Jockey Club (United States)

Last updated

The Jockey Club is the breed registry for Thoroughbred horses in the United States and Canada. It is dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing and fulfills that mandate by serving many segments of the industry through its subsidiary companies and by supporting numerous industry initiatives.

Contents

The Jockey Club, formed on February 9, 1894, is the keeper of the American Stud Book. It came into existence after James R. Keene spearheaded a drive for support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.

About

On its formation, the Jockey Club included the existing members of the Board of Control and was overseen by seven appointed stewards. Its twenty-seven founding members included prominent and wealthy sportsmen such as Philip J. Dwyer, John A. Morris, William Kissam Vanderbilt, and William Collins Whitney.

Founding officers:

Founding stewards:

The Jockey Club is the registry for all Thoroughbred horses in the United States and Canada, and maintains offices in New York City and Lexington, Kentucky. The Registry maintained by The Jockey Club, called the American Stud Book , dates back to the club's founding and contains the descendants of those horses listed, as well as horses imported into North America up to the present.

Participants in the Registry program agree to allow the Registry to conduct genetic testing to verify parentage as well as arbitrating any disputes between owners. The Jockey Club has taken the position that it will not allow cloned Thoroughbreds to be registered in the American Stud Book, making it impossible for such horses to compete in most races. The Club has consistently prohibited artificial insemination throughout its history, only allowing the registration of horses born through "natural" procreation. [1]

Naming of foals is also controlled by The Jockey Club and includes a number of conventions. Names may not consist of more than 18 letters (with spaces and punctuation marks counting as letters), contain initials such as C.O.D., F.O.B., etc., or end in "filly," "colt," "stud," "mare," "stallion," or any similar horse-related term. Names may also not end with a numerical designation such as "2nd" or "3rd," whether or not such a designation is spelled out. Names of persons may not be used unless written permission to use their names is on file (examples of such permission are actor Jack Klugman, whose namesake competed in the Kentucky Derby, and tennis star Chris Evert, whose namesake is in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame). The names of "notorious" people may never be used, nor can namesakes of racetracks, races, or stable names. Trademarks and copyrighted names are similarly not allowed as are vulgar, obscene or offensive ones. The list also protects names of currently active horses as well as horses enrolled in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame or other well-known horses, including winners of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup or Breeders' Cup events.

The Jockey Club (United States) participates with Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA), i.e., thoroughbred owners & breeders, professionals, and others who support and promote Thoroughbred ownership (and sponsorship), such as through networking and a high level of education. [2]

Charities

Created in 1984, The Jockey Club Research Foundation was joined along with the Grayson Foundation, established in 1940 by George D. Widener Jr., William Woodward Sr. and John Hay Whitney, amongst others. It is now known as the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Inc.

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is the nation's leading source of equine research funding and it helps all breeds.

The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is a charitable trust that provides, on a confidential basis, financial relief and assistance to needy members of the Thoroughbred industry and their families.

Assistance includes financial aid, medication, surgical and hospital costs, therapeutic equipment, voice-recognition computers for quadriplegics and wheelchair-accessible vans, among other needs.

NTRA

The Jockey Club formed the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) in 1998 with the Breeders' Cup Limited, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Keeneland Association, Oak Tree Racing Association and the National Thoroughbred Association. The Jockey Club maintains a seat on the board of directors of the NTRA. [3]

Breeding Bureau

Believing the Thoroughbred was the best breed of horse and could pass on its superior traits to other breeds, in 1906 The Jockey Club of New York established the Breeding Bureau. Its purpose was to provide Thoroughbred stallions as sires that would produce a variety of top quality half-breed general purpose horses. [4]

During World War I, the Breeding Bureau expanded the part of the program which had been providing horses for the United States Army Cavalry Remount Service. Some of the prominent Thoroughbred runners who were donated to the Cavalry Remount Service include:

Experimental Free Handicap

Since 1933, the Jockey Club has compiled the Experimental Free Handicap, a weight-based assessment of the previous year's 2-year-olds based on a theoretical race at a distance of 1 1/16 miles.

America's Best Racing

TJC Media Ventures is a commercial subsidiary of The Jockey Club that oversees the new-fan development activities, primarily under the "America’s Best Racing" (ABR) brand.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keeneland</span> Equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky

Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its reference library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saratoga Race Course</span> Horse racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York

Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actually the fourth oldest racetrack in the U.S.. In 1857 the Empire Race Course was opened on an island in the Hudson River near Albany, but was in operation only a short time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashua (horse)</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Nashua was an American-born thoroughbred racehorse, best remembered for a 1955 match race against Swaps, the horse that had defeated him in the Kentucky Derby.

