worth dealing with the crowd.

Monmouth will be my destination this weekend to watch Rachel A in the Haskell. Should be exciting — hope to see you there!

THANKS FOR READING AND GOOD LUCK!

This weekend marks the high point of Delaware Park’s racing year. Three stakes, including the Delaware Oaks, will be run on Saturday. On Sunday, the marquee event on Delaware’s racing calendar, the Delaware Handicap, will be contested. Historically, these races have attracted a small army of end-of-year champions.

Image: Del ‘Cap Day, July 28, 1962 (Delaware Historical Society)

High class racing for fillies and mares has been a mainstay at Delaware Park since its founding. On May 29, 1937 – just a few weeks prior to the first opening day – the Daily Racing Form printed this story about the Delaware stakes program and its unique emphasis on racing for the fairer sex (or is it gender?):

“Profitable racing all over the country is provided for two year old fillies in such specials as the Clipsetta Stakes at Latonia, the Arlington Lassie at Chicago, the Spinaway at Saratoga, the Matron at Belmont Park, and the Selima at Laurel. And ‘Oaks’ races everywhere along with Alabama’s and Acorn’s etc. are revived annually for three-year-old fillies.

“But for many years, runners of the miscalled softer sex – the sex of Top Flight, Imp, Miss Woodford, Beldame, Firenze, Cleopatra, and Artful – have been neglected. The older mares have had to do their running with stallions and generally they have been outmatched.

“To the extent that one organization promoting racing can rectify this neglect it is adjusted in the stakes program of the Wilmington Steeplechase and Race Association for the inaugural meeting at Delaware Park which will begin June 26 and continue through July 24 with a daily purse distribution of upward of 10,000…”

“…Until the entries are in it will not be possible to say what mares may participate in the first running of this unique special [$10,000 New Castle Handicap], but it is safe to predict that the best fillies and mares, three years old and over, which raced last season, will be nominated with the winners this year of the Oaks races of Maryland, Kentucky, and New York, also of three-year-old fillies which have not won Oaks races, but have otherwise demonstrated fitness to compete.”

The success of the track’s founders to establish a venue for high caliber racing for the “girls” is evident in the number of champions who have competed over the oval at Delaware. Below is a list of champion 3-year-old fillies and handicap mares who raced at Delaware Park for the years 1938 to 2008:

In 1953, the purse for the New Castle Handicap (it became the Delaware Handicap in 1955) reached $100,000 and became the richest race in the world for older females. I wrote last year about the evolution of racing for fillies and mares at Delaware and an attempt to establish a racing series (The Distaff Big Three) in the 1950s.

Parlo with jockey Eric Guerin after winning the 1955 Delaware Handicap.
Parlo won the Delaware Oaks in 1954
(Delaware Historical Society)

The 1980s and early 1990s were periods of struggle for Delaware Park. A renewed stakes program infused with slot dollars revived the tradition of classy fillies and mares competing over the track. Last year, Proud Spell became the first filly champ to win the Oaks since Desert Vixen in 1973. In 2006, Fleet Indian won the Del Cap on her way to being awarded Handicap Mare.

Image: Proud Spell into the winner’s circle after the 2008 Delaware Oaks

SOURCES, NOTES, AND OBSERVATIONS

I used the latest American Racing Manual and DRF’s Champions to compile the above data.

A big thank you to the Delaware Historical Society for allowing me to use their images. They own a significant collection of images documenting the history of Delaware Park from the late 1940s to early 1970s.

The 1937 article came from an online edition of the Daily Racing Form. This is a project that I read about awhile back and am thrilled that they have made the first phase available. While it is still a work in progress, this is a tremendously exciting resource – check it out here. Thanks to John from The Race is Not Always to the Swift who made the discovery and shared the link.

I have been assisting Dana from Green But Game on a new project to document Thoroughbred Racing’s Omni-Surface Stars. More to come on this in a future post…

I am going to be out of town for Del Cap weekend. Sorry to miss it — hope the folks at Delaware Park have good weather, big crowds, and great racing.

Be sure to check out the new website for the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance

THANKS FOR READING AND GOOD LUCK!

Taking a week off from the history but thought I would do a short post on a memorable Saturday at Monmouth Park. I have been to Monmouth a few times and have to say it definitely ranks as one of my favorite tracks.

History is palpable at Monmouth — from the subtle things like the signage around the track to the overt homages to the past found in the flags under the grandstand. While few tracks match Saratoga for the presence of the past, Monmouth certainly has its own unique historical flavor. If you have never been, it is worth a trip.

The highlight of Saturday, of course, was Presious Passion running them all off their feet in the United Nations. While the track record time might be in question, you can’t question the company Presious Passion joined as a dual winner of the prestigious turf race. Round Table, Manila, Mongo, and recent turf champ English Channel are among the runners who have won the UN twice. Presious Passion has proven – since winning last year’s UN – that he is one of the most determined and entertaining racehorses in the country. Looking forward to see how he progresses on his way to the Breeders Cup — something tells me we might see a rabbit (or two) in his next race.

Presious Passion and Elvis Trujillo into the winner’s circle

If you missed the race, be sure to check out the replay over at Thoroughbred Times

To top off an already great day, Mrs. Colin’s Ghost and I had one of our best days ever at the betting windows, cashing some big tickets on the nose of Presious Passion. I had handicapped to play pick three’s (my bet of choice) on the last five races, but forgot that Monmouth doesn’t offer pick threes on the first leg of the pick four. So I decided to play the pick four using Presious Passion as a free square in the UN. I handed my picks to Mrs. Colin’s Ghost and told her to add who she liked before we put the bet in. She made one addition: Coal Play in the Salvator Mile.

We hit the pick four on a $36 ticket (I loved Exploit’s Kid in Race 8). We each had a winning pick three ticket in our pockets too. We play relatively modest bankrolls so a day like Saturday will not soon be forgotten.

Image: The brains behind the Wagering Division of Colin’s Ghost Inc. handicapping at Saratoga, 2008. Further proof that women at the track are more than decoration.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. Back to the history next week.

THANKS FOR READING AND GOOD LUCK!