International Special
Encyclopedia
The International Specials of 1924
were a series of three Thoroughbred horse race
s held in September and October at three different race track
s in the United States
. They were called "International" because the race included the champion from France
, who had won there and in England
.
The one-time series came about following the much hyped October 20, 1923 match race
at Belmont Park
in Elmont, New York
between that year's highly touted Epsom Derby
winner, Papyrus
, and the Kentucky Derby
and Belmont Stakes
winner, Zev
. The race drew a huge crowd to see the first-ever English champion race in the U.S., and it proved a resounding financial success for its promoters. Interest in the event was such that it was broadcast on the radio
, a racing first, and a film of the race was distributed to movie theater
s across the country. After the American colt
easily won, horseracing fans in the U.S. clamored for more and European fans wanted redemption for their humiliation. As such, much talk began about the revered French champion Epinard
taking on America's best.
Following negotiations with leading American horsemen August Belmont, Jr.
, James Shevlin, and Matt Winn
, owner Pierre Wertheimer
agreed to send Epinard to compete in a series of three races at different tracks in the United States. In April 1924 they announced that the deal had been finalized and the story filled the sport pages in the U.S. and Europe and even as far away as Venezuela
. Rather than a match race against a single horse, Epinard would be pitted against America's best in three separate races, each to be run on a dirt track and at an increasingly longer distance. Billed as an "International Special," the event was seen by fans at three different locales. The first race, on Long Island
, New York
, was attended by the Prince of Wales
, the future King Edward VIII
.
International Special No. 1 at Belmont Park
in Elmont, New York
: purse $
25,000 added - 6 furlong
s
Race No.1 was won by Wise Counsellor, the previous year's U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old
owned by August Belmont, Jr. Running for the first time on a dirt track, Epinard finished second with Ladkin third.
International Special No. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack
in Queens
, New York
: purse $25,000 added - 8 furlongs
In the second race, Wise Cousellor and Ladkin reversed positions from the first race. A mistake by Epinard's jockey Everett Haynes cost the horse four lengths, but he fought back to finish second by a nose to Ladkin
, a half brother to the great Man o' War
.
International Special No. 3 at Latonia Race Track
in Covington, Kentucky
: purse $50,000 added - 10 furlongs
By then a crowd favorite, Epinard was the betting choice in the first two races and a co-favorite in the No.3 International Special. A great success, more than 60,000 showed up at Latonia Race Track for the race which drew perhaps the strongest field of all. In addition to the honored guest, Epinard, the race featured stars of the day such as Kentucky Derby runner-up Chilhowee, plus Belmont Stakes winner Mad Play
and two future U.S. Hall of Famers
, Princess Doreen
and co-favorite Sarazen
owned by Virginia Fair Vanderbilt
. Future Hall of Fame trainer Max Hirsch
said Sarazen's win over Epinard, in which he set a Latonia track record, was his greatest thrill in racing.
Although he finished second in all three of the International Specials, Epinard's 1924 performances earned him the U.S. Champion Older Male Horse
honors.
1924 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Cleveland BulldogsCollege championship* College football national championship – Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn Quakers -Association football:England...
were a series of three Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
s held in September and October at three different race track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They were called "International" because the race included the champion from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, who had won there and in England
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The one-time series came about following the much hyped October 20, 1923 match race
Match race
A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.The term may be best known as a race between two sailing boats racing around a course...
at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in Elmont, New York
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
between that year's highly touted Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner, Papyrus
Papyrus (horse)
Papyrus was a British Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland. Out of the mare Miss Matty, he was sired by Tracery whose sire was Rock Sand....
, and 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...
and 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...
winner, Zev
Zev (horse)
Zev was an American thoroughbred horse racing champion.-Background:A brown colt, Zev was sired by The Finn out of the mare Miss Kearney . Bred by the famous horseman John E. Madden, Zev was owned by the Rancocas Stable of Harry F...
. The race drew a huge crowd to see the first-ever English champion race in the U.S., and it proved a resounding financial success for its promoters. Interest in the event was such that it was broadcast on the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, a racing first, and a film of the race was distributed to movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s across the country. After the American colt
Colt (horse)
A colt is a young male horse, under the age of four. The term "colt" is often confused with foal, which refers to a horse of either sex under one year of age....
easily won, horseracing fans in the U.S. clamored for more and European fans wanted redemption for their humiliation. As such, much talk began about the revered French champion Epinard
Épinard
Épinard was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who was given the French name for spinach. He is considered a racing legend by French racing authority France Galop....
taking on America's best.
August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
, James Shevlin, and Matt Winn
Matt Winn
Colonel Martin J. "Matt" Winn was a prominent personality in American thoroughbred horse racing history and president of Churchill Downs racetrack, home to the Kentucky Derby race that he made famous....
, owner Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer
Pierre Wertheimer was a French businessman.In October 1910, Pierre Wertheimer married Germaine Revel, a daughter of a stockbroker and a member of the Lazard family of investment bankers....
agreed to send Epinard to compete in a series of three races at different tracks in the United States. In April 1924 they announced that the deal had been finalized and the story filled the sport pages in the U.S. and Europe and even as far away as Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Rather than a match race against a single horse, Epinard would be pitted against America's best in three separate races, each to be run on a dirt track and at an increasingly longer distance. Billed as an "International Special," the event was seen by fans at three different locales. The first race, on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, was attended by the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, the future King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
.
