Belair Stud

Last updated
Belair Stud
Type Horse breeding farm and
Thoroughbred racing stable
Founded1747
Headquarters Collington, Maryland
Key people

Belair Stud was an American thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm founded by Provincial Governor of Maryland Samuel Ogle [1] in 1747 in Collington, Prince George's County, Maryland, in Colonial America.

Contents

Colonial period

Queen Mab and Spark were the first pair of English-bred Thoroughbred horses imported to the Province of Maryland. Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, gave Spark to Ogle by during Ogle's trip to England in 1740; the Prince of Wales presented the gift to Ogle. [2] Later, Benjamin Tasker Jr., brought Selima to Belair, where she became a prominent producer. [2]

The Woodward Family

In 1898 the property was sold to the wealthy New York City banker James T. Woodward. [3] who built large new stables in 1907. On his death his will bequeathed the property to his nephew, William Woodward Sr., who built Belair Stud and Stable into the preeminent United States racing and breeding operation during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

During World War I, American horsemen were able to purchase well-bred foals from French breeders who could not afford to feed them during the extremely difficult war years. Some were bought directly by breeders while many were purchased by brokers who immediately resold them in America at the various Thoroughbred auctions. As such, William Woodward Sr. was able to build his broodmare band on French imports. [4]

Under William Woodward Sr., the farm produced some of the greatest thoroughbred racehorses in the United States. He was part of a syndicate of breeders who purchased Sir Gallahad III in France and brought him to America. Some of Woodward's most famous horses were Gallant Fox and Omaha, the only father-and-son horses ever to win the U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Record

In 1752, Selima won the biggest prize of the era, 2,500 pistoles at Gloucester, Virginia, which marked "the beginning of the remarkable racing contests between the rival colonies of Maryland and Virginia." [2]

From 1923 to 1953, Belair Stud horses won 631 races, were second 568 times, and were third 540 times. Included in their victories were numerous important stakes races, and five of their horses were voted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Under trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, the stable won the following prestigious U.S. Triple Crown races:

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Belair Stable Museum is located at 2835 Belair Drive in Bowie, Maryland. It is operated by the City of Bowie, Maryland. The building once housed the Belair Stud Farm until 1957 when the Woodward family sold the Belair Estate to Levitt & Sons for the construction of Belair at Bowie.

The Bowie Race Track was a horse racing track located just outside the city limits of Bowie, Maryland. The one mile oval racetrack, known as Prince George's Park, was opened October 1, 1914, under the auspices of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Society—in actuality the track's owners were famous Baltimore confidence men Gad Brian and Jim O'Hara. A major attraction in the area, easy access for racetrack patrons was available from the WB&A Railroad which ran trains every five minutes from the Liberty Street Station in Baltimore for which they charged 65¢ for a round-trip ticket. Admission to the grounds and grandstand was $1.00.

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Spark was a Thoroughbred stallion who was among the early imports of Thoroughbred horses to America. The Belair Stud stables were associated with him and a mare, Queen Mab, also imported in this period. Frederick, Prince of Wales gave the stallion to Samuel Ogle, the governor of Maryland, as a gift.

Marguerite was an American Thoroughbred racemare owned by Belair Stud who had to be retired after only one start but who established her place in racing history as the dam of four significant runners.

References

  1. ↑ Baltz, Shirley Vlasak (1984). A Chronicle of Belair. Bowie, Maryland: Bowie Heritage Committee. pp. 9, 14–19. LCCN   85165028.
  2. 1 2 3 Deubler, Cindy (May 2002). "Belair Museums stand in path of "Progress"". Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred: 22–27.
  3. ↑ Baltz, Shirley Vlasak (1984). A Chronicle of Belair. Bowie, Maryland: Bowie Heritage Committee. pp. 70–73. LCCN   85165028.
  4. ↑ "Foundation Mares: Ampola". Thoroughbred Times. 2000-04-22. Archived from the original on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2007-08-08.

Further reading

Harrison, Fairfax; Lasker, Edward; Lasker, Cynthia (1929). The Belair Stud 1747-1761. Richmond, Virginia: Old Dominion Press. ISBN   9780598509536. OCLC   3367781.

38°57′58″N76°44′36″W / 38.96611°N 76.74333°W / 38.96611; -76.74333

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