The United States Hotel Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in the late summer or early autumn until 1955 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs. Raced in the pre-grading era, for most of its existence the race was one of the premier shorter distance competitions for two-year-old horses in the United States.
The first running of the United States Hotel Stakes took place in 1880 and was raced for three-year-olds until 1895 when it was changed to a competition for two-year-olds. The inaugural race was won by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Luke Blackburn. It was so successful that in 1901 the New York Times was reporting that it was a "rich" race because it offered a purse of $10,000.
While Man o' War, who would be ranked No.1 in the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, and other great horses in the history of American Thoroughbred racing won this race, it is also notable for two notable horses who did not. In 1929, the ensuing year's U.S. Triple Crown champion and future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee Gallant Fox finished second. Whirlaway, another U.S. Triple Crown champion and future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, suffered the same fate in 1940.
The last horse to win the United States Hotel Stakes was Career Boy, a colt owned by prominent horseman Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney who went on to be voted the American Champion Male Turf Horse for 1956.The Bloodhorse.com Champion's history charts The runner-up was Canadian Champ, the 1956 Canadian Horse of the Year and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee.
Records Speed record (2 year olds): 1:06.80 @ 5.5 furlongs: Skilful (1902) 1:10.40 @ 6 furlongs: Air Hero (1945)
Speed record (3 year olds): 2:36.00 @ 12 furlongs: Hindoo (1881) & Drake Carter (1883)
Most wins by a jockey: 4 - Jim McLaughlin (1880, 1881, 1882, 1887) 4 - Eric Guerin (1946, 1950, 1953, 1954)
Most wins by a trainer: 6 - James G. Rowe Sr. (1881, 1882, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1915)
Most wins by an owner: 5 - Dwyer Brothers Stable (1881, 1882, 1886, 1887, 1888)
Winners of the United States Hotel Stakes Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner (Miles) Time Win $1955Career Boy2Hedley WoodhouseSylvester VeitchCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney6 F1:12.40$17,2001954Summer Tan2Eric GuerinSherrill W. WardDorothy Bryan Firestone6 F1:12.60$18,7001953Wise Pop2Eric GuerinStanley HazzardMrs. Claude H. Johannsen Jr. 6 F1:12.80$19,0751952Tahitian King2Raymond YorkJames P. ConwayFlorence D. Whitaker6 F1:12.80$15,6251951Jet Master2Eddie ArcaroGeorge M. OdomMarlboro Stud Farm (Joseph Eitinger)6 F1:12.20$16,2251950Northern Star2Eric GuerinJames E. RyanEsther du Pont Weir6 F1:13.00$14,2751949More Sun2Dave GormanPreston M. BurchBrookmeade Stable6 F1:12.00$14,5001948The Admiral2Douglas DodsonJames E. FitzsimmonsOgden Phipps6 F1:13.80$14,4001947My Request2Eddie ArcaroJames P. ConwayFlorence D. Whitaker6 F1:11.60$15,3751946I Will2Eric GuerinGeorge M. OdomJacob "Jay" Paley6 F1:15.00$14,2751945Air Hero2John GilbertJohn P. (Doc) JonesCrispin Oglebay6 F1:10.40$18,1001944Pavot2George WoolfOscar WhiteWalter M. Jeffords Sr.6 F1:12.20$17,0001943Boy Knight2Steve BrooksJohn P. (Doc) JonesCrispin Oglebay6 F1:13.20$9,2751942Devils Thumb2Conn McCrearyCecil C. WilhelmWilliam E. Boeing6 F1:12.80$9,9251941Buster2Irving AndersonDuval A. HeadleyJohn H. Whitney6 F1:12.40$9,6751940Attention2Leon HaasMax HirschAnne C. Corning6 F1:11.80$11,0751939Flight Command2Raymond WorkmanSylvester VeitchCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney6 F1:13.40$9,6251938El Chico2Nick WallMatthew P. BradyWilliam Ziegler Jr.6 F1:13.20$10,3001937Chaps2Eddie DeCamillisHugh DuffordAlvin Untermyer6 F1:14.60$7,7001936Reaping Reward2Harry RichardsRobert V. McGarveyMilky Way Farm6 F1:12.60$8,2251935Postage Due2Sam RenickJoseph H. StotlerAlfred G. Vanderbilt II6 F1:13.20$8,9001934Balladier2Don MeadeHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R . Bradley6 F1:13.00$5,4501933Red Wagon2John