The National Stallion Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held sixty-two times between 1898 and 1971. Inaugurated as the National Stallion Race at Morris Park Racecourse in The Bronx, the event was open to horses of either sex until 1948 when it became a race exclusively for colts and geldings and a National Stallion Stakes (filly division) was created. Contested on dirt at a distance of five furlongs, from 1905 onward it was hosted by Belmont Park in Elmont, New York except for 1963 through 1967 when it was run at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Queens, New York.

The race was restricted to horses whose sire had been nominated for the race by its owner before the end of the foal's birth year.

Historical notes The inaugural running of the National Stallion race took place on May 14, 1898, at Morris Park Racecourse and was won by Jean Bereaud who would go on to win the next year's Belmont Stakes.

In his 1907 win, future Hall of Fame inductee Colin set a new track record of 58 seconds flat for five furlongs on dirt.

Hal Price Headley's Jet Master set a new track and North American record in 1951 of 55 4/5 seconds for five furlongs on dirt.

On June 10, 1953, then forty-year-old future Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Whittingham saddled his first stakes winner when Liz Person's Porterhouse won the National Stallion Stakes.

Filly winners 1898–1947 In what would be the last year for racing at Morris Park Racecourse, in 1904 Tanya became the first filly to win the National Stallion Stakes during the time it was open to horses of either sex. Tanya went on to become just the second filly to ever win the Belmont Stakes, an American Classic that would eventually be the third leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series. It would be thirty-four years until another filly was victorious in the National Stallion Stakes when New York City restaurateur Henry Lustig's Donita M won the 1938 race. Five years later Henry Lustig would own the third filly to capture the race when in 1943 his Mrs. Ames defeated the gelding Stir Up owned by the powerful Greentree Stable. Sonny Whitney's Enfilade in 1945 was the last filly to win the National Stallion Stakes before the separate division was created.

Owners who won both divisions in the same year 1961: Christopher Chenery's Meadow Stable won the colt division with Sir Gaylord and the filly division with their future Hall of Fame inductee Cicada.

1964: Wheatley Stable, owned by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother Ogden L. Mills, won the colt division with Bold Lad and the filly division with Queen Empress.

1971: Calumet Farm won the colt division with Plum Bold and the filly division with Rondeau in what would prove to be the final running of the National Stallion races.

Racing shutdown The 1908 passage of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation by the New York Legislature under Republican Governor Charles Evans Hughes threatened the survival of horse racing in the state. In spite of strong opposition by prominent owners such as August Belmont Jr. and Harry Payne Whitney, reform legislators were not happy when they learned that betting was still going on at racetracks between individuals and they had further restrictive legislation passed by the New York Legislature in 1910. The Agnew–Perkins Law, a series of four bills and recorded as the Executive Liability Act, made it possible for racetrack owners and members of its board of directors to be fined and imprisoned if anyone was found betting, even privately, anywhere on their premises. After a 1911 amendment to the law that would limit the liability of owners and directors was defeated in the Legislature, every racetrack in New York State shut down Owners, whose horses of racing age had nowhere to go, began sending them, their trainers and their jockeys to race in England, France and other countries in Europe. Many horses ended their racing careers there and a number remained to become an important part of the European horse breeding industry. Thoroughbred Times reported that more than 1,500 American horses were sent overseas between 1908 and 1913 and of them at least 24 were either past, present, or future Champions. A February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913. However, the number of quality stallions in the United States had diminished to such an extent that it would take several years to get back to normal. The National Stallion Stakes would not be run again until 1926.

Records Speed record: 0:57.40 @ 5 furlongs: Skin Deep (1939) 1:04.00 @ 5.5 furlongs: Timbeau (1963)

Most wins by a jockey: 7 – Eddie Arcaro (1941, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1958)

Most wins by a trainer: 3 – James G. Rowe Sr. (1907, 1909, 1927)

