Commonwealth Handicap

The Commonwealth Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1903 through 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it was run on dirt over a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It was raced in its first year as the "Suburban Renewal Handicap" having been created as a sequel to Suburban Handicap, the most important race in New York at the time for horses aged three and older.[1][2] In a July 1, 1906 review of upcoming races, the Daily Racing Form referred to the Commonwealth Handicap as a "highly important" race.[3]

Commonwealth Handicap
Discontinued race
LocationSheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay, New York
Inaugurated1903
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance1¼ miles
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree years & older

Historical notes

Waterboy won the 1903 inaugural edition and would go on to retrospectively be named that year's American Champion Older Male Horse. In the next two years Ort Wells and then Sysonby would similarly be named the American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse for the year of their win.[4]

The 1906 winner Sir Huon came into the Commonwealth Handicap as the victor in the May 2 Kentucky Derby. However, New York racing fans thought little of the "western" horse and sent him off as a 15-1 longshot [5][6] Sir Huron then showed it was no fluke and won the Seagate Stakes at Brighton Beach Race Course.[7]

In winning the 1910 and last running of the Commonwealth Handicap, Richard Wilson Jr.'s speedy Olambala equaled the American record for a mile and one-quarter set by Broomstick six years earlier.[8]

Closing

The race had a short existence as a result of the Hart-Agnew anti-betting legislation passed by the New York Legislature which devastated horse racing.[9] For its first six years the winner's share of the purse for the Commonwealth Handicap averaged more than $12,000 but for its final two runnings in 1909 and 1910 the winner's share was reduced to less than 20% of what it had been.[10][11] When a February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.[12][13][14]

Records

Speed record:

  • 2:02 4/5 @ 1​1⁄4 miles : Olambala (1910) (equaled American record)

Most wins:

  • No horse won this race more than once.

Most wins by a jockey:

  • No jockey won this race more than once.

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by an owner:

  • No owner won this race more than once.

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
(Miles)		 Time
 Win$
1910 Olambala 4 James Butwell Thomas J. Healey Montpelier Stable 1​1⁄4 2:02.80 $2,250
1909 King's Daughter 6 Stanley B. Page George Denny Thomas Clay McDowell 1​1⁄4 2:04.00 $1,925
1908 Priscillian 3 Walter Miller A. Jack Joyner August Belmont Jr. 1​1⁄4 2:08.60 $12,300
1907 Montgomery 3 Guy Garner Robert Augustus Smith Emil Herz 1​1⁄4 2:06.60 $13,850
1906 Sir Huon 3 Roscoe Troxler Peter Coyne Bashford Manor Stable 1​1⁄4 2:05.20 $12,900
1905 Sysonby 3 Dave Nicol James G. Rowe Sr. James R. Keene 1​1⁄4 2:07.00 $12,225
1904 Ort Wells 3 Frank O'Neill Enoch Wishard John A. Drake 1​1⁄4 2:06.60 $13,425
1903 Waterboy 4 George M. Odom A. Jack Joyner James Ben Ali Haggin 1​1⁄4 2:04.60 $9,900
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References
  1. "Two Stake Races at Sheepshead Bay This Afternoon". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1910-07-02. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  2. "Condensed History of the Waldorf Stakes". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1907-09-11. Retrieved 2019-08-18.
  3. "Great Racing In Store at Sheepshead". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1906-07-01. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  4. The Bloodhorse.com Champion's history charts Archived September 4, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Derby countdown - Sir Huon, 1906". The Courier-Journal. 2015-03-31. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  6. "Sir Huon, at 15-1, Won The Commonwealth". New York Times, page 6. 1906-07-08. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  7. "Condensed History of the Seagate Stakes". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1910-07-13. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  8. "Olambala in Fine Fettle: Equals American Record for Mile and Quarter in Winning Commonwealth". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1910-07-03. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  9. "Penalties in the New York Bills". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1908-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
  10. "New York Form Chart". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1909-07-06. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  11. "Olambala in Fine Fettle: Equals American Record for Mile and Quarter in Winning Commonwealth". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1910-07-03. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
  12. "Oral Betting Held Legal: Appellate Division of New York Supreme Court Renders Important Decision". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1913-02-22. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  13. "Destruction Wrought by Hughes". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1908-12-15. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
  14. "Famous Old Track is Sold". Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives. 1914-11-17. Retrieved 2018-11-30.
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