# Saratoga Handicap

The Saratoga Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was open to horses three years old and upward and raced at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. First run in 1901, after sixty years it had its final running in 1961 that was won by Divine Comedy ridden by future Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker on his 30th birthday. Government wartime restrictions saw the 1943 edition run at Belmont Park.

## The 1911–1912 statewide shutdown of New York horse racing

On June 11, 1908, the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation with penalties allowing for fines and up to a year in prison. In spite of strong opposition by prominent owners such as August Belmont Jr. and Harry Payne Whitney, reform legislators were not happy when they learned that betting was still going on between individuals at racetracks and they had further restrictive legislation passed by the New York Legislature in 1910 that made it possible for racetrack owners and members of its board of directors to be fined and imprisoned if anyone was found betting, even privately, anywhere on their premises. After a 1911 amendment to the law to limit the liability of owners and directors was defeated, every racetrack in New York State shut down. As a result, the Saratoga Handicap was not run in 1911 and 1912.

## Records

Speed record:
* 2:01.60 – 1¼ miles, Lucky Draw (1946)
Most wins:
* 3 – Roamer (1915, 1917, 1918)
Most wins by a jockey:
* 6 – Conn McCreary (1941, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1956)
Most wins by a trainer:
* 5 – A. J. Goldsborough (1915, 1917, 1918, 1921, 1923)
Most wins by an owner:
* 3 – Andrew Miller (1915, 1917, 1918)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Dist. (Miles) | Time |
| 1961 | Divine Comedy | 4 | Bill Shoemaker | Stanley T. Greene | Llangollen Farm Stable | 1¼ M | 2:02.20 |
| 1960 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1959 | Bald Eagle | 4 | Manuel Ycaza | Woody Stephens | Cain Hoy Stable | 1¼ M | 2:03.00 |
| 1958 | Admiral Vee | 6 | Ted Atkinson | H. Allen Jerkens | Edward Seinfeld | 1¼ M | 2:06.60 |
| 1957 | Reneged | 4 | Bobby Ussery | Homer C. Pardue | Woodley Lane Farm (Joe Straus/Lafayette Ward/Steven B. Wilson) | 1¼ M | 2:04.60 |
| 1956 | Paper Tiger | 5 | Conn McCreary | Hirsch Jacobs | Ethel D. Jacobs | 1¼ M | 2:04.20 |
| 1955 | Social Outcast | 5 | Eric Guerin | Bill Winfrey | Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II | 1¼ M | 2:04.40 |
| 1954 | Cold Command | 5 | Hedley Woodhouse | Sylvester Veitch | Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney | 1¼ M | 2:05.80 |
| 1953 | Alerted | 5 | Conn McCreary | James Penrod | Hampton Stable (Frank Stout) | 1¼ M | 2:05.60 |
| 1952 | One Hitter | 6 | Ted Atkinson | John M. Gaver Sr. | Greentree Stable | 1¼ M | 2:05.00 |
| 1951 | Lone Eagle | 5 | George Hettinger | Charles M. Feltner | Gustave Ring | 1¼ M | 2:04.00 |
| 1950 | Better Self | 5 | William Boland | Max Hirsch | King Ranch | 1¼ M | 2:05.60 |
| 1949 | Donor | 5 | Warren Mehrtens | George "Maje" Odom | W. Deering Howe | 1¼ M | 2:04.00 |
| 1948 | Loyal Legion | 4 | Ted Atkinson | Oscar White | Walter M. Jeffords Sr. | 1¼ M | 2:03.20 |
| 1947 | Rico Monte | 5 | Eddie Arcaro | Horatio Luro | W. Arnold Hanger | 1¼ M | 2:03.40 |
| 1946 | Lucky Draw | 5 | Conn McCreary | Winbert F. Mulholland | George D. Widener Jr. | 1¼ M | 2:01.60 |
| 1945 | Olympic Zenith | 4 | Conn McCreary | William Booth | William G. Helis | 1¼ M | 2:02.80 |
| 1944 | Paperboy | 6 | Warren Mehrtens | Jimmy Coleman | W-L Ranch Co. | 1¼ M | 2:02.20 |
| 1943 | Princequillo | 3 | Conn McCreary | Horatio Luro | Boone Hall Stable | 1¼ M | 2:01.80 |
| 1942 | Can't Wait | 7 | Wendell Eads | J. Thomas Taylor | Myron Selznick | 1¼ M | 2:05.00 |
| 1941 | Haltal | 4 | Conn McCreary | Steve Judge | Royce G. Martin | 1¼ M | 2:05.80 |
