The Washington Park Futurity 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 the now defunct

Washington Park Race Track Washington Park Race Track was a popular horse racing venue in the Chicago metropolitan area from 1884 until 1977. It had two locations during its existence. It was first situated in what is the current location of the Washington Park Subdiv ...

Woodlawn, Chicago Woodlawn, on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of Chicago's 77 community areas. It is bounded by Lake Michigan to the east, 60th Street to the north, Martin Luther King Drive to the west, and 67th Street to the south. Both Hyde Park ...

. A race on dirt for two-year-olds, it was first run in 1937 as a six furlong event. Placed on hiatus for two years, it returned as an annual feature in 1940. From 1959 through 1961 the race was hosted by Chicago's

Arlington Park Arlington International Racecourse (formerly Arlington Park, the name was Arlington Park Jockey Club from as soon as 1948 up to 1955) was a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago reg ...

race track where it was run at a distance of six and a half furlongs. Made permanent at Arlington Park, the Washington Park Futurity was merged with the Arlington Futurity Stakes and is known as the Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes.

Race notes

During its tenure, the Washington Park Futurity hosted some of the best horses in the United States. * The 1941 edition was won by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee,

Alsab Alsab (1939–1963) was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Alsab was bred in Kentucky by Thomas Piatt. His sire was Good Goods, and his dam was Winds Chant. Buyers were not interested in him, and Alsab was sold in 1940 ...

. * In 1947, Bewitch won, Citation finished second, and Free America was third. All three horses were owned by Calumet Farm and all were trained by Jimmy Jones.https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/419932141.html?dids=419932141:419932141&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+17%2C+1947&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Bewitch+Grabs+Rich+Futurity&pqatl=google * 1953 winner

Hasty Road Hasty Road (1951–1978) was an American thoroughbred racehorse which won the 1954 Preakness Stakes. In 1953, Hasty Road won six of his nine races including the Arlington Futurity and the Washington Park Futurity, and set a record for prize mon ...

went on to win the 1954

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...

* 1959 winner Venetian Way won the next year's Kentucky Derby

Records

Speed record: (at distance of 6 furlongs) * 1:09.60 - Swoon's Son (1955), Restless Wind (1958), Venetian Way (1959) Most wins by a jockey: * 3 - Bill Hartack (1956, 1957, 1961) Most wins by an owner: * 3 - John Marsch (1942, 1943, 1944) * 3 - Fred W. Hooper (1946, 1956, 1960)

Winners

† In 1956, California Kid won but was disqualified bumping in the stretch and set back to second.

Notes

{{reflist

References

June 26, 1937 ''Palm Beach Post'' article on the inaugural running of the Washington Park Futurity

Recurring events established in 1937 Discontinued horse races in the United States Flat horse races for two-year-olds Horse races in the United States Horse racing in Illinois Recurring events disestablished in 1961