Eddie Dugan
Encyclopedia
Eddie Dugan was a jockey
in Thoroughbred
horse racing
who won three American Classic Races and two Canadian Classic Races. In addition, Dugan raced and won in Russia
.
In 1907, Eddie Dugan was an apprentice jockey. He rode in Chicago and at racetracks in the Northeastern United States
where a New York City
newspaper called him "the cleverest apprentice in the east." Dugan's wins that year included the Manhattan Handicap
and the first of two Suburban Handicap
s. In 1908, a year when the Hart-Agnew Law banned gambling
in New York, the number of Thoroughbred races was limited and the industry, without revenue from betting, was on the verge of collapse. Hired by major stable owners Harry Payne Whitney
and Richard T. Wilson, Jr.
, Eddie Dugan won the first of his three American Classic Races, riding Royal Tourist
to victory in the Preakness Stakes
. In the pre U.S. Triple Crown
era, Dugan never rode in the Kentucky Derby
.
A very aggressive rider, on September 23, 1908 the New York Times reported that two jockeys had been seriously hurt in a race at Gravesend Race Track
on Coney Island
due to rough riding by Eddie Dugan for which he was fined and suspended. The Times wrote that Dugan's action was so egregious that other riders in the jockeys' room threatened to attack him. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9405E1D8133EE233A25750C2A96F9C946997D6CF Banned from competing, after his suspension expired Eddie Dugan returned to riding in January 1909 at Santa Anita Park
in California
.
With racing in the United States still limited from the effects of the ban on gambling, in April 1909 Eddie Dugan went to England
to ride for Harry Whitney but was not granted a jockey license after American Jockey Club
records showed he had been suspended six times for rough riding http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9805EEDA1131E733A25756C0A9629C946897D6CF Returning to the United States, Dugan had an outstanding year, winning his second Suburban Handicap, plus the Brooklyn
, Jerome
and Saranac Handicap
s. He also won his second American Classic, riding Sam Hildreth's
colt, Joe Madden, to an eight-length win in the Belmont Stakes
en route to becoming the United States Champion Jockey by wins
. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B07E4DF1E3EE033A25755C2A9649D946897D6CF
In another very limited year of racing, in 1910 Eddie Dugan's wins included his second Brooklyn Handicap as well as the Tremont Stakes
at Gravesend Race Track. On April 14, 1911 at the Jamestown track at Norfolk, Virginia
, Dugan was again blamed for another serious racing accident that sent two jockeys to hospital. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0DE6DD1031E233A25756C1A9629C946096D6CF On May 17, 1911 he won his second Preakness Stakes aboard Watervale
, then traveled to Toronto
, Canada
where three days after his American classic win, he captured the May 20th Canadian Classic, the King's Plate
on the colt St. Bass
, owned by Harry Giddings and trained by Harry Giddings, Jr.
. Three days after that, Dugan and St. Bass won a second Canadian Classic, the Breeders' Stakes
.
With racing still restricted in the United States and many New York tracks closed, in 1913 and 1914 Eddie Dugan and his brother Willie traveled to Russia where they competed successfully. They were forced to return to the United States in the fall of 1914 when World War I
broke out. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gIULAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6FMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5967,2564874&dq=eddie+dugan
His career in decline and battling weight gain, by August 1915 Eddie Dugan was accepting rides on outside mounts and declaring he could make a 109 pound weight. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02E2DE133FE233A25757C0A96E9C946496D6CF Out of racing for a few years, he attempted a short-lived comeback at Agua Caliente Racetrack
in Tijuana
, Mexico
.
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
who won three American Classic Races and two Canadian Classic Races. In addition, Dugan raced and won in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
In 1907, Eddie Dugan was an apprentice jockey. He rode in Chicago and at racetracks in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
where a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
newspaper called him "the cleverest apprentice in the east." Dugan's wins that year included the Manhattan Handicap
Manhattan Handicap
The Manhattan Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race raced annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is named for Manhattan, the principal borough of the City of New York...
and the first of two Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
s. In 1908, a year when the Hart-Agnew Law banned gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
in New York, the number of Thoroughbred races was limited and the industry, without revenue from betting, was on the verge of collapse. Hired by major stable owners Harry Payne Whitney
Harry Payne Whitney
Harry Payne Whitney was an American businessman, thoroughbred horsebreeder, and member of the prominent Whitney family.- Early years :...
and Richard T. Wilson, Jr.
Richard Thornton Wilson, Jr.
Richard Thornton Wilson, Jr. was an American banker and businessman who was a prominent figure in Thoroughbred horse racing in the early decades of the 20th Century....
, Eddie Dugan won the first of his three American Classic Races, riding Royal Tourist
Royal Tourist
Royal Tourist was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the American Classic Preakness Stakes in 1908 and who later that year set a World Record time in winning the Winters Handicap at Emeryville Race Track in Oakland, California....
to victory in the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
. In the pre U.S. Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
era, Dugan never rode in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
.
