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Happy Hill Farm is a Thoroughbred horse racing operation in Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It was originally owned by Cortright Wetherill (1923-1988) and his wife Ella A. Widener-Wetherill (1928-1986) whose Widener family of Philadelphia is one of the most prominent and respected in American Thoroughbred racing history.
Most notably, Happy Hill Farm was the breeder of the Kentucky-born stallion Raise a Native who became one of the most important sires in North America. With trainer Frank I. Wright, the Wetherills had a number of successes on the racetrack. In 1968, Ludham won the New York and Sheepshead Bay Handicaps. Their gelding Kingmaker won races from age three through five including the Whitney Handicap and New Orleans Handicap in 1957 and in 1958, the Excelsior Handicap.
In recent years, Peter Wetherill raced multiple winner Self Rising, a son of Classic Race winner Hansel, and currently has Academy Royale, sired by Breeders' Cup Mile winner Royal Academy, along with a few other horses competing on the New York racing circuit, all of which are trained by Peter D. Pugh.
Sam-Son Farm is a Thoroughbred horse racing stable with farms located in Milton, Ontario (Canada) and Ocala, Florida (U.S.). Established in the 1960s by Ernest L. "Ernie" Samuel, it began as a home for competition hunter/jumper horses. One Sam-Son horse won the 1967 Pan-American Games Individual Jumping Gold Medal and was a member of the 1968 Team Gold Medal for Canada at the Mexico Olympics.
Deputy Minister was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred horse racing Champion. At age two, he won eight out of his nine starts and was voted both the Sovereign and Eclipse Awards for Champion 2-Year-Old in Canada and the United States respectively. He also received Canada's Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year. Although his three-year-old campaign was restricted by injury, Deputy Minister rebounded at age four with several major wins.
The Widener Handicap at Hialeah Park Race Track in Hialeah, Florida was a Grade III stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses 3-years-old and up. It was run over a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles until 1993 when it was modified to 1+1⁄8 miles. Initially called the Widener Challenge Cup Handicap, the race was named for Hialeah Park owner Joseph E. Widener. It was first run in 1936 as the East Coast counterpart to the Santa Anita Handicap in California.
Joseph Early Widener was a wealthy American art collector who was a founding benefactor of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. A major figure in thoroughbred horse racing, he was head of New York's Belmont Park and builder of Miami's Hialeah Park racetrack in Florida.
Raise a Native was an undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll and was the highest rated juvenile in the Experimental Free Handicap. He sired 74 stakes winners, including Majestic Prince and Alydar. In its 1988 obituary for the horse, The New York Times called him "the most influential sire of American Thoroughbred stallions over the last 20 years".
Colonial Affair was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was best known for winning the Belmont Stakes in 1993.
Gulch was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Owned and bred by Peter M. Brant, he was sired by the outstanding North American stud and graded stakes race winner Mr. Prospector out of the graded stakes race winning Rambunctious mare Jameela.
Turkoman was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.
Blue Man was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Preakness Stakes.
King James was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by one of America's most important breeders, John E. Madden, he was the son of 1898 Kentucky Derby winner Plaudit. Although burdened by a bad stride that limited his racing ability, King James raced for five years, won a number of top events, and is acknowledged as the historical American Champion Older Male Horse of 1909.
Fappiano was an American Thoroughbred racehorse whose most important win was the 1981 Metropolitan Handicap. When retired to stud, he became a major sire whose offspring included Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled. He was named for Joseph C. Nichols (1905–1984), a long-time sportswriter for The New York Times, who was born Giuseppe Carmine Fappiano.
Relaunch was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire.
In Excess was a Thoroughbred racehorse who competed in England and in the United States.
Intercontinental is a Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who competed in England, France, and the United States.
Grey Dawn (1962–1991) was a French Thoroughbred Champion racehorse who was the only horse ever to beat Sea-Bird.
Gertrude Thompson Widener was an American socialite and a successful Thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder. Born in Albany, New York, she was the daughter of Curtis N. Douglas, a businessman and New York State senator.
Luke McLuke was a bay Thoroughbred stallion born in the United States. He won the 1914 Belmont Stakes, the Carlton Stakes, Kentucky Handicap, and Grainger Memorial Handicap among his four wins from six starts. After his racing career was over, he became a breeding stallion, siring 11 stakes winners. Two of his daughters were named as year-end Champions in the United States.
Springbok (1870–1897) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the seventh Belmont Stakes in 1873. Foaled in 1870, he was sired by the imported stallion Australian, his dam was a daughter of Lexington. During his racing career he started 25 races, winning 17 of them. Besides the Belmont, Springbok won the Saratoga Cup twice, in 1874 and 1875 and was named Champion Older Male horse in 1874 and 1875. After retiring from the racetrack, he sired five stakes winners and died in 1897.
Saxon (1871–1895) was a British-bred American-trained Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 1874 Belmont Stakes, the eighth running of that stakes race.
Miswaki was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse that was a Group One winner in France and a stakes race winner in the United States. He was an important sire of 97 stakes race winners and was the Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain and Ireland in 1999 and 2001.