The Sapphire Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run from 1887 through 1909 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race for two-year-old horses of either sex, it was run on dirt over a distance of five and one-half furlongs.
Historical notes The inaugural running of the Sapphire Stakes took which took place on September 1, 1887 was won by Geraldine. Owned by Porter Ashe, ridden by Mike Kelly, and trained by Matthew Allen, Geraldine was described in a 1907 Daily Racing Form article as "one of the fastest sprinters of American turf history." After another two years of racing, the same publication expanded their assessment of Geraldine to "one of the fleetest mares that ever raced in this country."
Lady Navarre won the 1905 Sapphire Stakes and as a three-year-old continued to take on her male counterparts, winning the Tennessee Derby and finishing second to Sir Huon in the 1906 Kentucky Derby.
The End of a Race and of a Racetrack Passage of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation by the New York Legislature under Republican Governor Charles Evans Hughes led to a compete shutdown of racing in 1911 and 1912 in the state. A February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913. However, it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.
Records Speed record: 1:06 1/5 @ 5.5 furlongs : Agile (1904)
Most wins by a jockey: 3 – Eddie Dugan (1907, 1908, 1909) 3 – Tommy Burns (1901, 1904, 1905)
Most wins by a trainer: 5 – James G. Rowe Sr. (1889, 1892, 1897, 1900, 1902)
Most wins by an owner: 2 – John E. Madden (1899, 1907) 2 – James R. Keene (1900, 1902)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Dist. (Furlongs) Time Win$1909Pretend2Eddie DuganThomas WelshThomas Monahan5.5 F1:07.20$1,0501908Perseus2Eddie DuganA. Jack JoynerHarry Payne Whitney5.5 F1:06.40$1,0501907Meelick2Eddie DuganJohn E. MaddenJohn E. Madden5.5 F1:06.60$3,0251906W. H. Daniel2Joshua JonesHenry E. McDanielEdmund S. Burke Jr.5.5 F1:06.60$3,1751905Lady Navarre2Tommy BurnsGeorge P. BrazierCharles R. Ellison 5.5 F1:09.00$3,6251904Agile2Tommy BurnsRobert TuckerSamuel S. Brown5.5 F1:06.20$3,4251903Luxembourg2GrayAnthony L. AsteAnthony L. Aste5.5 F1:07.00$2,7101902Clarion2Winfield O'ConnorJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. Keene5.5 F1:06.40$3,1701901Pretorius2Tommy BurnsJohn W. RogersWilliam Collins Whitney5.5 F1:08.00$2,4701900Conroy2Henry SpencerJames G. Rowe Sr.James R. & Foxhall P. Keene5.5 F1:06.60$2,2501899Gulden2George M. OdomJohn E. MaddenJohn E. Madden5.5 F1:08.40$2,4401898Ways and Means2Danny MaherByron McClellandMrs. Byron McClelland5.5 F1:10.00$1,9901897The Huguenot2Willie MartinJames G. Rowe Sr.William P. Thompson & Lewis S. Thompson5.5 F1:08.00$1,4301896The Friar †2Fred LittlefieldR. Wyndham WaldenAlfred H. & Dave H. Morris5.5 F1:07.80$1,4251895Kamsin2Henry GriffinLouis H. EzellLouis H. Ezell5.5 F1:08.40$1,6301894Dolabra2Anthony HamiltonJohn HugginsPierre Lorillard IV5.5 F1:08.40$2,0101893Longdale2John LamleyJohn S. CampbellJacob Ruppert Jr.5.5 F1:08.80$1,7251892Bellegarde2Willie SimmsJames G. Rowe Sr.Blemton Stable5.5 F1:09.00$1,9351891King Cadmus2Fred TaralWilliam C. SmithGeorge E. Smith5.5 F1:09.40$2,0301890Gascon2Monk OvertonJohn H. MorrisBashford Manor Stable5.5 F1:10.00$2,3701889Magnate2George AndersonJames G. Rowe Sr.August Belmont Sr.5.5 F1:09.20$2,4151888Sluggard2George TaylorBarney RileyDavid D. Withers6 F1:14.40$1,8051887Geraldine2Mike KellyMatthew M.AllenMaltese Villa Stable (R. Porter Ashe)6 F1:15.00$2,000
† George Rose finished first in the 1896 running but was disqualified.
References