Washington Park Race Track
Encyclopedia
Washington Park Race Track was a popular horse
racing venue in the Chicago metropolitan area from 1884 until 1977. It had two locations during its existence. It was first situated in what is the current location of the Washington Park Subdivision of the Woodlawn
community area
of Chicago
in Cook County
, Illinois
, United States. This is located immediately south of both the current Washington Park community area and Washington Park
. The track was later relocated to Homewood, Illinois
, which is also in Cook County.
The original track and its accompanying Jockey Club were social draws in the late 19th century, but modern developments and changes in the law led to the decline of both. In its prime, the track was an especially important social gathering place on opening day and the day of the American Derby
, which ranked as one of horse racing's
highest purse
s. The Jockey club, designed by Solon Spencer Beman
, hosted a social gathering led by General
Philip Sheridan
who was an early leader of the track and club. The track was closed and reopened according to the contemporary state and local laws on gambling
and eventually waned in popularity and social importance.
Over the years, numerous famous horses and jockey
s appeared at the track. In the 19th century, notable horses of the time, such as Emperor of Norfolk
and Domino
raced. In the 20th century, some of the most notable Thoroughbred
s to race at Washington Park included Triple Crown
winners Citation
and Whirlaway
. Other notable horses included Native Dancer
and Swaps
, who each won legs of the Triple Crown. Jockey Eddie Arcaro
won both the 1948 and 1953 American Derby races at the track. In addition to the American Derby, several other notable graded stakes race
s were run at the track such as the Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap
and the Washington Park Handicap
. In addition, notable match race
s were held at the track.
s and thus were members of the Washington Park Jockey Club. The track's clubhouse, which was completed in 1896, was designed by Solon Spencer Beman, and C. B. McDonald built a short nine-hole club members' golf course
in the infield of the track.
Each June, the track sponsored the American Derby
, which had a purse ranked among the highest in the country. When Washington Park Race Track first organized the American Derby in 1883, General Philip Sheridan served as its first President. By 1893, the American Derby was the 2nd richest American race in 19th century. Both The American Derby and Opening Day (the first race of the season) became important social calendar dates. Residents of elite late 19th century neighborhoods organized a number of related public activities outside the track grounds, including the annual Washington Park Race Track opening day
parade
.
Horse racing was not the only draw of the track. In 1900, a race was staged at the track between a gasoline
-powered automobile
and an electrically powered automobile. At the time, there were more electric car
s in the country than gasoline powered ones. The race in Chicago was the first time a gasoline-powered car beat an electric-powered one in a race.
was elected Mayor of Chicago
in 1892. In 1893, he began a gambling reform campaign, which included a goal of closing all race tracks in Chicago. His campaign eventually resulted in the 1894 closure of Washington Park Race Track, although the track reopened in 1898. It remained open until 1905, when the state of Illinois banned gambling and stopped all horse racing
. By that time, the prestige of the club had declined, independently of Washburne's reform movement, because more modern and spacious golf courses drew the members to other locations, and the residential dispersion of elite members from the community area made the club less important. However, the stable
s used by the track were not torn down and currently form a portion of the DuSable Museum of African-American History
.
In 1926, a second Washington Park Race Track opened up in south suburban Homewood
. The new Washington Park Race Track was located west of Halsted Street just outside of Homewood village bounds. The Illinois Central Railroad
built a spur line directly between Chicago and the newly relocated track. The relocated track continued to be a famous and popular attraction. The inaugural meeting of organizers was July 3, 1926. The new track was constructed amongst a construction boom of racetracks in the United States during the 1920s, which included fifteen new large racetracks constructed during the decade. Others constructed at this time were Arlington Park
nearby in Chicago and Hialeah Park
in Florida
.
Benjamin F. Lindheimer
purchased Washington Park Race Track in 1935 and owned it until his death in 1960. Long involved with the business, adopted daughter Marjorie Lindheimer Everett then took over management of the racetracks.
