The Nursery Stakes/Handicap 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 in

New York State 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. stat ...

for the first time on October 1, 1866 at

Jerome Park Racetrack Jerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1866 until 1894. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1874. Jerome Park Racetrack was the home of the Belmont Sta ...

. Following the closure of that track after

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 ...

had announced its decision to build the

Jerome Park Reservoir The Jerome Park Reservoir is a reservoir located in Jerome Park, a neighborhood in the North Bronx, New York City. The reservoir is surrounded by DeWitt Clinton High School, the Bronx High School of Science, Lehman College, and Walton High Schoo ...

on the property, the race was taken over by the

Morris Park Racecourse Morris Park Racecourse was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 to 1904. It was located in a part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later developed as the neighborhood of Morris Park. T ...

. When that track closed after the 1904 running, it was transferred to

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

where it would remain until its final running on September 27, 1938.

Historical notes

The 1866 inaugural running of the Nursery Stakes was won by the

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

Ruthless owned by

Francis Morris Francis J. Morris (December 5, 1862 – February 12, 1947) was a Newfoundland solicitor and politician. Biography Francis J. Morris was born in St. John's, Newfoundland son of Catherine Fitzgerald and Edward Morris and brother of Ed ...

whose son

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

would own the Morris Park Racecourse. The following year Ruthless would win the first edition of the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

, a race that would become the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series, ensuring her induction into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. Through 2020, Ruthless,

Tanya Tanya may refer to: * Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. * Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name * Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946) * List of Mortal Kombat characters#Tany ...

(1905), and

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

(2007) are the only fillies to ever win the Belmont Stakes.

Locations

* 1866 - 1889: Jerome Park * 1890 - 1904: Morris Park * 1905 - 1938: Belmont Park

Distances

* 1 mile 1866 - 1876 * 3/4 mile 1877 - 1938

Records

Speed record: * 1:10.00 @ 6 furlongs: Dauber (1937) 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 ...

: * 2 -

Willie Simms Willie Simms (January 16, 1870 – February 26, 1927) was an American United States Champion Jockey by wins, National Champion jockey in Thoroughbred racing and a National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee who w ...

(1893, 1895) * 2 - John McTaggart (1915, 1916) Most wins by a trainer: * 4 - Jim McLaughlin (1902, 1903, 1904, 1909) Most wins by an owner: * 2 -

John E. Madden John Edward Madden (December 28, 1856 – November 3, 1929) was a prominent American Thoroughbred and Standardbred owner, breeder and trainer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He owned Hamburg Place Stud in Lexington, Kentucky ...

(1897, 1924) * 2 - Roslyn Dorothy McLaughlin (1904, 1909) * 2 -

Harry Payne Whitney Harry Payne Whitney (April 29, 1872 – October 26, 1930) was an American businessman, thoroughbred horse breeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family. Early years Whitney was born in New York City on April 29, 1872, as the eldest son ...

(1905, 1919) * 2 -

Greentree Stable Greentree Stable, in Red Bank, New Jersey, was a major American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm established in 1914 by Payne Whitney of the Whitney family of New York City. Payne Whitney operated a horse farm and stable at Sar ...

(1922, 1927) * 2 - Belair Stud Stable (1931, 1938)

Winners (1891-1938)

References

{{reflist 1866 establishments in New York (state) Jerome Park Racetrack Morris Park Racecourse Belmont Park Flat horse races for two-year-olds Discontinued horse races in New York (state) Recurring sporting events established in 1866