Willie Knapp (jockey)
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Willie Knapp (jockey)
William J. Knapp (August 21, 1888 – October 26, 1972) was an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. He was known for racing horses such as Exterminator and Sun Briar. He became the jockey for Exterminator in the 1918 Kentucky Derby. He was expecting to race Sun Briar, an extremely fast colt, but Sun Briar became ill and he had no choice but to race Exterminator, Sun Briar's training horse. However, Exterminator won the Derby and Knapp became his lifelong jockey. Knapp is also well remembered as the jockey aboard the aptly named Upset on August 13, 1919, when he handed the legendary Man o' War his only defeat in the Sanford Memorial Stakes. Among his many success as a jockey, during a period of less than a month in 1907 Knapp guided Charles Edward to three track records including a World record. In a 1910 history of the feat, the '' Daily Racing Form'' wrote that Charles Edward "gave in the Seagate one of the most amazing displays of high-class speed ever wi ...
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Jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual who rode horses in racing. They must be light, typically around a weight of 100-120 lb., and physically fit. They are typically self-employed and are paid a small fee from the horse trainer and a percentage of the horse's winnings. Jockeys are mainly male, though there are some well-known female jockeys too. The job has a very high risk of debilitating or life-threatening injuries. Etymology The word is by origin a diminutive of ''jock'', the Northern English or Scots colloquial equivalent of the first name ''John'', which is also used generically for "boy" or "fellow" (compare ''Jack'', ''Dick''), at least since 1529. A familiar instance of the use of the word as a name is in "Jockey of Norfolk" in Shakespeare's ''Richard III''. v. 3, ...
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Spinaway Stakes
The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs (1,408 metres) on dirt. The Spinaway is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, providing a "Win and You're In" berth for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The race was named for Spinaway who in 1880 was the dominant two-year-old filly in the United States and who beat her male counterparts in every one of her seven stakes wins. Since inception in 1881, the Spinaway has been run at different distances: * 5 furlongs : 1881–1900 * 5.5 furlongs : 1901–1921 * 6 furlongs : 1922–1993 * 7 furlongs : 1994 to present The Spinaway was hosted by Belmont Park in 1943, 1944 and 1945. It was not run from 1892 to 1900. The race was cancelled in 1911 and 1912 following a New York State legislated ban on parimutuel betting. In 2016, Sweet Loretta and Pretty City ...
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Empire City Derby
The Empire City Derby was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually from 1917 through 1933 at Empire City Race Track in Yonkers, New York. A race for three-year-old horses of either sex, the event was contested at a mile and one-eighth at inception until 1920 when it was set at what became known as the "Derby distance" of a mile and one-quarter. With the Brooklyn Derby at Belmont Park having changed its name to the Dwyer Stakes, the Empire City Derby was then the only Derby event in the Northeastern United States. Historical notes First run on July 21, 1917, the race was won by Rickety, a colt trained by future Hall of Fame inductee James G. Rowe Sr. Rickety was owned by Harry Payne Whitney, a leading horseman at the time and member of the prominent Whitney family who in 2018 was honored by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame as one of the Pillars of the Turf. Whitney had won the 1915 Kentucky Derby with his Hall of Fame filly Regret and in addition to his 1 ...
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Dwyer Stakes
The Dwyer Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred racehorses held annually at Belmont Park racetrack in Elmont, Long Island, New York. Run in early July, it is open to three-year-old horses and is raced over a distance of 1 mile on dirt. It currently offers a purse of $500,000. Inaugurated in 1887 as the Brooklyn Derby at the now defunct Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island, in 1918 it was renamed for the Dwyer brothers, Mike & Phil, who dominated thoroughbred racing in the late 19th century. At one time, it was a Grade I stakes race that was a major part of the American Thoroughbred racing season. It was known as the Dwyer Handicap from 1957 to 1978. Since inception, the race has been contested at various distances: * 1 mile : 2015 to present * miles – 1887–1924, 1935–1939, 1994 to 2014 * miles – 1888–1897, 1915–1924, 1935–1939, 1975–1993, 2010 * miles – 1956–1959 * miles – 1910–1914, 1925, 1940–1955, 1960–1974 ...
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Demoiselle Stakes
The Demoiselle Stakes is a stakes race for thoroughbred horses open to two-year-old fillies who are willing to race the one and one-eighth miles on dirt. The Grade II event is run at Aqueduct Racetrack every November for a current purse of $250,000. The Demoiselle is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, a points system developed by Churchill Downs to determine eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks. The Demoiselle is one of the most important races for juvenile fillies, rivalling the Spinaway Stakes, the Oak Leaf Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in establishing the early favorite for the Oaks. The Demoiselle, named for the French word for young woman, was run at Empire City Race Track at its inauguration in 1908, then in 1910, 1914, and from 1917 to 1942. It then moved to Jamaica Racetrack from 1943 to 1953 and from there to Aqueduct. Since inception, the Demoiselle Stakes has been contested at various distances: * 5.5 furlongs: 1908–1936 * 5.75 furlongs: 1936†...
