The Clover Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run forty-one times at

New York State's New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

and Aqueduct racetracks between 1888 and 1932. A race for two-year-old fillies, it was contested over a distance of five furlongs on dirt. The first Clover Stakes was hosted by Gravesend Race Track from inception in 1888 and run through 1908 and then for a last time in 1910. Passage of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation by the New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes led to a compete shutdown of racing in 1911 and 1912 in the state. A February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913. However, it was too late for the Gravesend horse racing facility and it never reopened. Picked up by the operators of the Aqueduct Racetrack, the Clover Stakes returned in 1914 and would run continuously through 1932. The valuable race then fell victim to the effects of the

Great Depression in the United States In the United States, the Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and then spread worldwide. The nadir came in 1931–1933, and recovery came in 1940. The stock market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high un ...

which forced track owners to cut costs dramatically and eliminate some events in order to provide funding support for others. The final edition was run on June 15, 1932 and was won by Sonny Whitney's Disdainful, stablemate of his Champion and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Top Flight who won the 1931 running of the Clover Stakes.

Records

Speed record: * 0:58 flat @ 5 furlongs : Top Flight (1931) * 0:55 2/5 @ 4.5 furlongs : Sweet Lavender (1900) Most wins by a

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 ...

: * 3 – Fred Littlefield (1890, 1894, 1900) Most wins by a trainer: * 6 –

James G. Rowe Sr. James Gordon Rowe Sr. (1857 – August 2, 1929) was an American jockey and horse trainer elected to the Hall of Fame for Thoroughbred Horse racing. He won the Belmont Stakes twice as a jockey and 8 times as a trainer. He had 34 champion hors ...

(1888, 1907, 1908, 1916, 1917, 1923) Most wins by an owner: * 6 – Harry Payne Whitney (1916, 1919, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1929)

Winners

References

{{reflist 1888 establishments in New York (state) Recurring sporting events established in 1888 Discontinued horse races in New York City Gravesend Race Track Aqueduct Racetrack Flat horse races for two-year-old fillies 1932 disestablishments in New York (state)