The Whitney Stakes is an American Grade 1 stakes race for Thoroughbred racehorses four years of age and older run at a distance of 1+1⁄8 miles. The current purse is $1,000,000.

Jorge F. Chavez is a jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing.

Hansel was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the final two legs of the U.S. Triple Crown races in 1991 and was voted the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse. Out of the mare Count on Bonnie, his sire was Woodman, a Champion 2-year-old colt in Ireland who was a son of the influential Champion sire Mr. Prospector. Woodman also sired the 1994 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Preakness Stakes winner, Timber Country, as well as the 1999 Canadian Champion 3-Year-Old Colt and Queen's Plate winner, Woodcarver. Hansel's owner was banker Joe Allbritton, who raced him under his Lazy Lane Farm banner.

Kiaran P. McLaughlin is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer best known for training 2006 Horse of the Year Invasor.

Runaway Groom (1979–2007) was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)</span> American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for winning three specific stakes races as a three-year-old

In the United States, the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, commonly known as the Triple Crown, is a series of horse races for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. The three races were inaugurated in different years, the last being the Kentucky Derby in 1875. The Triple Crown Trophy, commissioned in 1950 but awarded to all previous winners as well as those after 1950, is awarded to a horse who wins all three races and is thereafter designated as a Triple Crown winner. The races are traditionally run in May and early June of each year, although global events have resulted in schedule adjustments, such as in 1945 and 2020.

The American Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) based in Lexington, Kentucky is a trade organization for Thoroughbred racehorse owners and breeders. Founded in 1961, the TOBA's stated mission is to "improve the economics, integrity and pleasure of the sport on behalf of Thoroughbred owners and breeders."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sackatoga Stable</span> Thoroughbred racehorse racing and breeding operation

Sackatoga Stable is an American Thoroughbred horse racing syndicate in Saratoga Springs, New York. They are best known as the owners of 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide and 2020 Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner Tiz the Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summer Bird</span> American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse

Summer Bird was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse, son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone. He was bred by retired cardiologist Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, retired pathologist Vilasini Jayaraman, at their Tiffany Farm near Ocala, Florida. On June 3, 2010, Summer Bird was retired due to complications of a previous injury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogden Mills Phipps</span> American financier and racehorse owner

Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps was an American financier, Thoroughbred racehorse industry executive, and horse breeder. Widely known by the nickname "Dinny," he was chairman of the family's Bessemer Trust until retiring in 1994, and served as its vice chairman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke McLuke</span> 20th-century American Thoroughbred racehorse

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Bassett</span> 19th-century American Thoroughbred racehorse

Harry Bassett (1868–1878) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1871 Belmont Stakes and an outstanding racehorse of the 19th century. He also won a number of other stakes races, and was named the Champion male of his age group in 1870, 1871 and 1872. He was retired to stud duties in New Jersey when his five-year racing career ended, having recorded 23 wins from 36 starts. Harry Bassett died in New Jersey in 1878 and was inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springbok (horse)</span> 19th-century American Thoroughbred racehorse

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.

The Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and three-sixteenths miles on the turf held annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The purse for the event is US$600,000.

The Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of one and three-eighths miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$500,000.

The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes is an American Grade III stakes race Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf held annually in September at Belmont Park, Elmont, New York. The purse for the event is US$350,000.

Thoroughbred Racing on Fox Sports is the de facto title for a series of horse races events whose broadcasts are produced by Fox Sports, for Fox, Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 television networks in the United States. The flagship program for the series is America's Day at the Races.

References

  1. ↑ "WP: Two champion horses cloned - Technology & science - Washington Post | NBC News". MSNBC. 2006-03-30. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  2. ↑ OwnerView; BloodHorse; and NYRA (25-26 JUL 2022). 8th National Thoroughbred Owner Conference (paperback). Thoroughbred OwnerView—The Jockey Club & Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA)—BloodHorse (magazine), and New York Racing Association (NYRA). Saratoga Race Course. Saratoga Springs, New York.
  3. ↑ "Board of Directors". National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA). 2019-04-20. Retrieved 2019-04-20.
  4. ↑ "COLIN AND CELT PUZZLE TURFMEN - Keene's Great Colts, Both Doing Well, Figure Big in Stakes to Come. BALLOT, TOO, IS A FACTOR Sheepshead Bay Fixtures, the Last Assured Large Prizes, May Induct Keene Stars to Start. - Article - NYTimes.com". New York Times. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.