A very aggressive rider, on September 23, 1908 the New York Times reported that two jockeys had been seriously hurt in a race at Gravesend Race Track
Gravesend Race Track
Gravesend Race Track at Gravesend on Coney Island, New York was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility built by the Brooklyn Jockey Club as a result of the backing of the wealthy racing stable owners, the Dwyer Brothers. Philip J...
on Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
due to rough riding by Eddie Dugan for which he was fined and suspended. The Times wrote that Dugan's action was so egregious that other riders in the jockeys' room threatened to attack him. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9405E1D8133EE233A25750C2A96F9C946997D6CF Banned from competing, after his suspension expired Eddie Dugan returned to riding in January 1909 at Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park is a thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent racing events in the United States during the winter and in spring. With its backdrop of the purple San Gabriel Mountains, it is considered by many as the world's most beautiful race...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
With racing in the United States still limited from the effects of the ban on gambling, in April 1909 Eddie Dugan went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to ride for Harry Whitney but was not granted a jockey license after American Jockey Club
The Jockey Club
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 in support of racehorse trainers who had complained about the Board of Control that governed racing in New York State.-History:On its formation, The...
records showed he had been suspended six times for rough riding http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9805EEDA1131E733A25756C0A9629C946897D6CF Returning to the United States, Dugan had an outstanding year, winning his second Suburban Handicap, plus the Brooklyn
Brooklyn Handicap
The Brooklyn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to three-year-olds and up willing to race one and one-half miles on dirt....
, Jerome
Jerome Handicap
The Jerome Stakes is a Grade II race for thoroughbred horses run each fall at one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park. It is open to three-year-olds and carries a purse of $150,000. The race is a prep race to several races of the Breeders' Cup....
and Saranac Handicap
Saranac Handicap
The Saranac Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Grade III stakes is open to Three-year-old horses and is raced on turf over a distance of 1³/16 miles...
s. He also won his second American Classic, riding Sam Hildreth's
Sam Hildreth
Samuel Clay Hildreth was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer and owner.Born in Independence, Missouri, Sam Hildreth began his training career in 1887, competing at racetracks in the Midwestern United States with such horses as the good racemare Hurley Burley, the dam of...
colt, Joe Madden, to an eight-length win in the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
en route to becoming the United States Champion Jockey by wins
United States Champion Jockey by wins
There is no formal championship award given to the jockey who won the most races in United States Thoroughbred racing. However, it is a prestigious accomplishment always on any jockey's resumé and widely reported on by the various media.-Milestones:...
. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B07E4DF1E3EE033A25755C2A9649D946897D6CF
In another very limited year of racing, in 1910 Eddie Dugan's wins included his second Brooklyn Handicap as well as the Tremont Stakes
Tremont Stakes
The Tremont Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually for 2-year-olds at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.Due to the troubled economy in 2008, the Tremont was canceled by the NYRA as they adjusted races to meet the new Grade I standard purse of $300,000. The Tremont Stakes was...
at Gravesend Race Track. On April 14, 1911 at the Jamestown track at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, Dugan was again blamed for another serious racing accident that sent two jockeys to hospital. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E0DE6DD1031E233A25756C1A9629C946096D6CF On May 17, 1911 he won his second Preakness Stakes aboard Watervale
Watervale (horse)
Watervale was an American Thoroughbred racehorse of exceptional speed who set two track records in the United States and a national record in Canada....
, then traveled to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where three days after his American classic win, he captured the May 20th Canadian Classic, the King's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
on the colt St. Bass
St. Bass
St. Bass was a Canadian Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Harry Giddings at his Cedar Grove Stud in Oakville, his sire, Bassetlaw, was a son of the outstanding runner and nine-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland, St. Simon. His dam was Lady Betz, the daughter of Hanover, a U.S...
, owned by Harry Giddings and trained by Harry Giddings, Jr.
Harry Giddings, Jr.
Harry Giddings, Jr. was a Canadian owner, breeder, and trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. He was born in Trafalgar Township in Halton County, Ontario now at the outskirts of the city of Oakville...
. Three days after that, Dugan and St. Bass won a second Canadian Classic, the Breeders' Stakes
Breeders' Stakes
The Breeders' Stakes is a Canadian stakes race for Thoroughbred race horses first run in 1889. Since 1959 it has been the third race in the Canadian Triple Crown for three-year-olds...
.
With racing still restricted in the United States and many New York tracks closed, in 1913 and 1914 Eddie Dugan and his brother Willie traveled to Russia where they competed successfully. They were forced to return to the United States in the fall of 1914 when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
broke out. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gIULAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6FMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5967,2564874&dq=eddie+dugan
His career in decline and battling weight gain, by August 1915 Eddie Dugan was accepting rides on outside mounts and declaring he could make a 109 pound weight. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02E2DE133FE233A25757C0A96E9C946496D6CF Out of racing for a few years, he attempted a short-lived comeback at Agua Caliente Racetrack
Agua Caliente Racetrack
The Agua Caliente Racetrack is a greyhound racing and former horse racing track in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. It opened in December 1929 at a cost of $2.5 million.One year before, the Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel opened in June 1928....
in Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.