| Class | Discontinued stakes |
|---|---|
| Location | Sheepshead Bay Race Track Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Inaugurated | 1900–1908 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2+1⁄4 miles (18 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three years olds and older |
| Weight | 3yos: 116 lbs.; 4yos: 130 lbs; 5yos & up: 131 lbs. |
| Purse | $25,000 |
The Annual Champion Stakes is a discontinued Thoroughbred horse race run from 1900 through 1908 that was the richest in the United States at the time for older horses with a guarantee purse of $25,000. Run on dirt over a distance of two and one-quarter miles at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, the race was open to horses age three and older. [1] [2] The race was created to try to slow a decade-long trend to shorter distance races. [3]
The Annual Champion Stakes was last run on September 12, 1908 and was won by King James. [4] Earlier that year the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation on June 11, 1908 with penalties allowing for fines and up to a year in prison. [5] The owners of Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and other racing facilities in New York state, struggled to stay in business without wagering revenue. [6] Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which by 1909 saw many stakes races being canceled or offering a substantially reduced purse. [7] Further restrictive legislation was passed by the New York Legislature in 1910 which deepened the financial crisis for track operators and led to a complete shutdown of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912. When a Court ruling saw racing return in 1913 it was too late for any revival of the Annual Champion Stakes as the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility never reopened.
Speed record:
Most wins:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Miles) | Time | Win US$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1908 | King James | 3 | Carroll Shilling | John E. Madden | Sam Hildreth | 2¼ M | 4:01.00 | $20,550 |
| 1907 | Salvidere | 3 | Eddie Dugan | John E. Madden | Thomas Hitchcock Sr. | 2¼ M | 3:56.40 | $20,550 |
| 1906 | Accountant | 3 | Jack Martin | Matthew M. Allen | Diamond Jim Brady | 2¼ M | 3:55.40 | $19,745 |
| 1905 | Sysonby | 3 | David Nicol | James G. Rowe Sr. | James R. Keene | 2¼ M | 3:54.00 | $20,550 |
| 1904 | Stalwart | 3 | Arthur Redfern | William Shields | Edward R. Thomas | 2¼ M | 3:54.60 | $19,650 |
| 1903 | Igniter | 4 | Grover Fuller | Julius Bauer | Arthur Featherstone | 2¼ M | 3:53.60 | $19,650 |
| 1902 | Major Daingerfield | 3 | George M. Odom | Matthew M. Allen | McLewee & Co. | 2¼ M | 3:58.00 | $19,650 |
| 1901 | Maid of Harlem | 5 | Willie Simms | Barry D. Woods | Osceola Stables (Thomas L. Watt) | 2¼ M | 3:58.40 | $19,650 |
| 1900 | David Garrick | 4 | John Bullman | A. Jack Joyner | Rancocas Stable (Pierre Lorillard) | 2¼ M | 3:56.00 | $19,650 |