Most wins by an owner: 4 – Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (1930, 1932, 1937, 1945)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Dist. (Furlongs) Time Win$1971Plum Bold2Eddie MapleReggie CornellCalumet Farm5 F1:01.80$19,4171970Proudest Roman2Pete AndersonWoody StephensMrs. John A. Morris5.5 F1:05.20$20,4581969Jackal2Eddie BelmonteLucien LaurinClaiborne Farm5.5 F1:05.20$19,6071968Maison de Ville2Ron TurcotteEdward L. HoltonPin Oak Stable5.5 F1:05.20$19,3181967What A Pleasure2Eddie BelmonteEdward A. NeloyWheatley Stable5.5 F1:04.80$18,9331966Great Power2Braulio BaezaEdward A. NeloyWheatley Stable5.5 F1:04.60$20,3281965Buckpasser (DH)2Braulio BaezaWilliam C. WinfreyOgden Phipps5.5 F1:04.60$13,8421965Hospitality (DH)2Bobby UsseryHirsch JacobsEthel D. Jacobs5.5 F1:04.60$13,8421964Bold Lad2Braulio BaezaWilliam C. WinfreyWheatley Stable5.5 F1:04.00$18,3621963Timbeau2John L. RotzWilliam O. HicksCambridge Stable (Perry Pease/Francis Kiernan)5.5 F1:04.00$19,9421962O'Calaway2John L. RotzBurley E. ParkeHarbor View Farm5.5 F1:05.00$21,0861961Sir Gaylord2Ismael ValenzuelaCasey HayesMeadow Stable5.5 F1:04.80$21,6971960Errard King Jr.2Sam BoulmetisWalter U. RidenourJoe Gavegnano5.5 F1:05.80$19,8571959Ouija Board2David ErbLarry H. Thompson Modie J. Spiegel5 F0:58.00$19,7461958Restless Wind2Eddie ArcaroHoratio LuroLlangolen Farm5 F0:58.80$20,5131957Jester2Eddie ArcaroWinbert F. MulhollandGeorge D. Widener Jr.5 F0:56.40$20,8251956Bureaucracy2Sidney ColeJames E. FitzsimmonsOgden Phipps5 F0:57.20$25,6851955Polly's Jet2Eddie ArcaroRussell M. DownesBarclay Stable5 F0:56.20$14,7251954Islander2Hedley WoodhouseWinbert F. MulhollandGeorge D. Widener Jr.5 F0:58.60$20,9401953Porterhouse2Bill BolandCharles E. WhittinghamLlangollen Farm5 F0:57.80$20,1201952Tahitian King2Eddie ArcaroJames P. ConwayBen F. Whitaker5 F0:56.00$17,9401951Jet Master2Eddie ArcaroGeorge M. OdomMarlboro Stud Farm (Joseph Eitinger)5 F0:55.80$16,0401950Volt2Eddie ArcaroFrank S. BarnettHal Price Headley5 F0:59.60$17,0301949The Diver2Ovie ScurlockSherrill W. WardRussell A. Firestone5 F0:57.60$15,0801948Mr. Busher2Ferrill ZufeltJames W. SmithMaine Chance Farm5 F0:57.40$18,5501947My Request2Ronnie NashJames P. ConwayBen F. Whitaker5 F0:57.80$15,7001946Jet Pilot2Eric GuerinJimmy SmithMaine Chance Farm5 F0:56.60$15,6901945Enfilade2Arnold KirklandLydell T. RuffCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney5 F0:58.60$12,8451944Flood Town2Warren MehrtensMax HirschEdward Lasker5 F0:57.40$12,2301943Mrs. Ames2Ted AtkinsonPreston M. BurchLongchamps Farms (Henry Lustig)5 F0:58.80$12,6201942Suncap2John GilbertRichard E. HandlenFoxcatcher Farm5 F0:57.80$13,4101941Some Chance2Eddie ArcaroBen A. JonesCalumet Farm5 F0:59.00$12,1401940Attention2Leon HaasMax HirschAnna C. Corning5 F0:58.40$15,5901939Skin Deep2Raymond WorkmanJoseph H. StotlerAlfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr.5 F0:57.40$10,3801938Donita M2Johnny LongdenPhil ReuterLongchamps Farms (Henry Lustig)5 F0:58.20$11,3301937The Chief2Raymond WorkmanThomas J. HealeyCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney5 F0:58.00$12,6301936Pompoon2Maurice PetersCyrus Field ClarkeJerome H. Louchheim5 F0:59.00$13,8501935Delphinium2John GilbertRobert Augustus SmithBrookmeade Stable5 F0:58.40$11,7201934Plat Eye2Silvio CoucciWilliam BrennanGreentree Stable5 F0:58.40$14,1701933Black Buddy2Silvio CoucciWilliam BrennanGreentree Stable5 F0:58.40$16,5501932Caterwaul2Raymond WorkmanThomas J. HealeyCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney5 F0:58.20$27,4051931Osculator2Earl SteffenBennett W. CreechWilliam R. Coe5 F0:59.60$25,8201930Equipoise2Raymond WorkmanFred HopkinsCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney5 F0:59.60$25,4001929Crazy Coot2Alfred RobertsonJames G. Rowe Jr.Harry Payne Whitney5 F1:00.20$25,7401928Blue Larkspur2Anthony PascumaHerbert J. ThompsonEdward R. Bradley5 F0:59.00$25,4701927Groucher2Earl SandeJames G. Rowe Sr.Harry Payne Whitney5 F0:59.80$22,7101926Chance Shot2Earl SandePeter W. CoyneJoseph E. Widener5 F0:58.60$13,0951913 – 1925 race not held1912 No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law.19111910Semprolus2Fred LanganFrank ErnestRichard F. Carman Sr.5 F0:58.80$4,9251909Sweep2Guy BurnsJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. Keene5.5 F1:08.20$13,1801908Sir Martin2James LeeJohn E. MaddenJohn E. Madden5 F0:00.00 †$9,8751907Colin2Walter MillerJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. Keene5 F0:58.00$10,0661906Charles Edward2Walter MillerA. Jack JoynerSydney Paget5 F0:59.40$8,0831905First Water2Frank O'NeillFred BurlewNewton Bennington5 F1:03.40$9,8791904Tanya2Willie ShawJohn W. RogersHarry Payne Whitney5 F0:58.20$10,9751903Magistrate2John BullmanJohn J. HylandAugust Belmont Jr.5 F0:58.00$12,4831902Mizzen2John BullmanJohn J. HylandAugust Belmont Jr.5 F0:56.50$10,8371901Cunard2Winfield O'ConnorGreen B. MorrisGreen B. Morris5 F1:01.00$11,1551900Bonnibert2Nash TurnerThomas WelshCharles Fleischman's Sons5 F1:00.75$15,3521899Pupil2George M. OdomGreen B. MorrisGreen B. Morris5 F0:58.75$14,5271898Jean Bereaud2Tod SloanSam HildrethJohn Daly5 F0:59.00$15,502

† Due to a "blinding rainstorm", in 1908 there was no time taken.

References