The American Derby was also reborn at the new track, and was run at Washington through 1957, when it was moved to Arlington Park, in northwest suburban Arlington Heights
. However, racing venues had previously shifted between Chicago-area tracks. For example, in 1943, Arlington Park shifted its major races to Washington Park as a result of curtailed racing due to World War II
.
Another significant race run at the new track was the Grade 2 stakes
Washington Park Handicap for three-year-olds and up. It was first held at Washington Park in 1926, and continued to be held there until 1958, when it was moved to Arlington Park, where it continues to be held to the present day and commemorates the Washington Park racetrack.
The new track hosted a number of special races between famous horses of the day. On August 29, 1945 a match race between Busher
and Durazna was held at the racetrack. The distance was one mile, with a purse of $25,000.00. Busher won by almost two lengths, after the lead changed several times during the race. On August 31, 1955, Washington Park hosted a match race
between Nashua
and Swaps
with a distance of a mile and a quarter. The purse was $100,000.00. Nashua won by several lengths, having led the entire race. The race was well attended, and attracted reporters from across the country. Nashua went on to be named Horse of the Year
for 1955.
However, in spite of popular events, the track was not without scandals and allegations of misdeeds. For example, in 1970, Marge Lindheimer Everett, manager of both Arlington and Washington Park, confessed to having bribed Illinois Governor Otto Kerner
to gain premium racing dates.
Washington Park Race Track's grandstand burned on the night of February 5, 1977, putting the track out of business. The property was sold and redeveloped in 1992 for commercial and residential use.
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
racing venue in the Chicago metropolitan area from 1884 until 1977. It had two locations during its existence. It was first situated in what is the current location of the Washington Park Subdivision of the Woodlawn
Woodlawn, Chicago
Woodlawn, located in the South Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois, USA, is one of 77 well defined Chicago community areas. It is bounded by Lake Michigan to the east, 60th Street to the north, Martin Luther King Drive to the west, and, mostly, 67th Street to the south...
community area
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States. This is located immediately south of both the current Washington Park community area and Washington Park
Washington Park (Chicago park)
On December 6, 1879, former U.S. President Ulysses Grant took part in a tree planting ceremony in the park. A memorial boulder with a plaque commemorated the event. In the 1920s black semiprofessional baseball teams played at Washington Park...
. The track was later relocated to Homewood, Illinois
Homewood, Illinois
Homewood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,543 at the 2000 census. Homewood is a sister city to Homewood, Alabama.- Geography :...
, which is also in Cook County.
The original track and its accompanying Jockey Club were social draws in the late 19th century, but modern developments and changes in the law led to the decline of both. In its prime, the track was an especially important social gathering place on opening day and the day of the American Derby
American Derby
The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at the city's old Washington Park race track and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed and the track demolished....
, which ranked as one of horse racing's
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...
highest purse
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
s. The Jockey club, designed by Solon Spencer Beman
Solon Spencer Beman
Solon Spencer Beman was an American architect who was based in Chicago, best known as the architect of the planned Pullman community and adjacent Pullman Company factory complex. Several of his other largest commissions, including the Pullman Office Building, Pabst Building, and Grand Central...
, hosted a social gathering led by General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Philip Sheridan
Philip Sheridan
Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...
who was an early leader of the track and club. The track was closed and reopened according to the contemporary state and local laws on 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...
and eventually waned in popularity and social importance.
Over the years, numerous famous horses and jockey
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:...
s appeared at the track. In the 19th century, notable horses of the time, such as Emperor of Norfolk
Emperor of Norfolk
Emperor of Norfolk was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. Because he was big with huge hindquarters and because of his stellar racing record, he was called the "California Wonder."-Going to California:...
and Domino
Domino (horse)
Domino was a 19th-century American thoroughbred race horse.-Background:A dark brown, almost black*, colt, Domino was sired by Himyar out of the mare Mannie Gray.Sam Hildreth writes in his book, "The Spell of the Turf" that he looked black was actually a deep chestnut. Himyar was out of speed...
raced. In the 20th century, some of the most notable 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...
s to race at Washington Park included Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
winners Citation
Citation (horse)
Citation was the eighth American Triple Crown winner, and one of three major North American Thoroughbreds to win at least 16 consecutive races in major stakes race competition...
and Whirlaway
Whirlaway
Whirlaway was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse.The chestnut horse was sired by English Derby winner Blenheim II, out of the broodmare Dustwhirl. Whirlaway was bred at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky....
