Wilson Handicap

The Wilson Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run from 1930 through 1958. Inaugurated as the Wilson Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, it was named in honor of the late Richard Thornton Wilson Jr., a prominent Thoroughbred owner and president of Saratoga Race Course.

Wilson Handicap
Discontinued stakes race
LocationJamaica Racetrack
Jamaica, Queens, New York
Inaugurated1930
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance6 furlong sprint
TrackDirt, left-handed
QualificationThree-years-old & up

Historical notes

The first running took place on August 2, 1930 and was contested at a distance of one mile (8 furlongs). It was won by the Glen Riddle Farm colt Battleship Gray who owned his sire, the legendary Man o' War.[1]

Due to government wartime restrictions, the 1943 to 1945 runnings of the Wilson Stakes took place at Belmont Park.[2][3][4] In July 1954, the race was shifted permanently to Jamaica Racetrack in Jamaica, New York where it was renamed the Wilson Handicap and run as a six furlong sprint. The event remained at the Jamaica track through 1958 and was then canceled due to the closure of the Jamaica facility on August 1, 1959.[5]

In 1946 the future Hall of Fame filly Gallorette ran second in the Wilson Stakes but came back the next year to win the August 4, 1947 edition in a Saratoga track record time of 1:35 2/5 for the mile on dirt.[6] In 1948 Gallorette returned to compete and her second straight Wilson Stakes.[7]

The final running of the Wilson was held on July 29, 1958 and was won by Nahodah, a Marion duPont Scott homebred gelding.[8]

Seven horses that won the Wilson Stakes, Devil Diver, Discovery, Eight Thirty, Equipoise, Gallorette, Tom Fool, War Admiral, all went on to have racing careers that would earn them induction into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame.

Records

Speed record:

  • 1:10.40 @ 6 furlongs : Nahodah (1950)
  • 1:35.40 @ 1 mile (8 furlongs) : Gallorette (1947)

Most wins:

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
(Furlongs)
(Miles)		 Time
1958 Nahodah 5 Joe Culmone Frank A. Bonsal Montpelier Stable 6 f 1:10.40
1957 Jovial Jove 4 Sam Boulmetis Sr. Charles P. Sanborn Bwamazon Farm 6 f 1:11.20
1956 Ambergris 4 Hedley Woodhouse Winbert F. Mulholland George D. Widener Jr. 6 f 1:10.60
1955 Mr. Turf 6 James D. Nichols Francis J. Horan Jack J. Amiel 6 f 1:11.60
1954 First Glance 7 Hedley Woodhouse William C. Winfrey Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. 6 f 1:11.60
1953 Tom Fool 4 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1 m 1:37.20
1952 Tom Fool 3 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1 m 1:39.40
1951 Hall of Fame 3 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1 m 1:37.60
1950 Capot 4 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1 m 1:38.40
1949 Manyunk 4 Gordon Glisson George E. Roberts Barney Foster & Henry W. Collins 1 m 1:40.00
1948 Gallorette 6 Job Dean Jessop Edward A. Christmas William L. Brann 1 m 1:38.40
1947 Gallorette 5 Job Dean Jessop Edward A. Christmas William L. Brann 1 m 1:35.40
1946 Pavot 4 Arnold Kirkland Oscar White Walter M. Jeffords Sr. 1 m 1:36.60
1945 Brownie 6 Eric Guerin John B. Theall John B. Theall 1 m 1:37.00
1944 Devil Diver 5 Ted Atkinson John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1 m 1:36.20
1943 Shut Out 4 Wayne D. Wright John M. Gaver Sr. Greentree Stable 1 m 1:36.40
1942 Apache 3 James Stout James E. Fitzsimmons Belair Stud Stable 1 m 1:37.00
1941 Parasang 4 Basil James Edward L. Snyder Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney 1 m 1:38.80
1940 Eight Thirty 4 Harry Richards Winbert F. Mulholland George D. Widener Jr. 1 m 1:39.00
1939 Eight Thirty 3 Harry Richards Winbert F. Mulholland George D. Widener Jr. 1 m 1:37.00
1938 War Admiral 4 Charles Kurtsinger George H. Conway Glen Riddle Farm 1 m 1:39.40
1937 Esposa 5 Nick Wall Matthew P. Brady Middleburg Stable (William Ziegler Jr.) 1 m 1:38.40
1936 Discovery 5 John Bejshak Joseph H. Stotler Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. 1 m 1:38.80
1935 Discovery 4 John Bejshak Joseph H. Stotler Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr. 1 m 1:37.20
1934 Observant 3 Silvio Coucci Max Hirsch Morton L. Schwartz 1 m 1:37.60
1933 Equipoise 5 Raymond Workman Thomas J. Healey Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney 1 m 1:39.00
1932 Equipoise 4 Raymond Workman Thomas J. Healey Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney 1 m 1:38.20
1931 Blind Bowboy 3 Laverne Fator Herbert J. Thompson Edward R. Bradley 1 m 1:38.00
1930 Battleship Gray 4 Henry Erickson William R. Midgley Glen Riddle Farm 1 m 1:38.60

References
  1. "1930s Wilson Stakes trophy cup won by Battleship Gray up for auction". Times Union. 2017-02-28. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  2. "Shut Out, 4-1, Clips Stake Mark to Win Wilson At Belmont". New York Times, Section Financial, page 1. 1943-08-01. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  3. "Devil Diver Races Today". New York Times, page 17. 1944-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  4. "Brownie Wins by Half-Length in Wilson Stakes at Belmont Before 29535". The Troy Record, page 13. 1945-08-08. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  5. Nichols, Joseph C. (August 2, 1959). "Babu First as Jamaica Closes". The New York Times. p. S1. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
  6. "Gallorette Runs Wilson Mile in 1:35 2/5". New York Times, Section Sports, page 30. 1947-08-05. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  7. "Gallorette Annexes Wilson Mile at Saratoga Second Year in a Row". New York Times, Section Sports, page 27. 1948-08-04. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  8. "Next Stop: Saratoga". New York Daily News. 1958-07-30. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
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