International Special No. 1 at Belmont Park
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse-racing facility located in Elmont in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, on Long Island adjoining New York City. It first opened on May 4, 1905...
in Elmont, New York
Elmont, New York
Elmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
: purse $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
25,000 added - 6 furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
s
- Entrants included: Baffling, EpinardÉpinardÉpinard was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who was given the French name for spinach. He is considered a racing legend by French racing authority France Galop....
, Goshawk, LadkinLadkinLadkin was an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred and raced by August Belmont, Jr. Out of the dam, Lading, he was sired by Fair Play who also sired Man o' War....
, Snob II, Miss Star, Wilderness, Wise Counsellor, ZevZev (horse)Zev was an American thoroughbred horse racing champion.-Background:A brown colt, Zev was sired by The Finn out of the mare Miss Kearney . Bred by the famous horseman John E. Madden, Zev was owned by the Rancocas Stable of Harry F...
- Results: 1) Wise Counsellor 2) Epinard 3) Ladkin
Race No.1 was won by Wise Counsellor, the previous year's U.S. Champion 2-Year-Old
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Male Horse
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
owned by August Belmont, Jr. Running for the first time on a dirt track, Epinard finished second with Ladkin third.
International Special No. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a thoroughbred horse-racing facility and racino in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. Its racing meets usually are from late October/early November through April.-History:...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
: purse $25,000 added - 8 furlongs
- Entrants included: Epinard, Ladkin, Little Chief, My Own, Wise Counsellor, Zev
- Results: 1) Ladkin 2) Epinard 3) Wise Counsellor
In the second race, Wise Cousellor and Ladkin reversed positions from the first race. A mistake by Epinard's jockey Everett Haynes cost the horse four lengths, but he fought back to finish second by a nose to Ladkin
Ladkin
Ladkin was an American Thoroughbred racehorse bred and raced by August Belmont, Jr. Out of the dam, Lading, he was sired by Fair Play who also sired Man o' War....
, a half brother to the great Man o' War
Man O' War (horse)
Man o' War, is considered one of the greatest Thoroughbred racehorses of all time. During his career just after World War I, he won 20 of 21 races and $249,465 in purses....
.
International Special No. 3 at Latonia Race Track
Latonia Race Track
Latonia Race Track on Winston Avenue in Latonia Kentucky, six miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio, was a Thoroughbred horse racing facility opened in 1883. The track hosted a spring-summer racing series and a second in late fall. It was once regarded as among the United States' top sites for racing,...
in Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
: purse $50,000 added - 10 furlongs
- Entrants included: Chilhowee, EpinardÉpinardÉpinard was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who was given the French name for spinach. He is considered a racing legend by French racing authority France Galop....
, Mad PlayMad PlayMad Play was an American-bred Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred by August Belmont, Jr., he was sired by the great Fair Play, which made him a half brother to Man o' War, out of another Rock Sand mare, Mad Cap. He was a full brother to 1921 U.S...
, Princess DoreenPrincess DoreenPrincess Doreen was a Thoroughbred racehorse best known for being the top American female money-winner.Bred by John E. Madden at his stud farm, Hamburg Place, in Kentucky....
, SarazenSarazenSarazen was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by Colonel Phil T. Chinn's Himyar Stud, Sarazen won his first three starts in impressive fashion...
, Altawood, Little Chief, My Play- Results: 1) Sarazen 2) Epinard 3) Mad Play
By then a crowd favorite, Epinard was the betting choice in the first two races and a co-favorite in the No.3 International Special. A great success, more than 60,000 showed up at Latonia Race Track for the race which drew perhaps the strongest field of all. In addition to the honored guest, Epinard, the race featured stars of the day such as Kentucky Derby runner-up Chilhowee, plus Belmont Stakes winner Mad Play
Mad Play
Mad Play was an American-bred Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred by August Belmont, Jr., he was sired by the great Fair Play, which made him a half brother to Man o' War, out of another Rock Sand mare, Mad Cap. He was a full brother to 1921 U.S...
and two future U.S. Hall of Famers
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
, Princess Doreen
Princess Doreen
Princess Doreen was a Thoroughbred racehorse best known for being the top American female money-winner.Bred by John E. Madden at his stud farm, Hamburg Place, in Kentucky....
and co-favorite Sarazen
Sarazen
Sarazen was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by Colonel Phil T. Chinn's Himyar Stud, Sarazen won his first three starts in impressive fashion...
owned by Virginia Fair Vanderbilt
Virginia Fair Vanderbilt
Virginia Fair Vanderbilt was an American socialite, hotel builder/owner, philanthropist, owner of Fair Stable, a Thoroughbred racehorse operation, and a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
. Future Hall of Fame trainer Max Hirsch
Max Hirsch
Maximilian J. "Max" Hirsch was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.Born in Fredericksburg, Texas, Hirsch became one of the most successful trainers in Thoroughbred horse racing history. He spent part of his formative years working as a groom and jockey at Morris Ranch in...
said Sarazen's win over Epinard, in which he set a Latonia track record, was his greatest thrill in racing.
Although he finished second in all three of the International Specials, Epinard's 1924 performances earned him the U.S. Champion Older Male Horse
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Older Male Horse
The title of American Champion Older Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a stallion or gelding, four years old and up. Prior to 1971, this award was referred to as "Champion Handicap Male Horse", and was open to any horse, three years old and up...
honors.