. Other notable horses included Native Dancer
Native Dancer
Native Dancer , nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history, the first horse made famous through the medium of television. He was one of the best horses produced in USA after the war...
and Swaps
Swaps (horse)
Swaps was a California bred American thoroughbred racehorse. He was the son of Khaled, a stallion imported from the Aga Khan's stud in Europe. Swaps goes back to the immortal Man o' War, via his dam, Iron Reward, through the Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. In the list of the top 100 U.S...
, who each won legs of the Triple Crown. Jockey Eddie Arcaro
Eddie Arcaro
George Edward Arcaro , known professionally as Eddie Arcaro, was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple Crown twice...
won both the 1948 and 1953 American Derby races at the track. In addition to the American Derby, several other notable graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
s were run at the track such as the Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap
Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap
The Stars and Stripes Stakes is a Grade III flat horse race in the United States for thoroughbred horses aged three years and up. It is raced over a distance of 12 furlongs on the turf course at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois as a lead up race to the Breeders' Cup Turf...
and the Washington Park Handicap
Washington Park Handicap
The Washington Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of September at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of a...
. In addition, notable 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...
s were held at the track.
Original track
In 1883, a group of about 500 Chicagoans, led by General Philip Sheridan, banded together to create the Washington Park Jockey Club. Selecting a location at 61st and Cottage Grove, the Club opened and operated the Washington Park Race Track, valued at $150,000, the following year, claiming it to be "the Midwest’s preeminent track." The track was part of the long tradition of constructing special facilities for sporting events and public assembly in the Chicago parks. At that time it was fashionable for the social elite to maintain close ties to equestrian sports. Some owned ThoroughbredThoroughbred
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...
s and thus were members of the Washington Park Jockey Club. The track's clubhouse, which was completed in 1896, was designed by Solon Spencer Beman, and C. B. McDonald built a short nine-hole club members' golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
in the infield of the track.
Major races
American Derby
The American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at the city's old Washington Park race track and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed and the track demolished....
, which had a purse ranked among the highest in the country. When Washington Park Race Track first organized the American Derby in 1883, General Philip Sheridan served as its first President. By 1893, the American Derby was the 2nd richest American race in 19th century. Both The American Derby and Opening Day (the first race of the season) became important social calendar dates. Residents of elite late 19th century neighborhoods organized a number of related public activities outside the track grounds, including the annual Washington Park Race Track opening day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
.
Horse racing was not the only draw of the track. In 1900, a race was staged at the track between a gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
-powered automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
and an electrically powered automobile. At the time, there were more electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
s in the country than gasoline powered ones. The race in Chicago was the first time a gasoline-powered car beat an electric-powered one in a race.
Decline and closure of the original track
The track ran into difficulties when Hempstead WashburneHempstead Washburne
Hempstead Washburne served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois for the Republican Party. He was the son of Elihu B. Washburne, Congressman, Secretary of State, and Minister to France....
was elected Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
in 1892. In 1893, he began a gambling reform campaign, which included a goal of closing all race tracks in Chicago. His campaign eventually resulted in the 1894 closure of Washington Park Race Track, although the track reopened in 1898. It remained open until 1905, when the state of Illinois banned gambling and stopped all 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...
. By that time, the prestige of the club had declined, independently of Washburne's reform movement, because more modern and spacious golf courses drew the members to other locations, and the residential dispersion of elite members from the community area made the club less important. However, the stable
Stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals...
s used by the track were not torn down and currently form a portion of the DuSable Museum of African-American History
DuSable Museum
The DuSable Museum of African American History is the first and oldest museum dedicated to the study and conservation of African American history, culture, and art. It was founded in 1961 by Dr. Margaret Taylor-Burroughs , her husband Charles Burroughs, Gerard Lew, and others. Dr...
