Broadway Stakes

An event that would become a popular race that regularly drew some of America's top three-year-olds, the inaugural running of Broadway Stakes took place on June 15, 1897. It was the feature race on that day's Card and carried a purse of $5,000. The event was won by The Friar, a colt owned by brothers Alfred and Dave Morris and trained by future Hall of Fame inductee Wyndham Walden.{{cite web|url= https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83030180/1897-06-16/ed-1/?sp=8&st=text&r=0.024,0.112,0.244,0.231,0 |title= Surprised Even His Own Stable |publisher=New York Journal, page 8 |date=1897-06-16 |accessdate=2021-04-20}}

Sly Fox won the 1898 race in what would be a very successful year in which he won eight stakes including the future Triple Crown race, the Preakness Stakes.{{cite web |url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/ |title=Racing at Gravesend |publisher=New York Times, page 8 |date=1898-06-12 |accessdate=2021-04-20 |archive-date=2020-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506002706/https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/ |url-status=dead }} The 1901, 1902 and 1904 winners, The Parader and Old England and Bryn Mawr, would also win the Preakness Stakes.

The 1899 race was won by Perry Belmont's Ethelbert who went on to a year of racing success that would earn him recognition as the American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt. The 1909 Broadway Stakes winner Fitz Herbert, owned and trained by Sam Hildreth, would also earn American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt honors.[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}}

Irish Lad, the American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse of 1902, won the 1903 edition of the Broadway Stakes.

In 1906 Ormondale set a new track record for the mile and one-sixteenth distance in winning the Broadway Stakes with a time of 1:45 3/5.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1906/06/10/archives/ormondale-was-first-in-track-record-time-futurity-winner-led-all.html |title=Ormondale Was First in Track Record Time |publisher=New York Times, page 7 |date=1906-06-10 |accessdate=2021-04-21}}

On June 3, 1910, Prince Imperial would win what would turn out to be the final running of Gravesend Race Track's Broadway Stakes.{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1910060401/drf1910060401_1_6 |title= Prince Imperial in Great Form |publisher=Daily Racing Form at University of Kentucky Archives |date=1910-06-04 |accessdate=2021-04-21}}

The 1908 passage of the Hart–Agnew anti-betting legislation by the New York Legislature under Republican Governor Charles Evans Hughes led to a state-wide shutdown of racing in 1911 and 1912.{{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}} {{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1911/07/14/archives/race-track-bill-defeated-in-senate-measure-modifying-directors.html|title=Race Track Bill Defeated In Senate; Measure Modifying Directors' Liability for Gambling Fails of Passage.|work=The New York Times|date=July 14, 1911|access-date=September 2, 2017}} A February 21, 1913 ruling by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division saw horse racing return in 1913.{{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}} However, it was too late for the Gravesend horse racing facility and it never reopened.{{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}}{{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}}

In 1923, Aqueduct Racetrack created a Broadway Stakes that was run at the same mile and one-sixteenth distance. It was limited to three-year-old females and non-gelded males and was run for ten years.{{cite web|url=https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1920s/drf1923021101/drf1923021101_12_1 |title= New Stake At Aqueduct |work=Daily Racing Form|via=University of Kentucky Archives |date=1923-02-11|accessdate=2021-04-19}}

In 1980 Aqueduct Racetrack initiated another Broadway Stakes that is still being run into 2021. A sprint race at 6 furlongs, it is restricted to New York Bred fillies and mares age four and up.{{cite web|url= https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule/broadway-(nyb)/ |title= Broadway (NYB) |publisher=NYRA |date=2021-01-01 |accessdate=2021-04-21}}

Speed record:

• 1:45 3/5: Ormondale (1906)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 2 - Guy Burns (1908, 1909)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 2 - Thomas Welsh (1906, 1910)

Most wins by an owner:

• no owner won this race more than once

{{reflist}}

Category:Flat horse races for three-year-olds

Category:Open mile category horse races

Category:Gravesend Race Track

Category:Discontinued horse races in New York City

Category:Horse races established in 1897

Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1911