Reapers Stakes

The Reapers Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Held in September, the race was open to three-year-olds of either sex. It was run on dirt over a distance of 1 3/16 miles except for 1903 when it was set at 1 3/8 miles.[1]

Reapers Stakes
Discontinued stakes race
LocationSheepshead Bay Race Track
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York
Inaugurated1887–1907
Race typeThoroughbred – Flat racing
Race information
Distance1+3⁄16 miles (9.5 furlongs)
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationThree-years-old

On June 19, 1880 the Sheepshead Bay facility hosted its first day of Thoroughbred racing.[2] Success made the addition of more stakes races possible and in 1887 the Reapers Stakes had its inaugural running. That race was won by Belvidere, a colt owned by the Preakness Stables of James Galway, a successful wholesaler of grocery store products and a Steward of The Jockey Club. The final running took place in 1907 and was won by the 20:1 outsider, Blue Book.[3]

Demise of the Reapers Stakes

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.[4] The owners of Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and other racing facilities in New York State, struggled to stay in business without income from betting.[5] Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which resulted in the Reapers Stakes being dropped from the 1908 schedule to enable a redistribution of funds to the most high-profile races.[6] 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. When a Court ruling saw racing return in 1913 it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.

Records

Speed record: (new track record)

  • 1:59.40 – Heno (1902)

Most wins by a jockey:

Most wins by a trainer:

  • 2 – John W. Rogers (1889, 1894)
  • 2 – Charles Littlefield Sr. (1898, 1901)

Most wins by an owner:

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
(Miles)		 Time
 Win$
1907 Blue Book 3 R. Lowe Stephen J. Lawler James F. Carroll 13⁄16 M 2:05.00 $3,375
1906 Entrée 3 Herman Radtke Thomas H. McCreery Frederick A. Johnson 13⁄16 M 2:00.60 $3,475
1905 Coy Maid 3 Willie Knapp John I. Smith Kenilworth Stable (Frederick C. McLewee) 13⁄16 M 2:01.60 $3,275
1904 Aurumaster 3 William Crimmins Matthew Feakes H. J. Morris 13⁄16 M 2:00.00 $3,025
1903 Eugenia Burch 3 Grover Fuller William C. Smith Libby Curtis 13⁄8 M 2:20.80 $2,100
1902 Heno 3 Harry Michaels William Lakeland Sr. William S. Fanshawe 13⁄16 M 1:59.40 $2,300
1901 Watercolor 3 Henry Spencer Charles Littlefield Sr. Charles Littlefield Sr. 13⁄16 M 1:59.80 $1,720
1900 David Garrick 3 John Bullman A. Jack Joyner Rancocas Stable 13⁄16 M 2:00.40 $1,580
1899 Kinley Mack 3 Patrick McCue Peter Wimmer Augustus Eastin & Samuel E. Larabie 13⁄16 M 2:02.40 $1,280
1898 Latson 3 Fred Taral Charles Littlefield Sr. Charles Littlefield Sr. 13⁄16 M 2:04.00 $1,070
1897 Imperator 3 Charles A. Thorpe Edward Feakes Preakness Stables 13⁄16 M 2:03.20 $1,450
1896 Peep o'Day 3 Fred Taral James H. McCormick James H. McCormick 13⁄16 M 2:06.60 $1,400
1895 Flying Dutchman 3 Jerry Chorn Patrick Dunne Patrick Dunne 13⁄16 M 2:02.00 $1,400
1894 Dorian 3 Willie Simms John W. Rogers John W. Rogers 13⁄16 M 2:01.40 $1,480
1893 Sir Francis 3 Edward Garrison Matthew Byrnes Marcus Daly 13⁄16 M 2:02.00 $1,215
1892 Kilkenny 3 Anthony Hamilton John Huggins Rancocas Stable 13⁄16 M 2:03.20 $1,605
1891 La Tosca 3 Fred Taral Frank M. Bray Schuylkill Stable (Hough Brothers) 13⁄16 M 2:03.00 $1,545
1890 Ruperta 3 Alonzo Allen B. J. Johnson 13⁄16 M 2:02.40 $1,425
1889 Buddhist 3 Marty Bergen John W. Rogers Samuel S. Brown 13⁄16 M 2:08.40 $1,720
1888 My Own 3 Rifleshine R. Wyndham Walden R. Wyndham Walden 13⁄16 M 2:04.20 $1,600
1887 Belvidere 3 Jim McLaughlin Preakness Stables 13⁄16 M 2:03.00 $1,340

References
  1. "Condensed History of the Reapers Stakes". Daily Racing Form. 1907-09-05. Retrieved 2018-12-21 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  2. "Coney Island Jockey Club; Programme for the September Meeting". The New York Times. September 3, 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
  3. "Blue Book; 20 To 1, Wins The Reapers". Daily Racing Form. 1907-09-06. Retrieved 2018-12-22 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  4. "Penalties in the New York Bills". Daily Racing Form. 1908-01-18. Retrieved 2018-10-26 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
  5. "Keep Up Betting Ban". New York Times. 1908-09-01. Retrieved 2018-11-06.
  6. "Striking Falling off in Value of Ten Greatest Stakes". Daily Racing Form. 1910-07-16. Retrieved 2018-10-15 – via University of Kentucky Archives.
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