Sam Hildreth
Encyclopedia
Samuel Clay Hildreth was an American
Thoroughbred horse racing
Hall of Fame
trainer
and owner.
Born in Independence, Missouri
, Sam Hildreth began his training career in 1887, competing at racetracks in the Midwestern United States
with such horses as the good racemare Hurley Burley
, the dam of Burgomaster. In 1898 he moved to New York City
where thoroughbred racing was a leading sport offering the largest purses. He was first hired to train horses owned by wealthy businessman William Collins Whitney, but soon set out on his own, buying horses for himself and training for others. He won his first of seven Belmont Stakes
in 1899 with the horse Jean Bereaud
for owner Sydney Paget
.
By the turn of the century, Samuel Hildreth had expanded his New York
operations and owned the largest racing stables at the Fair Grounds Race Course
in New Orleans. That year, he appointed former outlaw
Frank James
as his betting commissioner at the track. Among the horses Hildreth owned was Fitz Herbert
(b.1906) who won the Brooklyn Handicap
, Suburban Handicap
, and the Jerome Handicap
en route to being voted the Horse of the Year
in 1909, and again in 1910. Another of his horses, King James
, won other important races in 1909, including the Metropolitan Handicap
, Sheepshead Bay Handicap, and the California Handicap, and went on to win the Brooklyn Handicap in 1910. In 1909, Hildreth also won his second Belmont Stakes with his own horse, Joe Madden, and went on to capture the first of three consecutive leading owner and trainer honors in the United States
.
Legislation outlawing parimutuel betting
was passed by the New York Legislature
which resulted in the closure of all New York racetracks between 1911 and 1912. On November 2, 1911, the New York Times reported that Sam Hildreth and jockey
Carroll Shilling
had sailed to England
aboard the RMS Mauretania
with the intent of racing there for the stable of American owner, Charles Kohler. However, Kohler subsequently set up operations in France
and in 1912 Sam Hildreth trained a stable of horses for him at Val-d'Oise
, near Paris
.
Sam Hildreth's stable trained for other prominent owners such as August Belmont, Jr.
for whom he won back-to-back Belmont Stakes in 1916 and 1917. He also met with great success training for Rancocas Stable
owned by wealthy oil
industrialist Harry F. Sinclair
. For Sinclair he won three Belmont Stakes with Grey Lag
in 1921, Zev
in 1923 and Mad Play
in 1924. In an era before the Triple Crown
had any significance, Hildreth only entered a few horses in the Kentucky Derby
because of the time restraints for the long journey to Kentucky
. As such, David J. Leary is listed as the trainer of Zev for his win in the 1923 Kentucky Derby
. Back in New York, in October of that year, Zev defeated Epsom Derby
winner Papyrus
, marking the first time a Kentucky Derby winner defeated an English Derby winner.
Twice Sam Hildreth won more races in a year than any other trainer in the United States and was the top money-earning trainer nine times, a record that stood for more than sixty years until broken by D. Wayne Lukas
in 1992. Hildreth's seven Belmont Stakes victories ranks him second only to James G. Rowe, Sr. and five times his horses were chosen American Horse of the Year, the highest honor in thoroughbred horse racing.
In 1925, Hildreth co-wrote an article with James R. Crowell titled "Down the Stretch" for the The Saturday Evening Post
. The two then collaborated on a history of American racing in a book titled "The Spell of the Turf" published in 1926 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.
of Philadelphia. In this book, he named Purchase
as one of the greatest horses he ever trained.
After forty-three years as a horse trainer, Sam Hildreth died at a hospital in Manhattan, New York following an unsuccessful operation for an intestinal disorder. He was buried in Saratoga Springs, New York
.
In 1955, Sam Hildreth was posthumously inducted into the newly-formed National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
and owner.
Born in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
, Sam Hildreth began his training career in 1887, competing at racetracks in the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
with such horses as the good racemare Hurley Burley
Hurley Burley
Hurley Burley , was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Her breeder and owner was Ed Corrigan who raced out of the old Washington Park Race Track in Chicago, Illinois. In Corrigan’s time, he was the most powerful man in mid-Western racing...
