death_date birth_place race birth_date horses article_title name occupation
december 10 , 1937 taylorville , illinois , united states michigan -rrb- prix maurice de gheest -lrb- 1933 -rrb- long island handicap -lrb- 1897 -rrb- '' ` american stakes classic race wins : '' ' kentucky derby -lrb- 1894 -lrb- -rrb- belmont stakes -lrb- 1900 -rrb- '' ` european wins 1893 : '' ' prix du rond-point -lrb- 1904 , 1922 -rrb- -rrb- prix yacowlef -lrb- 1922 -rrb- prix des coteaux -lrb- clark 1922 -rrb- grand critérium -lrb- 1922 -rrb- prix de la handicap forêt -lrb- 1922 -rrb- critérium de maisons-laffitte -lrb- 1922 -rrb- -lrb- prix d'ispahan -lrb- 1923 , 1926 -rrb- prix du gros 1894 chêne -lrb- 1923 -rrb- stewards ' cup -lrb- 1923 -rrb- 1860 ben ildrim brush , chant , clifford , epinard , h. eugene leigh
 eugene leigh trainer / owner / breeder
h. eugene leigh

hiram eugene leigh -lrb- 1860 - december 10 , 1937 -rrb- was an american thoroughbred racehorse trainer/owner and breeder who had a highly successful career in the united states as well as in europe .
born in taylorville , illinois , he was known by his middle name , eugene , or as `` gene . ''
in the 1870s , thirteen-year-old leigh became involved in quarter horse racing on bush tracks in his native illinois .
after learning to condition thoroughbreds for flat racing he set himself up as a trainer in a partnership with jockey tom kiley .
leigh was successful enough that in 1884 he was hired as the trainer of a major racing stable in st. louis , missouri owned by col. robert c. pate .
by the early 1890s , eugene leigh had established himself as an important owner and trainer and in 1894 won the kentucky derby with chant .
he acquired property at yarnallton , kentucky where he established la belle stud farm but sold it in 1897 to col. milton young for $ 101 an acre then bought it back in 1899 for $ 24 an acre .
the december 4 , 1898 issue of the `` new york times '' reported that going into the 1899 racing season , eugene leigh had the largest stable in the united states .
in 1900 , leigh earned his second win in an american classic race , capturing the belmont stakes with his colt , ildrim .
