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 ...
first run in 1887 at
Gravesend Race Track
Gravesend Race Track at Gravesend in Brooklyn, New York was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility that opened in 1886 and closed in 1910. The track was built by the Brooklyn Jockey Club with the backing of Philip and Michael Dwyer, two wealthy raci ...
in Gravesend, New York. A race for two-year-old horses of either sex, it was run on dirt over a distance of five
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.
The Hudson Stakes carries the name of the early 17th century explorer,
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson ( 1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the northeastern United States.
In 1607 and 16 ...
, for whom New York's
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
was named. An annual event, the it was last run at the Gravesend track in 1910, at a time when New York state racetrack owners were struggling to survive following the June 11, 1908 passage of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation. Implemented by the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
controlled
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official te ...
under
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
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 ...
. the law contained penalties that allowed for
fines Fines may refer to:
* Fines, Andalusia, Spanish municipality
* Fine (penalty)
* Fine, a dated term for a premium on a lease of land, a large sum the tenant pays to commute (lessen) the rent throughout the term
*Fines, ore or other products with a s ...
and up to a year in
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, corre ...
. 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 shutdown of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912. A February 21, 1913 ruling by the
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
The Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court of the State of New York are the intermediate appellate courts in New York State.
There are four Appellate Divisions, one in each of the state's four Judicial Departments (e.g., the full title of the ...
saw horse racing return in 1913. However, it was too late for the Gravesend horse racing facility and it never reopened.
In 1914 the running of the Hudson Stakes was taken up by Aqueduct Racetrack in
Queens, New York
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
.
It was won by Sea Shell under jockey Joe McCahey who would go on to win that year's national riding title with the most purse money won by any American jockey.
Historical race notes
The 1918 edition of the Hudson Stakes saw the Aqueduct track record for five furlongs on dirt broken when High Time won in a time 58 2/5. High Time would have a very successful career at stud, becoming the Leading sire in North America in 1928 and the
Leading broodmare sire in North America The list below shows the leading Thoroughbred sire of broodmares in North America for each year since 1924. This is determined by the amount of prize money won during the year by racehorses which were foaled by a daughter of the sire. The most ...
in 1936 and again in 1940.
The legendary
Man o' War
Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and t ...
won the 1919 Hudson Stakes carrying at least 15 pounds more than any of his rivals. Although on a track rated as fast, he winning time of 1:01 3/5 was the slowest of any winner during the 19 years it was hosted by the Aqueduct track.
The Great Depression brought difficult times once again for Thoroughbred racing and it would lead to the final running of the Hudson Stakes taking place on June 18, 1932. The event was won by Jerome H. Louchheim's Sandy Bill in a time of 58 seconds, the fastest in the history of the race.
In 1978, Belmont Park revived usage of the Hudson name with the Hudson Handicap, a mile race for New York-bred horses age three and older. It has since been renamed the Hudson Stakes.
Records
Speed record:
* 0:58 flat @ 5 furlongs: Sandy Bill (1932)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 3 –
Linus McAtee
John Linus McAtee (October 5, 1898 – November 15, 1963) was an American Hall of Fame jockey in Thoroughbred horse racing.
Biography
Born in Frenchtown, New Jersey on October 5, 1898, he went by his middle name, Linus, but was nicknamed "Pony ...
(1923, 1926, 1930)
* 3 –
Laverne Fator
Laverne Andrew Fator (October 21, 1899 – May 16, 1936) was an American Hall of Fame jockey.
Born in Hailey, Idaho, Laverne Fator and his brothers Mark and Elmer all became jockeys. The most successful of the three, Laverne Fator's riding ...
Sam Hildreth
Samuel Clay Hildreth (May 16, 1866 – September 24, 1929) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer and owner.Harry P. Whitney (1916, 1923, 1924, 1926)