BejshakJoseph H. StotlerSagamore Farm Stable6 F1:14.00$6,6251932Ladysman2Bobby JonesBennett W. CreechWilliam Robertson Coe6 F1:12.80$10,8751931Morfair2Frank MundenJoseph P. (Sammy) SmithDorwood Stable (Victor Emanuel)6 F1:11.80$11,8501930Jamestown2Linus McAteeA. Jack JoynerGeorge D. Widener Jr.6 F1:11.60$13,5751929Caruso2Mack Garner Bennett W. CreechWilliam Robertson Coe6 F1:12.00$14,0001928Comstockery2George EllisThomas W. MurphyGreentree Stable6 F1:13.00$13,2751927Nassak2Laverne FatorSamuel C. HildrethRancocas Stable6 F1:12.40$13,2501926Scapa Flow2Frank ColtilettiScott P. HarlanWalter M. Jeffords Sr.6 F1:14.40$11,5251925Pompey2Laverne FatorWilliam H. KarrickSheshone Stable6 F1:16.60$10,6501924Sunny Man2Ray CarterJoseph P. (Sammy) SmithWillis Sharpe Kilmer6 F1:13.00$10,2251923St. James2Earl SandeA. Jack JoynerGeorge D. Widener Jr.6 F1:12.60$13,5751922Martingale2Clarence KummerWilliam M. GarthJoshua S. Cosden6 F1:15.00$10,0751921Morvich2Frank KeoghFrederick BurlewBenjamin Block6 F1:11.20$9,0751920Nancy Lee2Frank KeoghJohn H. McCormackP. A. Clark (nom de course for William Woodward Sr.)6 F1:11.80$7,9001919Man o' War2Johnny LoftusLouis FeustelGlen Riddle Farm6 F1:12.40$7,6001918Billy Kelly2Robert SimpsonWilliam PerkinsWilliam Perkins & William F. Polson6 F1:12.40$8,8251917Papp2Lawrence AllenMax HirschGeorge W. Loft6 F1:14.40$8,9751916Deer Trap2Everett HaynesJohn WhalenAugust Belmont Jr.6 F1:14.00$5,8501915Dominant2Tommy McTaggartJames G. Rowe Sr.Lewis S. Thompson6 F1:13.40$3,9001914Garbage2Tommy DaviesJ. Simon HealyEdward B. Cassatt6 F1:12.40$3,6901913Old Rosebud2John McCabeFrank D. WeirHamilton C. Applegate6 F1:13.40$2,4751912 No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law 19111910Naushon2James ButwellThomas J. HealeyRichard T. Wilson Jr.6 F1:14.00$8,2401909Grasmere2Richard ScovilleJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. Keene6 F1:14.80$1,2001908Hilarious2Joe NotterJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. Keene6 F1:15.00$8,2501907Restigouche2Walter MillerJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. Keene6 F1:15.00$8,2501906De Mund2Herman RadtkeJohn W. MayPaul J. Rainey6 F1:14.00$8,7901905Burgomaster2Arthur RedfernJohn W. RogersHarry Payne Whitney6 F1:13.80$8,3701904Woodsaw2Lucien LyneA. Jack JoynerSidney Paget5.5 F1:09.00$8,2501903Montreson2Arthur RedfernThomas J. HealeyRichard T. Wilson Jr.5.5 F1:12.00$9,7801902Skilful2Frank LandryJohn P. MayberryCharles R. Ellison5.5 F1:06.80$10,4801901Masterman2John BullmanJohn J. HylandAugust Belmont Jr.5.5 F1:08.00$7,2501900 Race not held1899Kinley Mack3Henry SpencerPeter WimmerSamuel E. Larabie & Augustus Eastin8.5 F1:54.60$1,7501898George Keene3Tod SloanThomas WelshSidney Paget9 F1:57.00$1,4701897Braw Lad3Willie MartinHenry Stull8 F1:45.50$9001896 Race not held1895Axiom3Alonzo ClaytonFrank McCabePhilip J. Dwyer5 F1:02.75$1,3851894Peacemaker3John LamleyGoughacres Stable (B. Frank Clyde & Thomas C. Clyde)7 F1:29.00$2,9501893Deception3Patrick McDermottWalter B. JenningsWalter B. Jennings9 F1:55.25$1,4501892Copyright3E. MorrisJ. C. Carr8.5 F1:56.50$1,4501891Bermuda3George AndersonByron McClellandByron McClelland12 F2:39.00$1,0101890Sinaloa3Shelby BarnesRobert E. CampbellSanta Anita Stable12 F2:37.50$1,2701889Retrieve3Isaac E. LewisJohn McGintyLabold Bros. (Alexander S. & Isaac H. Labold)12 F2:38.50$1,3301888Ballston3John P. NeumeyerFrank McCabeDwyer Brothers Stable12 F2:40.00$1,3501887Hanover3Jim McLaughlinFrank McCabeDwyer Brothers Stable12 F2:38.50$1,8501886Inspector B3William FitzpatrickFrank McCabeDwyer Brothers Stable12 F2:42.75$1,7501885Favor3John SpellmanGreen B. MorrisGreen B. Morris & James D. Patton12 F2:40.00$1,5001884Kosciusko3John StovalSanford T. Haydon & John N. Barry12 F2:40.50$1,5001883Drake Carter3John SpellmanGreen B. Morris Green B. Morris & James D. Patton12 F2:36.00$1,6001882Frankie B.3Jim McLaughlinJames G. Rowe Sr.Dwyer Brothers Stable12 F2:40.50$2,1001881Hindoo3Jim McLaughlinJames G. Rowe Sr.Dwyer Brothers Stable12 F2:36.00$2,9001880Luke Blackburn3Jim McLaughlinCapt. Jim WilliamsCapt. Jim Williams12 F2:41.00$1,800
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