Watervale (horse)

{{Infobox racehorse

| horsename = Watervale

| image =

| caption =

| sire = Watercress

| grandsire = Springfield

| dam = Lady Violet

| damsire = The Ill-Used

| sex = Stallion

| foaled = 1908

| country = United States

| colour = Bay

| breeder = August Belmont Jr.

| owner = August Belmont Jr.

| trainer = John Whalen

| record =

| earnings =

| race =

Triple Crown Race wins:
Preakness Stakes (1911)

| awards =

| honours =

| updated=

}}

Watervale (1908 – 1921) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse of exceptional speed who set two track records in the United States and a national record in Canada.

Background

Bred at August Belmont Jr.'s Nursery Stud near Lexington, Kentucky, Watervale's dam was the retrospective American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for 1892. His British-born sire, Watercress, was a winner of the 1892 Prince of Wales's Stakes who was imported to the United States by prominent breeder, James Ben Ali Haggin. Watercress also sired the very good filly, Rhine Maiden.{{cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=5355611®istry=T&horse_name=Watervale&dam_name=Lady%20Violet&foaling_year=1908&nicking_stats_indicator=Y |title=Watervale pedigree |publisher=equineline.com |date=2012-05-08 |access-date=2012-08-04}} His grandsire, Springfield, was bred by Queen Victoria and was a winner of the first two runnings of the July Cup in 1876–1877 at Newmarket Racecourse.

Racing career

Among his races at age two, Watervale won a {{cvt|6|furlong|mi km|adj=on}} race for his age group at Sheepshead Bay Race Track{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B03E7DE1230E233A25750C2A9609C946196D6CF |title=THE TURK MAKES NEW TIME IN TIDAL |work=New York Times |access-date=2012-08-04}} and finished third in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.{{cite web|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1910/08/18/104948361.pdf |title=NOVELTY EASILY DEFEATS TEXTILE |work=New York Times |date=1910-08-18 |access-date=2012-08-04}}

Racing at age three, on May 1, 1911, Watervale equaled the Pimlico track record of 1:{{frac|12|1|5}} for {{cvt|6|furlong|mi km}}.{{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B06EEDF1E3EE233A25751C0A9639C946096D6CF |title=WATERVALE RUNS FAST RACE |work=New York Times |access-date=2012-08-04}} Ridden by Eddie Dugan, on May 17, 1911, Watervale set another Pimlico track record of 1:51 flat for {{convert|1+1/8|mi}} in winning an American Classic, the Preakness Stakes. On July 5, 1911, Watervale broke the Canadian record for {{cvt|9|furlong|mi km}} when he won the feature race at Fort Erie Racetrack in Fort Erie, Ontario. His winning time of {{frac|151|2|5}} was achieved despite being slowed by his jockey before the finish line.{{cite web|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1911/07/06/104870655.pdf |title=BELMONT DAY AT FORT ERIE |work=New York Times |date=1911-07-06 |access-date=2012-08-04}}

Stud career

At stud, Watervale met with limited success as a sire. He was euthanized at the Military Stock Farm after becoming blind in October 1921.{{cite news |title=Valuable mare dies |work=The Cincinnati Enquirer |issue=10 |date=26 October 1921}}