David Dunham Withers (January 22, 1822 – February 18, 1892) was an American businessman and a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

track owner and an owner/breeder. His Brookdale Farm in the Lincroft section of

Middletown Township, New Jersey Middletown Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 67,106, making it the most-populous municipality in the county and the state's 16th ...

, was the home of some of the finest bloodstock in the world.

Early life

Withers was born on January 22, 1822, on

Greenwich Street Greenwich Street is a north–south street in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan. It extends from the intersection of Ninth Avenue (Manhattan), Ninth Avenue and Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District, Manhat ...

in what was then the most fashionable part of residential New York City. His father was Reuben Withers, who served as president of the Bank of the State of New York, and his mother was the daughter of David Dunham, a prominent merchant. Withers was educated at Dr. Muhlenburg's School at College Point and thereafter entered the banking house of

Howland & Aspinwall Howland & Aspinwall was a merchant firm based in New York City in the 1830s and 1840s. It specialized in the Pacific Ocean trade, especially the importing of goods from China. It is best known for taking a pioneering role in the financing of clipp ...

Career

Heavily involved in the horse racing industry, David Withers served as the first president of the Board of Control which became

The Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the breed registry for Thoroughbred horses in the United States and Canada. It is dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing and fulfills that mandate by serving many segments of the industry through its s ...

. In 1878, he partnered with Gordon Bennett Jr.,

George L. Lorillard George Lyndes Lorillard (March 26, 1843 – February 3, 1886) was an American tobacco manufacturer, yachtsman, and a prominent Thoroughbred racehorse owner. Early life He was born in Westchester, New York, the son of Pierre Lorillard III (1796-1 ...

and

George P. Wetmore George Peabody Wetmore (August 2, 1846September 11, 1921) was an American politician who was the 37th Governor of, and a Senator from, Rhode Island. Early life George Peabody Wetmore was born in London, England, during a visit of his parents ...

, to purchase

Monmouth Park Racetrack Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

near Red Bank, N.J.

Personal life

Withers died in 1892 and was buried in the Marble Cemetery in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. According to his obituary in the February 27, 1892 edition of the '' Live Stock Record'' Withers "was the best racing authority in America."

Legacy

The

Withers Stakes The Withers Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of miles on the dirt scheduled annually in February at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York (state), New York. T ...

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

Ozone Park, Queens, New York Ozone Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Queens, New York, United States. It is next to the Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, a popular spot for Thoroughbred racing and home to the Resorts Wor ...

, is named in his honor.

References

External links

*
Brooklyn Backstretch Brookdale Farm in Thompson Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Withers, David D. 1822 births 1892 deaths American racehorse owners and breeders Sportspeople from New York City 19th-century American businesspeople Burials at New York Marble Cemetery