.
New track
Homewood, Illinois
Homewood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,543 at the 2000 census. Homewood is a sister city to Homewood, Alabama.- Geography :...
. The new Washington Park Race Track was located west of Halsted Street just outside of Homewood village bounds. The Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
built a spur line directly between Chicago and the newly relocated track. The relocated track continued to be a famous and popular attraction. The inaugural meeting of organizers was July 3, 1926. The new track was constructed amongst a construction boom of racetracks in the United States during the 1920s, which included fifteen new large racetracks constructed during the decade. Others constructed at this time were Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
nearby in Chicago and Hialeah Park
Hialeah Park Race Track
The Hialeah Park Race Track is a historic site in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East 22nd Street on the south to East 32nd Street on the north. On March 5, 1979, it was added to the U.S...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
Benjamin F. Lindheimer
Benjamin F. Lindheimer
Benjamin Franklin Lindheimer was an American businessman who owned Chicago's Washington Park Race Track from 1935 to his death in 1960 and was the majority shareholder and Managing Director of Arlington Park Race Track...
purchased Washington Park Race Track in 1935 and owned it until his death in 1960. Long involved with the business, adopted daughter Marjorie Lindheimer Everett then took over management of the racetracks.
The American Derby was also reborn at the new track, and was run at Washington through 1957, when it was moved to Arlington Park, in northwest suburban Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
. However, racing venues had previously shifted between Chicago-area tracks. For example, in 1943, Arlington Park shifted its major races to Washington Park as a result of curtailed racing due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Another significant race run at the new track was the Grade 2 stakes
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Washington Park Handicap for three-year-olds and up. It was first held at Washington Park in 1926, and continued to be held there until 1958, when it was moved to Arlington Park, where it continues to be held to the present day and commemorates the Washington Park racetrack.
The new track hosted a number of special races between famous horses of the day. On August 29, 1945 a match race between Busher
Busher (horse)
Busher was a thoroughbred racing filly. She was sired by War Admiral, the winner of the Triple Crown in 1937, and the great son of a great legend, Man o' War. She was out of Baby League by Bubbling Over, the colt who won the 1926 Kentucky Derby...
and Durazna was held at the racetrack. The distance was one mile, with a purse of $25,000.00. Busher won by almost two lengths, after the lead changed several times during the race. On August 31, 1955, Washington Park hosted a 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...
between Nashua
Nashua (horse)
Nashua was an American-born thoroughbred racehorse, perhaps best remembered for a 1955 match race against the horse that had defeated him in the Kentucky Derby.Nashua's sire was the good, but temperamental, European champion Nasrullah...
and Swaps
Swaps (horse)
Swaps was a California bred American thoroughbred racehorse. He was the son of Khaled, a stallion imported from the Aga Khan's stud in Europe. Swaps goes back to the immortal Man o' War, via his dam, Iron Reward, through the Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. In the list of the top 100 U.S...
with a distance of a mile and a quarter. The purse was $100,000.00. Nashua won by several lengths, having led the entire race. The race was well attended, and attracted reporters from across the country. Nashua went on to be named Horse of the Year
Horse of the Year
Horse of the Year is an honor given by various organizations worldwide in harness racing and thoroughbred horse racing.Some of the awards include:* Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year* Breeders' Cup World Championships Poll* European Horse of the Year...
for 1955.
However, in spite of popular events, the track was not without scandals and allegations of misdeeds. For example, in 1970, Marge Lindheimer Everett, manager of both Arlington and Washington Park, confessed to having bribed Illinois Governor Otto Kerner
Otto Kerner
Otto Kerner is the name of two political figures from Illinois:*Otto Kerner, Sr. , Attorney General of Illinois & judge on U.S. Court of Appeals for Seventh Circuit...
to gain premium racing dates.
Washington Park Race Track's grandstand burned on the night of February 5, 1977, putting the track out of business. The property was sold and redeveloped in 1992 for commercial and residential use.
