{{short description|Defunct American thoroughbred horse race}} {{Infobox horseraces | class = Discontinued stakes | horse race = Annual Champion Stakes | website = | image = | caption = | location = Sheepshead Bay Race Track<br>Brooklyn, New York, USA | inaugurated = 1900–1908 | race type = Thoroughbred – Flat racing | distance = {{frac|2|1|4}} miles (18 furlongs) | surface = Dirt | track = left-handed | qualification = Three-years-old and up | weight = 3yos: 116 lbs.; 4yos: 130 lbs; 5yos & up: 131 lbs. | purse = $25,000 | bonuses = }}
The '''Annual Champion Stakes''' is a discontinued Thoroughbred horse race run from 1900 through 1908 that was the richest in the United States at the time for older horses with a guarantee purse of $25,000. Run on dirt over a distance of two and one-quarter miles at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York, the race was open to horses age three and older.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/TheBardUS.html |title=The Bard (U.S.) |publisher=Thoroughbred Heritage Portraits |date=2018-11-22 |accessdate=2018-11-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1908091101/drf1908091101_1_3 |title=Condensed History Of The Annual Champion Stakes|work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1908-09-11 |accessdate=2018-11-24}}</ref> The race was created to try to slow a decade-long trend to shorter distance races.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1923 |title=The Annual Champion Stakes |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1899-02-12 |accessdate=2018-11-22 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Hart–Agnew Law== The Annual Champion Stakes was last run on September 12, 1908, and was won by King James. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1908091301/drf1908091301_1_2 |title=Last Day At Sheepshead: King James Wins The Annual Champion In A Fierce Drive With Falcada |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1908-09-13 |accessdate=2018-11-22}}</ref> Earlier that year the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation on June 11, 1908, with penalties allowing for fines and up to a year in prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1908011801/drf1908011801_1_7 |title=Penalties in the New York Bills |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1908-01-18|accessdate=2018-10-26}}</ref> The owners of Sheepshead Bay Race Track, and other racing facilities in New York state, struggled to stay in business without wagering revenue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1908/09/01/archives/keep-up-betting-ban-strict-enforcement-of-the-law-at-sheepshead-bay.html |title=Keep Up Betting Ban |work=New York Times |date=1908-09-01 |accessdate=2018-11-06}}</ref> Racetrack operators had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which by 1909 saw many stakes races being canceled or offering a substantially reduced purse.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1910071601/drf1910071601_1_7 |title=Striking Falling off in Value of Ten Greatest Stakes |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date= 1910-07-16 |accessdate=2018-10-15}}</ref> 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 shutdown of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912. When a Court ruling saw racing return in 1913 it was too late for any revival of the Annual Champion Stakes as the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility never reopened.
==Records== '''Speed record:''' * 3:53 3/5 – Igniter (1903)
'''Most wins:''' * no horse won this race more than once
'''Most wins by a jockey:''' * no jockey won this race more than once
'''Most wins by a trainer:''' * 2 – Matthew M. Allen (1902, 1906) * 2 – John E. Madden (1907, 1908)
'''Most wins by an owner:''' * no owner won this race more than once
==Winners== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%" |- ! style="width:30px" | Year<br> ! style="width:110px" | Winner<br> ! style="width:20px" | Age<br> ! style="width:110px" | Jockey<br> ! style="width:120px" | Trainer<br> ! Owner<br> ! style="width:25px" | Dist.<br> <span style="font-size:70%">(Miles)</span> ! style="width:25px" | Time<br> ! style="width:25px" | Win<br>US$ |- |align=center|1908 |King James |align=center|3 |Carroll Shilling |John E. Madden |Sam Hildreth |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|4:01.00 |align=center|$20,550 |- |align=center|1907 |Salvidere |align=center|3 |Eddie Dugan |John E. Madden |Thomas Hitchcock Sr. |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:56.40 |align=center|$20,550 |- |align=center|1906 |Accountant |align=center|3 |Jack Martin |Matthew M. Allen |Diamond Jim Brady |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:55.40 |align=center|$19,745 |- |align=center|1905 |Sysonby |align=center|3 |David Nicol |James G. Rowe Sr. |James R. Keene |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:54.00 |align=center|$20,550 |- |align=center|1904 |Stalwart |align=center|3 |Arthur Redfern |William Shields |Edward R. Thomas |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:54.60 |align=center|$19,650 |- |align=center|1903 |Igniter |align=center|4 |Grover Fuller |Julius Bauer |Arthur Featherstone |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:53.60 |align=center|$19,650 |- |align=center|1902 |Major Daingerfield |align=center|3 |George M. Odom |Matthew M. Allen |McLewee & Co. |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:58.00 |align=center|$19,650 |- |align=center|1901 |Maid of Harlem |align=center|5 |Willie Simms |Barry D. Woods |Osceola Stables (Thomas L. Watt) |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:58.40 |align=center|$19,650 |- |align=center|1900 |David Garrick |align=center|4 |John Bullman |A. Jack Joyner |Rancocas Stable (Pierre Lorillard) |align=center|2¼ M |align=center|3:56.00 |align=center|$19,650 |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Open long distance horse races Category:Discontinued horse races in New York City Category:Sheepshead Bay Race Track Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1900 Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1908