The Havre de Grace Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run on the August 26, 1912 opening day of the new Havre de Grace Racetrack in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Although most of its runnings would take place in early fall, its final edition was run there on April 30, 1949. Due to Federal government wartime regulations, the 1943 edition was held at Laurel Park and in 1945 at Pimlico Race Course. A race for horses age three old or older, it was run on dirt over a distance of 1 1/8 miles with the exception of 1918 when it was set at 1 mile and 70 yards. From inception through 1939, the race was known as the Havre de Grace Cup Handicap.
Historical notes The 38 runnings of the Havre de Grace Handicap produced a number of wins by racing's top horses. The 1915 edition saw Life magazine co-founder Andrew Miller win with his future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Roamer. The 1916 winner, The Finn, had won the 1915 Belmont Stakes and earned American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse honors. The next year saw the 1917 Kentucky Derby winner Omar Khayyam capture the Havre de Grace Handicap, then two years later Cudgel won. Owned by Commander J. K. L. Ross, in a very strong field Cudgel defeated two future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees. The runner-up was Exterminator who was the 1918 Kentucky Derby winner, and in third place was Sir Barton, the 1919 U.S. Triple Crown champion. The 1926 race was won by another future Hall of Famer, Crusader. He beat top horses such as Display, Sarazen and Princess Doreen. Again in 1929 it was another future Hall of Famer Sun Beau who won.
The only time a mare ever won the event occurred in 1931 when Valenciennes defeated a field of eight males for owner Fannie Hertz who also owned Reigh Count, the 1928 Kentucky Derby winner and American Horse of the Year. Reigh Count would sire the great Count Fleet who would win the 1948 U.S. Triple Crown for Mrs. Hertz.
Equipoise, who too would be elected to the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame, won with his usual come-from-behind charge down the homestretch to take the 1932 race going away.
The 1938 running saw future Hall of Famer Seabiscuit put on a performance in the Havre de Grace Handicap that the New York Times described as "one of his most sensational victories." Bumped so hard at the first turn by another horse that jockey George Woolf thought he was going down, Seabiscuit regained his stride, caught up with the field, then took the lead away from the outstanding runner Menow and from there was hand-ridden to victory in a time of 1:50 flat that was just 1/5 of a second off the track record.
In 1940, Challedon would become the only horse to win the Havre de Grace Handicap twice. Ridden by George Woolf, it marked the third straight win of this race for the future Hall of Fame jockey.
Sarah F. Jeffords very fast colt Natchez added a third track record to his racing resumé with his 1948 victory in which he ran the mile and one-eighth in a clocking at 1:49 2/5.
Records Speed record: 1:49 2/5 @ 1 miles on dirt - Natchez (1948)
Most wins: 2 - Challedon
Most wins by a jockey: 3 - George Woolf (1938, 1939, 1940)
Most wins by a trainer: 2 - Robert A. Smith (1918, 1935) 2 - James E. Fitzsimmons (1921, 1934) 2 - James G. Rowe Sr. (1922, 1923) 2 - Louis J. Schaefer (1939, 1941)
Most wins by an owner: 3 - William L. Brann / Branncastle Farm (1939, 1940, 1941)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Dist. (Miles) Time1949Lord Grillo6Mike BasileCharles M. FeltnerGustave Ring11:50.201948Natchez5Donnie PadgettOscar WhiteSarah F. Jeffords11:49.401947Turbine5Mike BasileP. Da Lee WattsEstate of Mrs. H. Leibowitz11:49.601946Biscailuz5Ruperto DonosoJ. H. LoganJ. H. Logan11:50.001945Gay Bit4Donnie PadgettAlbert DunneBobanet Stable (R. Bruce Livie)11:52.201944Some Chance5John GilbertB. Frank ChristmasAbram S. Hewitt11:54.401943Thumbs Up4Otto GrohsCarl A. RolesLouis B. Mayer11:52.601942Tola Rose5Warren MehrtensMax HirschArthur J. Sackett11:50.001941Pictor4Maurice PetersLouis J. SchaeferWilliam L. Brann11:51.201940Challedon 4George WoolfDon CameronBranncastle Farm (William L. Brann)11:50.401939Challedon3George WoolfLouis J. SchaeferBranncastle Farm (William L. Brann)11:52.601938Seabiscuit5George WoolfTom SmithCharles S. Howard11:50.001937Eagle Pass3Basil JamesJohn J. FlaniganValdina Farm Stable11:52.001936Roman Soldier4Eddie ArcaroPhil ReuterElwood Sachsenmaier & Phil Reuter 11:51.001935Good Goods4Eddie ArcaroRobert A. SmithBrookmeade Stable11:51.401934Faireno5Thomas MalleyJames E. FitzsimmonsBelair Stud11:50.201933Osculator4Don MeadeJoseph H. StotlerWilliam R. Coe11:49.801932Equipoise4Raymond WorkmanFred HopkinsCornelius Vanderbilt Whitney11:50.201931Valenciennes4Earl SteffenWilliam J. KnappFannie Hertz11:50.801930Spinach3Alfred RobertsonClyde PhillipsWilliam Ziegler Jr.11:51.001929Sun Beau4Frank ColtilettiWilliam IrvineWillis Sharpe Kilmer11:55.601928Osmand4Chick LangPete CoyneJoseph E. Widener11:53.801927Chance Play4Louis MorrisJohn I. SmithArden Farm11:52.001926Crusader3Earl SandeGeorge H. ConwayGlen Riddle Farm11:50.001925Senalado3Edgar BarnesThomas J. HealeyRichard T. Wilson Jr.11:52.801924Valador4Bennie BreuningTom MoranWilliam Martin11:51.001923Enchantment3Linus McAteeJames G. Rowe Sr.Harry Payne Whitney11:50.801922Bunting3Frank KeoghJames G. Rowe Sr.Harry Payne Whitney11:53.601921Captain Alcock4Linus McAteeJames E. FitzsimmonsQuincy Stable (James Francis Johnson)11:52.401920The Porter5Harry LunsfordWilliam H. BrooksEdward B. McLean11:54.001919Cudgel5Johnny LoftusH. Guy BedwellJ. K. L. Ross11:50.001918Slippery Elm5L. StalkerRobert A. SmithWoodland Stock Farm1m, 70 yds.1:44.001917Omar Khayyam3Everett HaynesRichard F. CarmenWilfrid Viau11:53.001916The Finn4Andy SchuttingerEdward W. HeffnerHarry C. Hallenbeck11:52.201915Roamer4James ButwellA. J. GoldsboroughAndrew Miller11:51.201914Robert Bradley4Eddie AmbroseJohn NaylorWilliam R. Mizell11:52.001913Nightstick3Eddie AmbroseAlbert SimonsHarry P. Whitney11:53.001912Adams Express4Carroll ShillingFrank M. TaylorHarry C. Hallenbeck11:54.00
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