Horses who raced at Washington Park
- CitationCitation (horse)Citation was the eighth American Triple Crown winner, and one of three major North American Thoroughbreds to win at least 16 consecutive races in major stakes race competition...
won the 1948 American Derby in the same year he won the Triple CrownTriple Crown of Thoroughbred RacingThe Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
, with Eddie ArcaroEddie ArcaroGeorge Edward Arcaro , known professionally as Eddie Arcaro, was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple Crown twice...
up - CoaltownCoaltownCoaltown was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse of whom the New York Times said "was probably the most underrated Thoroughbred of the 20th Century."...
won the 1949 Whirlaway Stakes, setting a new world mile mark while doing so - T. V. Lark won the American Derby and Washington Park Handicap
- SwapsSwaps (horse)Swaps was a California bred American thoroughbred racehorse. He was the son of Khaled, a stallion imported from the Aga Khan's stud in Europe. Swaps goes back to the immortal Man o' War, via his dam, Iron Reward, through the Triple Crown winner, War Admiral. In the list of the top 100 U.S...
won the 1956 Washington Park Handicap and the 1955 American DerbyAmerican DerbyThe American Derby is a Thoroughbred horse race in the United States run annually at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The inaugural American Derby was held at the city's old Washington Park race track and raced there until 1905 when the facility was closed and the track demolished....
, where he set the record for that race that still stood in 2006. - Emperor of NorfolkEmperor of NorfolkEmperor of Norfolk was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. Because he was big with huge hindquarters and because of his stellar racing record, he was called the "California Wonder."-Going to California:...
won the 1888 American Derby - WhirlawayWhirlawayWhirlaway was an American champion thoroughbred racehorse.The chestnut horse was sired by English Derby winner Blenheim II, out of the broodmare Dustwhirl. Whirlaway was bred at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky....
won the 1941 American Derby - Native DancerNative DancerNative Dancer , nicknamed the Grey Ghost, was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in history, the first horse made famous through the medium of television. He was one of the best horses produced in USA after the war...
won the 1953 American Derby, with Eddie Arcaro up - DominoDomino (horse)Domino was a 19th-century American thoroughbred race horse.-Background:A dark brown, almost black*, colt, Domino was sired by Himyar out of the mare Mannie Gray.Sam Hildreth writes in his book, "The Spell of the Turf" that he looked black was actually a deep chestnut. Himyar was out of speed...
won the 1893 Hyde Park Stakes
Other stakes races run at the racetrack
- Arlington HandicapArlington HandicapThe Arlington Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1929 at Arlington Park racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Open to 3-Year-Olds & Up, it is currently a Grade III stakes run in July at a distance of 1¼ miles on turf...
ran at Washington in 1943, 1944 and 1945 - Queen Elizabeth Handicap (ran as the Misty Isle Handicap from 1946 to 1958) began in 1946
- Sheridan Stakes began in 1884, ran at the old racetrack also
- Stars and Stripes Handicap only ran at Washington Park in 1943, 1944 and 1945 and again in 1958 and 1959
- Washington Park HandicapWashington Park HandicapThe Washington Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of September at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of a...
began 1926, moved to Arlington Park in 1958 - Washington Park Futurity StakesWashington Park Futurity StakesThe Washington Park Futurity Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the now defunct Washington Park Race Track in Woodlawn, Chicago. A race on dirt for two-year-olds, it was first run in 1937 as a six furlong event...
- inaugurated in 1937, it was a race for two-year-olds. In 1959 the race was moved to Chicago's Arlington Park race track, and in 1962 was merged with the Arlington Futurity Stakes to create the Arlington-Washington Futurity StakesArlington-Washington Futurity StakesThe Arlington-Washington Futurity Stakes is a Grade III flat horse race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds. It is raced over a distance of 8 furlongs, or one mile, on Polytrack synthetic dirt at Arlington Park, Arlington Heights, Illinois every fall and currently offers a purse of $150,000.It was run...
. It is now the Arlington-Washington Breeders' Cup Futurity.