The Vernal Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies held annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn , New York . A race on dirt, in its first two editions of 1892 and 1893 the race was run at a distance of six furlongs and was open to horses of either sex. In 1894 it was changed to an event exclusively for fillies and was set at a distance of five furlongs.
18-462: The 1897 winner Briar Sweet was owned and trained by Walter Jennings . She would go on to be named American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1898. In 1899 Killashandra won the Vernal Stakes and the following year would also be named American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly. Killashandra was owned by William Whitney but raced under the name of stable manager Sydney Paget . The 1903 edition of
36-425: A month. After years of legal proceedings, in 2000, Lundy along with Gary Matthews, the farm's former attorney and chief financial officer, were convicted of fraud and bribery and sent to prison. In 1992, a trust established by Henryk de Kwiatkowski , a Polish -born Canadian , purchased Calumet Farm, saving it from possible liquidation. Since 1992, the farm has been fully restored to its former beauty. In 2012,
54-696: A three-year-old before eventually returning her to stand as a broodmare at his Kentucky breeding farm. Bashti would be named American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly . On June 11, 1908, the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation . The owners of Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and other racing facilities in New York State, struggled to stay in business without income from betting. Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce
72-687: Is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing . It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971. The award originated in 1936 when both the Daily Racing Form (DRF) and Turf and Sports Digest (TSD) magazine began naming an annual champion. Starting in 1950, the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) began naming its own champion. The following list provides
90-594: The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 1909. The final running of the Vernal Stakes in 1910 was won by Bashti . The filly was owned by the Newcastle Stable racing and breeding partnership headed by Life magazine co-founder Andrew Miller and which partnership also included trainer Thomas Welsh. A few weeks after Bashti's win she would be sold at auction for a record price to Harry Payne Whitney who shipped her to England to race as
108-638: The Calumet Baking Powder Company . Calumet is located in the heart of the Bluegrass , a well-known horse breeding region. Calumet Farm has a record history of Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winners and 11 horses in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame . Calumet Farm has produced ten Kentucky Derby winners, more than any other operation. The farm is also the leading breeder and owner of Preakness Stakes winners, with seven each. Two of
126-468: The purse money being paid out which resulted in the Vernal Stakes offering a purse in 1910 that was less than one-half of what it had been in earlier years. These small purses made horse racing unprofitable and impossible for even the most successful horse owners to continue in business. Further restrictive legislation was passed by the New York Legislature in 1910 which resulted in the deepening of
144-439: The 1990 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder . In November of that year, details surrounding the death of 15-year-old Alydar —America's leading sire of the time—and the collection of a $ 36 million insurance policy—brought a cloud of suspicion over the business. Under Lundy, mismanagement and fraud had left the farm with significant debt that led Calumet Farm to file for bankruptcy protection in 1991 as they were losing $ 1 million
162-470: The Calumet Investment Group bought Calumet Farm from the de Kwiatkowski Trust for more than $ 36 million. Calumet Investment Group in turn leased it to Brad M. Kelley , believed to be a member of the investment group. Kelley's horses race under the name of Calumet Farm, but they carry Kelley's black and gold racing colors , as the original "Devil's Red and Blue" silks of Calumet had been sold to
180-538: The Eclipse Award. In 1978, the voting resulted in a tie between two fillies. Champions from 1887 through 1935 were selected retrospectively by a panel of experts as published by The Blood-Horse magazine . Calumet Farm Calumet Farm is a 762-acre (3.08 km ) Thoroughbred breeding and training farm established in 1924 in Lexington, Kentucky , United States by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of
198-496: The Vernal Stakes was won by the great Beldame who would go on to be named American Horse of the Year in 1904 and following its formation, a U. S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. The Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park is named in her honor. The 1908 running was won by Ocean Bound who was owned by Woodford Clay , a member of Kentucky's prominent Clay family . Ocean Bound would be named American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for 1908 and
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#1733094060426216-671: The farm's colts have won the U.S. Triple Crown and three females the Triple Crown for fillies . Calumet Farm's winners of the Kentucky Derby are: Whirlaway (1941), Pensive (1944), Citation (1948), Ponder (sired by Pensive - 1949), Hill Gail (1952), Iron Liege (1957), Tim Tam (1958), Forward Pass (1968 by DQ), Strike the Gold (1991) and Rich Strike (2022). Two of these greats, Whirlaway and Citation, are United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing champions. Eleven of
234-522: The farm's horses have been inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame . Other well-known horses include Nellie Flag , Armed , Two Lea , Mar-Kell , A Gleam , Twilight Tear , Mark-Ye-Well , A Glitter, Bewitch , Coaltown , Real Delight , Bardstown , Our Mims , Davona Dale , Alydar , and Before Dawn . Founded in Libertyville, Illinois , the Standardbred breeding operation
252-494: The financial crisis for track operators and led to a complete shut down of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912. When a Court ruling saw racing return in 1913 it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay facility and it never reopened. Speed record: Most wins by a jockey : Most wins by a trainer : Most wins by an owner: American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly The American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly
270-628: The name of the horses chosen by these organizations. There were several disagreements, with more than one champion being recognized on five occasions. In 1949, two Calumet Farm fillies, Wistful and Two Lea , shared the Champion's title after finishing equal top of the Daily Racing Form poll. The Daily Racing Form , the Thoroughbred Racing Associations, and the National Turf Writers Association all joined forces in 1971 to create
288-632: The top money-earning farm in racing for 12 years. In 1969, the Keeneland Association honored Calumet Farm with its Keeneland Mark of Distinction for their contribution to Keeneland and the Thoroughbred industry. Lucille Wright died in 1982 and according to the terms of her first husband's will, the farm went to the heirs of their only child, Warren Wright, Jr. (1920–1978). John Thomas "J.T." Lundy, who married Lucille "Cindy" Wright, took over as head of operations and president. Calumet Farm won
306-508: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The Pennsylvania Railroad named its baggage car #5868 the "Calumet Farm". A key move was acquiring part ownership in Blenheim , a stallion imported from England , and its foundation sire, Bull Lea . Under Warren Wright, Sr. and his wife Lucille Parker Wright , who inherited the property on his death in 1950, Calumet was
324-619: Was moved to the more favorable climate of Kentucky by W. M. Wright. At a time when harness racing was the most popular type of horse racing , in 1931 the farm's trotter "Calumet Butler" won the most prestigious event of the day, the Hambletonian . After Wright died in 1932, his son Warren Wright, Sr. took over the business and began converting it to Thoroughbred breeding and training. His acquisition of quality breeding stock saw Calumet Farm develop into one of North America 's most successful stables in Thoroughbred racing history. Calumet Farm
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