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Champlain Handicap
The Champlain Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older first run in 1901 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Placed on hiatus in 1945, it was revived in 1954 at Jamaica Racetrack as a sprint race restricted to fillies and mares. The race was discontinued after the 1957 running. Historic notes The first running of the Champlain Handicap took place on August 27, 1901. On August 29, 1907 Dandelion won the Champlain Handicap for the second straight year. He would be the only horse to ever win the race more than once. In winning the 1919 edition of the Champlain Handicap, Willis Sharpe Kilmer's top runner Sun Briar broke Saratoga's track record for the mile and one-eighth distance on dirt with a time of 1:50 flat. In so doing, he defeated his stablemate and future Hall of Fame inductee, Exterminator. The following year Exterminator returned to compete in the 1920 running of the Champlain only to finish second again, thi ...
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Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to international classifications, behind only the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. First held in 1864, it is the oldest stakes race in the United States specifically for 3-year-olds, and was named for William R. Travers, the president of the old Saratoga Racing Association. His horse, Kentucky, won the first running of the Travers. The race was not run in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1911, and 1912. The race is the highlight of the summer race meeting at Saratoga, just as the Belmont Stakes is the highlight of the spring meeting at Belmont Park. The purse was increased to $1,000,000 in 1999 and then to $1,250,000 in 2014. The purse for the 2015 renewal was increased to $1,600,000 due to the presence of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Since 2018 ...
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Manhattan Handicap
The Manhattan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is named for Manhattan, the principal borough of the City of New York. Currently offering a purse of $1,000,000, the Grade I Manhattan Handicap is open to 4-year-olds & up, and is run on turf over the classic distance of miles. Inaugurated in 1867 at the now defunct Jerome Park Racetrack, it was there through 1894 when the racetrack closed. Moved in 1895 to Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, New York it remained there through 1904 when that racetrack also closed down. In 1905 the race was moved to Belmont Park. It was contested on dirt from inception through 1970, and again in 1977, 1979 and 1988. The race was hosted by Aqueduct Racetrack in 1959 and 1961, plus between 1963 and 1967. In winning the 1964 edition of the Manhattan Handicap, Going Abroad time of 2:26.20 set a new North American speed record for 1 miles on dirt. There was no race held in 1897 ...
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Keene Memorial Stakes
The Keene Memorial Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run for twenty years from 1913 through 1932 at Belmont Park, in Elmont, New York. The race was created to honor James R. Keene who died on January 3, 1913. A Wall Street stockbroker, Keene was a major owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses and would become one of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame's Pillars of the Turf. Historical notes The distance for the first two editions of the Keene Memorial Stakes were set at six furlongs over the main course. Then, in 1915 the race was shortened to five and one-half furlongs and transferred to the track's straight course. In 1926 the distance was reduced to four and one-half furlongs. Reflecting a recognition by stable owners of James R. Keene's place in Thoroughbred racing history, every single winner of the Keene Memorial Stakes during the twenty years it was run was owned by one of the ''Who's Who'' of that era. The inaugural running of the Keene Memorial Stakes took ...
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Saratoga Special Stakes
The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first run in 1901, the Saratoga Special was a winner-take-all race until 1959 when it became a standard stakes race. The race was held at Belmont Park on the Widener Course in 1943, 1944, and 1945. There was no race in 1911 and 1912 due to the New York State legislated ban on parimutuel betting that led to the closure of all New York racetracks. There was also no race held in 2004. Since inception it has been contested at various distances: * 5.5 furlongs : 1901–1906 * 6 furlongs : 1907–1993, 2005, 2020 * furlongs : 1994–2003, 2006–2019 Only four horses have ever won all three Saratoga Racecourse events for two-year-olds. Regret (1914), Campfire (1916), Dehere (1993), and City Zip (2000) each swept the Saratoga Special, Sanford Stakes a ...
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Great American Stakes
The Great American Stakes is a discontinued American Thoroughbred horse race last run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt and open to two-year-old horses only, it was last run at a distance of five and a half furlongs. Historical notes The race was inaugurated as a five furlong event at the Gravesend Race Track at Gravesend on Coney Island, New York. Passage off the Hart–Agnew Law that banned parimutuel betting. Enacted by the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes, left owners of Gravesend Race Track and other racing facilities in New York State struggling to stay in business without income from betting. 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 February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing ...
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Empire City Handicap
The Empire City Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race inaugurated on October 22, 1900, as part of the opening day racecard at Empire City Race Track in Yonkers, New York. Sometimes referred in newspaper reports as the Empire City Stakes, it was raced at the Empire City track through 1942 then the following year it moved to the Jamaica Race Course in Jamaica, Queens where it remained until its final running on November 7, 1953. The first edition of the Empire City Handicap was open to horses age three and older. From 1937 until its final running in 1953, the race was restricted to three-year-old horses. There was no race run 1901-1906, and 1911-1913. That inaugural running was won by Charentus in a World record time of 2:04 flat for a mile and a quarter on dirt. During its tenure, the Empire City Handicap was contested at various distances: * 1 mile : 1907 * miles : 1908-1910, 1914–1922, 1934–1941 * miles : 1942-1953 * miles : 1900, 1923–1933 Records Speed reco ...
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