The Flatbush Stakes was an American

Thoroughbred horse race Thoroughbred racing is a sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter known as National Hunt racing in ...

run annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn Sheepshead Bay is a neighborhood in southern Brooklyn, New York City. It is bounded by Ocean Parkway to the west; Avenue T and Kings Highway to the north; Nostrand Avenue and Gerritsen Avenue to the east; and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. ...

, New York. Held in September, it was an important event for two-year-olds of either sex. The race was run on dirt over a distance of seven

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hor ...

s and was generally the longest distance to that point for the participants who were in their first year of racing. The inaugural running in 1884 was won by the filly

Wanda Wanda is a female given name of Poland, Polish origin. It probably derives from the tribal name of the Wends.Campbell, Mike"Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Wanda."''Behind the Name.'' Accessed on August 12, 2010. The name has long been po ...

who was selected through a present-day review process by

Thoroughbred Heritage The National Sporting Library & Museum or NSLM (formerly the National Sporting Library) is a research library and art museum in Middleburg, Virginia in the United States. History The National Sporting Library was founded in 1954 in the personal ...

as the 1884 American Champion Two-Year-Old Female The final running in 1909 was won by the colt

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who would earn annual Co-Champion honors as one of the 1887–1935 Champions selected retrospectively by a panel of experts as published by the widely respected ''

The Blood-Horse ''BloodHorse'' is a multimedia news organization covering Thoroughbred racing and breeding that started with a newsletter first published in 1916 as a monthly bulletin put out by the Thoroughbred Horse Association.

'' magazine.

Champions who won the Flatbush Stakes

# Lady Violet # Requital # Ornament # Nasturtium # Irish Lad #

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# Colin ( HoF) # Sir Martin #

Demise of the Flatbush Stakes

On June 11, 1908, the

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controlled

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under

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Charles Evans Hughes Charles Evans Hughes Sr. (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948) was an American statesman, politician and jurist who served as the 11th Chief Justice of the United States from 1930 to 1941. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the ...

passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation with penalties allowing for fines and up to a year in prison. The owners of Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and other racing facilities in New York State, struggled to stay in business without betting. Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the

purse money A purse is a small bag that may refer to: * Coin purse, small pouch made for carrying coins * Handbag, in American English * Money bag * Wallet Purse may also refer to: * Purse (horse racing), the total amount of money paid out to the owners o ...

being paid out which by 1909 saw the Flatbush Stakes offering a purse that was nearly a tenth of what it had been in earlier years. 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 Court ruling saw racing return in 1913 it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.

Records

Speed record: *1:24.80 – Colin (1907) Most wins by a jockey: * 2 – Tod Sloan (1897, 1900) * 2 – Anthony Hamilton (1889, 1890) * 2 – Samuel Doggett (1893, 1894) * 2 –

Nash Turner Nash Turner (1881–1937) was an American Hall of Fame jockey who competed in Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States and France. A native of Texas, Nash Turner began his professional riding career in 1895 and by 1900 was one of the top te ...

(1901, 1902) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 –

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(1884, 1888, 1893) * 3 – A. Jack Joyner (1892, 1898, 1904) * 3 – Bud May (1903, 1905, 1906) Most wins by an owner: * 3 – William C. Whitney (1900, 1901, 1902)

Winners

* † In 1898, Martimas won but was disqualified.

References

{{reflist Flat horse races for two-year-olds Discontinued horse races in New York City Sheepshead Bay Race Track Recurring sporting events established in 1884 Recurring events disestablished in 1909 1884 establishments in New York (state) 1909 disestablishments in New York (state)