The Pimlico Cup Handicap was an American horse race for

Thoroughbreds 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 co ...

run between 1919 and 1961 at

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. A long-distance race on dirt for stayers age three an older, twenty-three of its twenty-five runnings were run at more than two miles.

Historical notes

Future U. S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Exterminator won the first three runnings of the Pimlico Cup beginning with the inaugural edition on November 13, 1919. The race of November 15, 1924, won by Altawood, was run in a snowstorm so heavy at times that the horses were barely visible and the colors undistinguishable. The Pimlico Cup was not run from 1931 through 1943 as a result of cutbacks necessitated by the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Restarting was delayed further by the December 1941 entry of the United States into

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. On its return in 1944, Megogo set a new track record for 2½ miles with a time of 4:20 1/5. In 1947 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 ...

Miss Grillo Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, it ...

, trained by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee

Horatio Luro Horatio A. Luro (February 27, 1901 - December 16, 1991) was a thoroughbred horse racing trainer in the United States. Luro was born in Argentina as one of nine children into the wealthy family of rancher and meat packer Adolfo Luro. The family h ...

and owned by the Mill River Stable of

Josephine Douglas Josephine Douglas (6 October 1926 – 12 July 1988) was a British actress and TV and film producer. Her original name was Jo Doll (née Reckitt). She played a pioneering role as a woman in television production at a time when it was dominated by ...

, won the 2½ mile Pimlico Cup by forty lengths. Nearing the finish, Jockey

Conn McCreary Conn N. McCreary (June 17, 1921 - June 29, 1979) was a United States Hall of Fame jockey and trainer in Thoroughbred horse racing who won four American Classic Races. Riding career Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Conn McCreary began his professio ...

eased Miss Grillo then stood up in the stirrups and waved to the crowd. The next year Miss Grillo won the race again for Josephine Douglas. Her winning time of 4:14 3/5 broke the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

for 2½ miles by two seconds, a record which had stood for twenty-six years.

Pilaster In classical architecture Classical architecture usually denotes architecture which is more or less consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or sometimes even more specifically, from the ...

won the November 12, 1949 edition of the Pimlico Cup running temporarily under the name of trainer Frank Bonsal because owner Henry Lobe Straus had died in an October 25 airplane crash. Wise Margin's time of 3:37 flat in his 1956 win broke the track record for two miles and a sixteenth. Four years later Beau Diable broke Wise Margin's record when winning the 1960 Pimlico Cup in 3:35 3/5. The final running of the Pimlico Cup took place on December 9, 1961 on a racetrack covered with snow. It was won by Sunshine Cake owned by

Bayard Sharp Bayard may refer to: People * Bayard (given name) *Bayard (surname) *Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard (1473–1524) French knight Places * Bayard, Delaware, an unincorporated community *Bayard (Jacksonville), Florida, a neighborhood *Bayard, ...

, a founding director of

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia. Thoroughbred racing ...

and a former president of The Blood-Horse Inc.

Records

Speed record: * 3:52.20 @ 2 ¼ miles :

Edith Cavell Edith Louisa Cavell ( ; 4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from both sides without discrimination and for helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Be ...

*4:14.60 @ 2 ½ miles :

Most wins: * 3 - Exterminator (1919, 1920, 1921) 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 -

(1947, 1948) * 2 -

Nick Shuk Nicholas Shuk (September 30, 1930 – October 1983) was an American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. He began his career in 1948 as a contract rider for Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team. In the 1950s, Shuk won the ...

(1951, 1956) * 2 - Karl Korte (1958, 1959) Most wins by a trainer: * 3 -

(1946, 1947, 1948) Most wins by an owner: * 3 -

Willis Sharpe Kilmer Willis Sharpe Kilmer (October 18, 1869 – July 12, 1940) was a patent medicine manufacturer, newspaperman, horse breeder, and entrepreneur. Biography Willis Kilmer, son of Jonas M. Kilmer and Julia E. Sharpe, was a marketing pioneer, newspape ...

(1919, 1920, 1921)

Winners

External links

Story & photos of Miss Grillo's 1947 and 1948 Pimlico Cup Wins

References

{{reflist Discontinued horse races Open long distance horse races Horse races in Maryland Pimlico Race Course Recurring sporting events established in 1919 Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1961