Commonwealth Handicap

{{Infobox horseraces | class = Discontinued | horse race = Commonwealth Handicap | website = | image = | caption = | location = [[Sheepshead Bay Race Track]] [[Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn|Sheepshead Bay]], [[New York (state)|New York]] | inaugurated = 1903 | race type = [[Thoroughbred]] – [[Flat racing]] | distance = 1¼ miles | surface = Dirt | track = left-handed | qualification = Three years & older | weight = | purse = | bonuses = }}

The '''Commonwealth Handicap''' was an American [[Thoroughbred racing|Thoroughbred horse race]] run annually from 1903 through 1910 at [[Sheepshead Bay Race Track]] in [[Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn|Sheepshead Bay]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Open to horses age three and older, it was run on dirt over a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It was raced in its first year as the "Suburban Renewal Handicap" having been created as a sequel to [[Suburban Handicap]], the most important race in New York at the time for horses aged three and older.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1910070201/drf1910070201_1_3 |title=Two Stake Races at Sheepshead Bay This Afternoon |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1910-07-02 |accessdate=2019-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1907091101/drf1907091101_3_3 |title=Condensed History of the Waldorf Stakes |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1907-09-11 |accessdate=2019-08-18}}</ref> In a July 1, 1906 review of upcoming races, the ''[[Daily Racing Form]]'' referred to the Commonwealth Handicap as a "highly important" race.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1906070101/drf1906070101_1_3 |title=Great Racing In Store at Sheepshead |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1906-07-01 |accessdate=2020-02-02}}</ref>

==Historical notes== [[Waterboy (horse)|Waterboy]] won the 1903 inaugural edition and would go on to retrospectively be named that year's [[American Champion Older Dirt Male Horse|American Champion Older Male Horse]]. In the next two years [[Ort Wells]] and then [[Sysonby (horse)|Sysonby]] would similarly be named the [[American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse]] for the year of their win.<ref>[http://www.bloodhorse.com/eclipsewinners/pdf/History_Charts.pdf ''The Bloodhorse.com'' Champion's history charts] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904120526/http://www.bloodhorse.com/eclipsewinners/pdf/History_Charts.pdf |date=September 4, 2012}}</ref>

The 1906 winner [[Sir Huon]] came into the Commonwealth Handicap as the victor in the May 2 [[Kentucky Derby]]. However, New York racing fans thought little of the "western" horse and sent him off as a 15-1 longshot <ref>{{cite web |url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/ |title=Derby countdown – Sir Huon, 1906 |publisher=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=2015-03-31 |accessdate=2020-02-02 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1906/07/08/archives/sir-huon-at-15-to-1-won-the-commonwealth-longchance-horses-filled.html |title=Sir Huon, at 15-1, Won The Commonwealth |work=New York Times|page=6|date=1906-07-08 |accessdate=2020-02-02}}</ref> Sir Huron then showed it was no fluke and won the [[Seagate Stakes]] at [[Brighton Beach Race Course]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1910071301/drf1910071301_1_7 |title=Condensed History of the Seagate Stakes |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1910-07-13|accessdate=2020-02-02}}</ref>

In winning the 1910 and last running of the Commonwealth Handicap, [[Richard Thornton Wilson Jr.|Richard Wilson Jr.'s]] speedy [[Olambala]] equaled the American record for a mile and one-quarter set by [[Broomstick (horse)|Broomstick]] six years earlier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1910070301/drf1910070301_1_2 |title=Olambala in Fine Fettle: Equals American Record for Mile and Quarter in Winning Commonwealth |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1910-07-03 |accessdate=2019-01-01}}</ref>

==Closing== The race had a short existence as a result of the [[Hart–Agnew Law|Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation]] passed by the [[New York Legislature]] which devastated horse racing.<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> For its first six years the winner's share of the purse for the Commonwealth Handicap averaged more than $12,000 but for its final two runnings in 1909 and 1910 the winner's share was reduced to less than 20% of what it had been.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909070601/drf1909070601_3_1 |title=New York Form Chart |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1909-07-06 |accessdate=2019-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1910070301/drf1910070301_1_2 |title=Olambala in Fine Fettle: Equals American Record for Mile and Quarter in Winning Commonwealth |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1910-07-03 |accessdate=2019-01-01}}</ref> When a February 21, 1913 ruling by the [[New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division]] saw horse racing return it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay horse racing facility and it never reopened.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1913022201/drf1913022201_1_9 |title= Oral Betting Held Legal: Appellate Division of New York Supreme Court Renders Important Decision |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1913-02-22 |accessdate=2019-06-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1908121501/drf1908121501_1_7|title=Destruction Wrought by Hughes |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1908-12-15|accessdate=2018-11-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1914111701/drf1914111701_1_2 |title=Famous Old Track is Sold |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives|date=1914-11-17|accessdate=2018-11-30}}</ref>

==Records== '''Speed record:''' * 2:02 4/5 @ 1{{Frac|1|4}} miles : [[Olambala]] (1910) (equaled American record)

'''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 [[Horse trainer|trainer]]:''' * 2 – [[A. Jack Joyner]] (1903, 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 ! style="width:110px" | Winner ! style="width:20px" | Age ! style="width:110px" | Jockey ! style="width:120px" | Trainer ! Owner ! style="width:25px" | Dist. ([[Mile]]s) ! style="width:25px" | Time ! style="width:25px" | Win$ |- |align=center|1910 |[[Olambala]] |align=center|4 |[[James Butwell]] |[[T. J. Healey|Thomas J. Healey]] |[[Richard Thornton Wilson Jr.|Montpelier Stable]] |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:02.80 |align=center|$2,250 |- |align=center|1909 |[[King's Daughter]] |align=center|6 |Stanley B. Page |George Denny |[[Thomas Clay McDowell]] |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:04.00 |align=center|$1,925 |- |align=center|1908 |Priscillian |align=center|3 |[[Walter Miller (jockey)|Walter Miller]] |[[A. Jack Joyner]] |[[August Belmont Jr.]] |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:08.60 |align=center|$12,300 |- |align=center|1907 |Montgomery |align=center|3 |[[Guy Garner]] |[[Robert Augustus Smith]] |Emil Herz |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:06.60 |align=center|$13,850 |- |align=center|1906 |[[Sir Huon]] |align=center|3 |[[Roscoe Troxler]] |[[Peter Coyne (horse trainer)|Peter Coyne]] |[[Bashford Manor Stable]] |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:05.20 |align=center|$12,900 |- |align=center|1905 |[[Sysonby (horse)|Sysonby]] |align=center|3 |[[Dave Nicol (jockey)|Dave Nicol]] |[[James G. Rowe Sr.]] |[[James R. Keene]] |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:07.00 |align=center|$12,225 |- |align=center|1904 |[[Ort Wells]] |align=center|3 |[[Frank O'Neill (jockey)|Frank O'Neill]] |[[Enoch Wishard]] |John A. Drake |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:06.60 |align=center|$13,425 |- |align=center|1903 |[[Waterboy (horse)|Waterboy]] |align=center|4 |[[George M. Odom]] |[[A. Jack Joyner]] |[[James Ben Ali Haggin]] |align=center|1{{Frac|1|4}} |2:04.60 |align=center|$9,900 |- |}

==References== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Open middle distance horse races]] [[Category:Discontinued horse races in New York City]] [[Category:Horse races established in 1903]] [[Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1911]] [[Category:Sheepshead Bay Race Track]]