The Whirlaway Handicap is a discontinued

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 at

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 ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. The event was first held on August 21, 1946, and had its final running on August 16, 1952. Open to horses three years of age and older, the race on dirt was run as the Whirlaway Stakes from 1946 to 1951 and for 1952 as the Whirlaway Handicap. In winning the 1949 race,

Coaltown Coaltown (1945–1965) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse of whom ''The New York Times'' said "was probably the most underrated Thoroughbred of the 20th Century." Coaltown was nicknamed "The Goose" by the stable empl ...

set a new

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 one mile on dirt while beating his

Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky, United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegras ...

stablemate Ponder who on May 7 had won the 1949 Kentucky Derby.''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' August 21, 1949 page 21 article titled "Coaltown Sets World Record In Mile Race"
Retrieved October 8, 2018 Race distances: * 1 3/16 miles : 1952 * 1 1/8 miles : 1946–1948, 1951 * 1 mile : 1949-1950

Winners

References

{{reflist Discontinued horse races in the United States Open middle distance horse races Open mile category horse races Horse races in Illinois Washington Park Race Track Recurring sporting events established in 1946 Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1952