| Discontinued stakes race | |
| Location | Sheepshead Bay Race Track, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1889–1910 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred – Flat racing |
| Race information | |
| Distance | Part 1: 1889–1910, 5.5 F Part 2: 1889–1900, 5.75 F & 1901–1910: 6 F |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Two-year-old colts & fillies |
The Double Event Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in two parts from 1889 through 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race on dirt for two-year-old colts and fillies, the first part was run on the track's opening day in June and at a distance of 5½ furlongs throughout its term. The second part was run in mid July at a distance of 5 3/4 furlongs until 1901 when it was set at six furlongs. Each race originally carried a guaranteed purse of $10,000 and a bonus of $1,000 to the owners of any horse who won both parts. [1] [2] [3] [4]
The Double Event was run for twenty-two years. In its first eight editions from 1889 through 1896, five horses won both parts but in the last fourteen from 1897 through 1910 there were none. Jockey Tod Sloan won both parts in 1898 on two different horses.
| Year | Part 1 winners | Part 2 winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | Housemaid | Footprints |
| 1909 | Dalmatian | Lovetie |
| 1908 | Fayette | Sir Martin Ŧ |
| 1907 | Firestone | Stamina |
| 1906 | Ballot | Water Pearl |
| 1905 | George C. Bennett | Ironsides |
| 1904 | Song and Wine | Veto |
| 1903 | Aristocracy | Conjurer |
| 1902 | Mexican | Whitechapel |
| 1901 | Nasturtium Ŧ | Fly Wheel |
| 1900 | Tower of Candles | Elkhorn |
| 1899 | Prince of Melbourne | Mesmerist Ŧ |
| 1898 | Kingdon | Jean Bereaud Ŧ |
| 1897 | Bowling Brook | Hamburg Ŧ |
| 1896 | Ornament | Ornament |
| 1895 | Handspring | Handspring |
| 1894 | Keenan | Cesarion |
| 1893 | Hornpipe | Hornpipe |
| 1892 | Ajax | Corduroy |
| 1891 | His Highness Ŧ | Victory |
| 1890 | Russell | Russell |
| 1889 | Torso | Torso |
After years of uncertainty, on June 11, 1908 the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation 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 income from betting. [6] Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which resulted in the Double Event offering a purse in 1909 that was one-sixth of what it had been in earlier years. These small purses made horse racing highly unprofitable and impossible for even the most successful horse owners to continue in business. As such, for the 1910 racing season management of the Sheepshead Bay facility dropped some of its minor stakes races and used the purse money to bolster its most important events. The effect was to restore the purse offered for the Double Event to about half of what it had been. [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 shut down of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912. After a 1911 amendment to the law to limit the liability of owners and directors was defeated, every racetrack in New York State shut down. [8] Owners, whose horses of racing age had nowhere to go, began sending them, their trainers and their jockeys to race in England and France. Many horses ended their racing careers there, and a number remained to become an important part of the European horse breeding industry. Thoroughbred Times reported that more than 1,500 American horses were sent overseas between 1908 and 1913 and of them at least 24 were either past, present, or future Champions. [9] When a February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913 it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened. [10] [11]
John Madden was the dominant figure in both parts of the Double Event, winning the most races as both a trainer and as an owner.
Part 1Speed record:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
| Part 2Speed record:
Most wins by a jockey:
Most wins by a trainer:
Most wins by an owner:
|
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Furlongs) | Time | Win$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | Housemaid | 2 | A. Thomas | Raleigh Colston Jr. | Charles L. Harrison | 5.5 F | 1:08.60 | $3,265 |
| 1909 | Dalmatian | 2 | Vincent Powers | Sam Hildreth | Sam Hildreth | 5.5 F | 1:08.00 | $1,230 |
| 1908 | Fayette | 2 | Walter Miller | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 5.5 F | 1:07.00 | $7,700 |
| 1907 | Firestone | 2 | Tommy Sandy | Henry E. Rowell | Thomas H. Williams | 5.5 F | 1:07.00 | $7,700 |
| 1906 | Ballot | 2 | Herman Radtke | James G. Rowe Sr. | James R. Keene | 5.5 F | 1:06.00 | $7,700 |