| 1940 | Sickle T | 5 | Ronnie Nash | Jack Hayes | Florence D. Whitaker | 1¼ M | 2:03.00 |
| 1939 | Eight Thirty | 3 | Don Meade | Winbert F. Mulholland | George D. Widener Jr. | 1¼ M | 2:03.60 |
| 1938 | War Admiral | 4 | Charles Kurtsinger | George H. Conway | Glen Riddle Farm | 1¼ M | 2:06.00 |
| 1937 | Esposa | 5 | Nick Wall | Matthew P. Brady | Middleburg Stable (William Ziegler Jr.) | 1¼ M | 2:08.40 |
| 1936 | Discovery | 5 | John Bejshak | Joseph H. Stotler | Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt II | 1¼ M | 2:05.00 |
| 1935 | Vicar | 4 | Willie Saunders | James E. Fitzsimmons | Belair Stud | 1¼ M | 2:03.80 |
| 1934 | Watch Him | 5 | Earl Steffen | Frank S. Hackett | Fannie Hertz | 1¼ M | 2:06.60 |
| 1933 | Caesar's Ghost | 3 | Dominick Bellizi | Robert Augustus Smith | Brookmeade Stable | 1¼ M | 2:07.20 |
| 1932 | Faireno | 3 | Tommy Malley | James E. Fitzsimmons | Belair Stud | 1¼ M | 2:04.60 |
| 1931 | St. Brideaux | 3 | Charles Kurtsinger | William Brennan | Greentree Stable | 1¼ M | 2:04.00 |
| 1930 | Marine | 4 | Frank J. Baker | Harry Giddings Jr. | Mount Royal Stable (Kenneth T. Dawes, et al.) | 1¼ M | 2:04.20 |
| 1929 | Diavolo | 4 | John Maiben | James E. Fitzsimmons | Wheatley Stable | 1¼ M | 2:03.60 |
| 1928 | Chance Shot | 4 | Earl Sande | Peter W. Coyne | Joseph E. Widener | 1¼ M | 2:06.00 |
| 1927 | Mars | 4 | Earl Sande | Scott P. Harlan | Walter M. Jeffords Sr. | 1¼ M | 2:07.60 |
| 1926 | Princess Doreen | 5 | Charlie McTague | Kay Spence | Audley Farm Stable | 1¼ M | 2:08.40 |
| 1925 | Valador | 5 | John Callahan | Tom Moran | William Martin | 1¼ M | 2:05.60 |
| 1924 | My Own | 4 | Earl Sande | William P. Burch | Salubria Stable | 1¼ M | 2:05.60 |
| 1923 | Prince James | 5 | Laverne Fator | A. J. Goldsborough | Charles H. Thieriot | 1¼ M | 2:09.40 |
| 1922 | Grey Lag | 4 | Laverne Fator | Sam Hildreth | Rancocas Stable | 1¼ M | 2:03.20 |
| 1921 | Yellow Hand | 4 | C. H. Miller | A. J. Goldsborough | Charles Stoneham | 1¼ M | 2:03.80 |
| 1920 | Sir Barton | 4 | Earl Sande | H. Guy Bedwell | J. K. L. Ross | 1¼ M | 2:01.80 |
| 1919 | Purchase | 3 | William Knapp | Sam Hildreth | Sam Hildreth | 1¼ M | 2:02.40 |
| 1918 | Roamer | 7 | Frank Robinson | A. J. Goldsborough | Andrew Miller | 1¼ M | 2:02.20 |
| 1917 | Roamer | 6 | James H. Butwell | A. J. Goldsborough | Andrew Miller | 1¼ M | 2:06.20 |
| 1916 | Stromboli | 5 | John McTaggart | Sam Hildreth | August Belmont Jr. | 1¼ M | 2:05.20 |
| 1915 | Roamer | 4 | James H. Butwell | A. J. Goldsborough | Andrew Miller | 1¼ M | 2:04.40 |
| 1914 | Borrow | 6 | Joe Notter | James G. Rowe Sr. | Lewis S. Thompson | 1¼ M | 2:05.40 |
| 1913 | Cock O' The Walk | 3 | Buddy Glass | John P. Mayberry | Frederick Johnson | 1¼ M | 2:06.00 |
| 1912 | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. |
| 1911 | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. | No races held due to the Hart–Agnew Law. |
| 1910 | Olambala | 4 | James H. Butwell | T. J. Healey | Montpelier Stable | 1¼ M | 2:08.60 |
| 1909 | Affliction | 3 | Eddie Martin | James G. Rowe Sr. | James R. Keene | 1¼ M | 2:05.00 |
| 1908 | Montfort | 4 | Joe McCahey | T. J. Healey | Montpelier Stable | 1¼ M | 2:05.80 |
| 1907 | McCarter | 3 | Walter Miller | Thomas Welsh | Newcastle Stable | 1¼ M | 2:05.60 |
| 1906 | Dandelion | 4 | LaVerne Sewell | John E. Madden | Francis R. Hitchcock | 1¼ M | 2:04.60 |
| 1905 | Caughnawaga | 6 | Tommy Burns | Hubert H. Hyner | John Sanford | 1¼ M | 2:07.00 |
| 1904 | Lord of the Vale | 4 | Lucien Lyne | A. Jack Joyner | August Belmont Jr. | 1¼ M | 2:05.00 |
| 1903 | Waterboy | 4 | George M. Odom | A. Jack Joyner | James Ben Ali Haggin | 1¼ M | 2:05.20 |
| 1902 | Francesco | 3 | Harry Michaels | Richard O. Miller | Charles F. Dwyer | 13⁄16 M | 1:59.00 |
| 1901 | Rockton | 4 | Nash Turner | William Hayward Jr. | W. H. Sealey | 11⁄8 M | 1:53.20 |
* Ŧ Woodley Lane Farm was the nom de course for Joe Straus, Lafayette Ward, and Steven B. Wilson