| 1905 | George C. Bennett | 2 | Dave Nicol | William E. Phillips | Frederick Cook | 5.5 F | 1:07.00 | $7,700 |
| 1904 | Song and Wine | 2 | Frank O'Neill | Fred Burlew | Newton Bennington | 5.5 F | 1:07.60 | $7,700 |
| 1903 | Aristocracy | 2 | Charles Connell | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 5.5 F | 1:07.80 | $5,110 |
| 1902 | Mexican | 2 | Tommy Burns | John E. Madden | Clarence Mackay | 5.5 F | 1:06.20 | $3,800 |
| 1901 | Nasturtium | 2 | Winfield O'Connor | James J. McLaughlin | Anthony L. Aste | 5.5 F | 1:04.20 | $3,800 |
| 1900 | Tower of Candles | 2 | Carl Mitchell | William M. Rogers | J. M. Murphy | 5.5 F | 1:07.60 | $3,825 |
| 1899 | Prince of Melbourne | 2 | Frank O'Leary | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 5.5 F | 1:08.40 | $4,062 |
| 1898 | Kingdon | 2 | Tod Sloan | Hardy Campbell Jr. | Michael F. Dwyer | 5.5 F | 1:09.00 | $3,800 |
| 1897 | Bowling Brook | 2 | Fred Littlefield | R. Wyndham Walden | John A. & Alfred H. Morris | 5.5 F | 1:09.20 | $3,800 |
| 1896 | Ornament | 2 | Alonzo Clayton | Charles T. Patterson | Charles T. Patterson | 5.5 F | 1:05.40 | $3,950 |
| 1895 | Handspring | 2 | Samuel Doggett | Frank McCabe | Philip J. Dwyer | 5.5 F | 1:06.40 | $3,950 |
| 1894 | Keenan | 2 | Henry Griffin | John J. Hyland | David Gideon | 5.5 F | 1:08.80 | $3,750 |
| 1893 | Hornpipe | 2 | Fred Taral | William Lakeland | James R. & Foxhall P. Keene | 5.5 F | 1:07.00 | $3,900 |
| 1892 | Ajax | 2 | Marty Bergen | Charles Leighton | Jacob Ruppert | 5.5 F | 1:07.40 | $3,900 |
| 1891 | His Highness | 2 | Marty Bergen | John J. Hyland | David Gideon | 5.5 F | 1:08.00 | $3,800 |
| 1890 | Russell | 2 | Edward Garrison | R. Wyndham Walden | John A. Morris & Sons | 5.5 F | 1:10.00 | $3,900 |
| 1889 | Torso | 2 | George (Spyder) Anderson | Charles Leighton | William L. Scott | 5.5 F | 1:09.00 | $1,900 |
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Furlongs) | Time | Win$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | Footprint | 2 | George Archibald | John Whalen | August Belmont Jr. | 6 F | 1:11.00 | $3,765 |
| 1909 | Lovetie | 2 | Eddie Dugan | Matthew Feakes | Lily A. Livingston | 6 F | 1:14.00 | $1,285 |
| 1908 | Sir Martin | 2 | James Lee | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 6 F | 1:13.00 | $7,700 |
| 1907 | Stamina | 2 | George Mountain | John W. Rogers | Harry Payne Whitney | 6 F | 1:13.40 | $7,700 |
| 1906 | Water Pearl | 2 | Lucien Lyne | A. Jack Joyner | Sydney Paget & Edward R. Thomas | 6 F | 1:13.80 | $7,700 |
| 1905 | Ironsides | 2 | Jack Martin | John Huggins | Herman B. Duryea | 6 F | 1:14.00 | $7,700 |
| 1904 | Veto | 2 | Arthur Redfern | James G. Rowe Sr. | James R. Keene | 6 F | 1:14.00 | $7,700 |
| 1903 | Conjurer | 2 | George M. Odom | Peter Wimmer | Samuel S. Brown | 6 F | 1:11.00 | $5,110 |
| 1902 | Whitechapel | 2 | Willie Shaw | James G. Rowe Sr. | James R. Keene | 6 F | 1:14.60 | $3,800 |
| 1901 | Fly Wheel | 2 | Willie Shaw | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 6 F | 1:12.20 | $3,800 |
| 1900 | Elkhorn | 2 | Nash Turner | Sam Hildreth | William C. Whitney | 5.75 F | 1:12.00 | $3,825 |
| 1899 | Mesmerist | 2 | Fred Taral | Julius J. Bauer | Bromley & Co. (Joseph E. Bromley & Arthur Featherstone) | 5.75 F | 1:12.40 | $4,062 |
| 1898 | Jean Bereaud | 2 | Tod Sloan | Sam Hildreth | Sydney Paget | 5.75 F | 1:12.20 | $3,800 |
| 1897 | Hamburg | 2 | Walter Wilhite | John E. Madden | John E. Madden | 5.75 F | 1:11.20 | $3,800 |
| 1896 | Ornament | 2 | Edward Garrison | Charles T. Patterson | Charles T. Patterson | 5.75 F | 1:12.00 | $5,200 |
| 1895 | Handspring | 2 | Samuel Doggett | Frank McCabe | Philip J. Dwyer | 5.75 F | 1:13.20 | $4,900 |
| 1894 | Cesarion | 2 | Samuel Doggett | Byron McClelland | Byron McClelland | 5.75 F | 1:12.00 | $3,750 |
| 1893 | Hornpipe | 2 | Edward Garrison | William Lakeland | James R. & Foxhall P. Keene | 5.75 F | 1:12.20 | $4,900 |
| 1892 | Corduroy | 2 | Fred Taral | A. Jack Joyner | August Belmont Jr. | 5.75 F | 1:13.40 | $3,800 |
| 1891 | Victory | 2 | Fred Taral | William Lakeland | William Lakeland | 5.75 F | 1:09.60 | $3,900 |
| 1890 | Russell | 2 | Fred Littlefield | R. Wyndham Walden | John A. & Alfred H. Morris | 5.75 F | 1:11.20 | $5,000 |
| 1889 | Torso | 2 | Jim McLaughlin | Charles Leighton | William L. Scott | 5.75 F | 1:16.40 | $7,445 |
The Spindrift Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually between 1885 and 1909 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track at Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York City. A race for three-year-olds, it was contested on dirt over a distance of 1¼ miles from 1885–1892 and at 1⅛ miles from 1893 through 1909.
The Advance Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1899 through 1910 at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Brooklyn, New York. An important race open to horses age three and older, it was raced on dirt. The final running took place on June 27, 1910 and was won by Ballot for the second time.
The Mermaid Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. An important event for three-year-old fillies, the race was run on dirt over a distance of one mile and one furlong until 1910 when it was set at one mile.
The Flight Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1887 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race for horses of either sex and of all ages, it was run on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs.
The Zephyr Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race that was run from 1886 through 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race for two-year-olds of either sex, it was a sprint race run on dirt. During its tenure, it was run at three different distances. From inception through 1900 it was run on the track's Futurity course at 5+3⁄4 furlongs with a setup that did not accommodate a standard six-furlong race.
The Great Filly Stakes is a discontinued Thoroughbred horse race run from 1901 through 1909 that began as one of the richest events for two-year-old fillies in the United States with $23,975 going to the winner. It was run on dirt over a distance of six furlongs at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York.
The Flatbush Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Held in September, it was an important event for two-year-olds of either sex. The race was run on dirt over a distance of seven furlongs and was generally the longest distance to that point for the participants who were in their first year of racing.
The Omnium Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York from 1885 thru 1909. A race for horses of either sex age three and older, it was run on dirt over a distance of a mile and one-eighth. The Omnium was the third and last of the track's autumn serials, coming after the Fall Handicap at 6½ furlongs and the Ocean Handicap at one mile.
The Ocean Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York from 1894 thru 1909. A race for horses of either sex age three and older, it was run on dirt over a distance of 1 mile. The Ocean Handicap was the second of the track's autumn serials, coming after the Fall Handicap at 6½ furlongs and before the Omnium Handicap at 1⅛ miles.
The Fall Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York from 1894 thru 1909 for horses of either sex age three and older. For easier identification purposes, the race is sometimes referred to as the Coney Island Fall Handicap. For its first two editions, the Fall Handicap was run on the track's short futurity course at 5¾ furlongs then for the next twelve runnings at 6 furlongs and the final two years at 6½ furlongs. The Fall Handicap was the first of the track's autumn serials, preceding the Ocean Handicap at 6½ furlongs and the Omnium Handicap at 1⅛ miles.
The Dash Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1887 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 5¾ furlongs.
The Great Eastern Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1883 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 6 furlongs.
The Vernal Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies held annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race on dirt, in its first two editions of 1892 and 1893 the race was run at a distance of six furlongs and was open to horses of either sex. In 1894 it was changed to an event exclusively for fillies and was set at a distance of five furlongs.
The Great Trial Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York from 1891 through 1910 and for 1913 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt, it was run at a distance of 5¾ furlongs from 1891 through 1900 and then at 6 furlongs. Run in late June or early July, for most of its years at Sheepshead Bay the Great Trial Stakes was the most valuable race for two-year-olds during the track's summer meet.
The Foam Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1880 through 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. An event for two-year-old horses of either sex, the race was run on dirt over a distance of five furlongs with the exception of 1896 when it was for three-year-old fillies at one mile. The inaugural running took place on June 19, 1880 and was won by Spinaway for whom the prestigious Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga Race Course was named. The final running took place on June 21, 1910 and was won by Royal Meteor for the Newcastle Stable racing partnership headed by Life magazine publisher Andrew Miller. The Foam was the only stakes race on the card.
The Surf Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually for thirty-one years from 1880 through 1910 on the dirt course at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. A race for two-year-olds of either sex, it was last run at a distance of five and one-half furlongs but from inception through 1895 it was contested at five furlongs.
The Golden Rod Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually from 1891 through 1908 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. It was a race on turf for two-year-old horses of either sex.
The Belles Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually for two-year-old fillies from 1886 through 1908 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, New York. The race was run on dirt and for its final seven editions at a distance of five and one-half furlongs.
The Pansy Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually for twenty-one years from 1890 through 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track at Sheepshead Bay, New York. Open to two-year-olds under selling conditions it was raced over a distance of six furlongs and, not very common at the time, on turf.
The Spring Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run on dirt for twenty-five years between 1886 and 1910 at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, from inception through 1889 it was raced over a distance of six furlongs and then from 1890 through 1909 it was run on the futurity course at a distance of 5 ¾ furlongs. Its final running in 1910 was at a distance of five furlongs.