, the dam of Burgomaster. In 1898 he moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where thoroughbred racing was a leading sport offering the largest purses. He was first hired to train horses owned by wealthy businessman William Collins Whitney, but soon set out on his own, buying horses for himself and training for others. He won his first of seven Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
in 1899 with the horse Jean Bereaud
Jean Bereaud
Jean Bereaud was an American Thoroughbred Champion racehorse best known for winning an 1899 American Classic Race, the Belmont Stakes. He was bred by the partnership of David Gideon and John Daly at their Holmdel Stock Farm in Holmdel, New Jersey...
for owner Sydney Paget
Sydney Paget
Sydney Augustus Paget was an English aristocrat who owned and raced Thoroughbred racehorses in the United States and who managed the racing operations for prominent owners, William C. Whitney and James Ben Ali Haggin....
.
By the turn of the century, Samuel Hildreth had expanded his New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
operations and owned the largest racing stables at the Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course
Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC....
in New Orleans. That year, he appointed former outlaw
Outlaw
In historical legal systems, an outlaw is declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, this takes the burden of active prosecution of a criminal from the authorities. Instead, the criminal is withdrawn all legal protection, so that anyone is legally empowered to persecute...
Frank James
Frank James
Alexander Franklin "Frank" James was a famous American outlaw. He was the older brother of outlaw Jesse James.-Childhood:...
as his betting commissioner at the track. Among the horses Hildreth owned was Fitz Herbert
Fitz Herbert
Fitz Herbert was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Perry Belmont, he was owned by trainer A. J. Joyner who sold him in early 1908 to Herman Brandt for $3,500 who later that year sold him to trainer Sam Hildreth....
(b.1906) who won the Brooklyn Handicap
Brooklyn Handicap
The Brooklyn Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to three-year-olds and up willing to race one and one-half miles on dirt....
, Suburban Handicap
Suburban Handicap
The Suburban Handicap is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is run at the classic one-and-one-quarter mile distance on dirt for a $400,000 purse....
, and the Jerome Handicap
Jerome Handicap
The Jerome Stakes is a Grade II race for thoroughbred horses run each fall at one mile on the dirt at Belmont Park. It is open to three-year-olds and carries a purse of $150,000. The race is a prep race to several races of the Breeders' Cup....
en route to being voted the Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
in 1909, and again in 1910. Another of his horses, King James
King James (horse)
King James was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by one of America's most important breeders, John E. Madden, King James was the son of 1898 Kentucky Derby winner, Plaudit...
, won other important races in 1909, including the Metropolitan Handicap
Metropolitan Handicap
The Metropolitan Handicap, frequently called the "Met Mile," is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the last week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one mile .The Met Mile was first...
, Sheepshead Bay Handicap, and the California Handicap, and went on to win the Brooklyn Handicap in 1910. In 1909, Hildreth also won his second Belmont Stakes with his own horse, Joe Madden, and went on to capture the first of three consecutive leading owner and trainer honors in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Legislation outlawing parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
was passed by the New York Legislature
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
which resulted in the closure of all New York racetracks between 1911 and 1912. On November 2, 1911, the New York Times reported that Sam Hildreth and jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
Carroll Shilling
Carroll H. Shilling
Carroll Hugh Shilling was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey. In his 1926 autobiography, "The Spell of the Turf," Hall of Fame trainer Sam Hildreth wrote that Shilling was the greatest rider he ever saw....
had sailed to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
aboard the RMS Mauretania
RMS Mauretania (1906)
RMS Mauretania was an ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear for the British Cunard Line, and launched on 20 September 1906. At the time, she was the largest and fastest ship in the world. Mauretania became a favourite among...
with the intent of racing there for the stable of American owner, Charles Kohler. However, Kohler subsequently set up operations in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and in 1912 Sam Hildreth trained a stable of horses for him at Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise
Val-d'Oise is a French department, created in 1968 after the split of the Seine-et-Oise department and located in the Île-de-France region. In local slang, it is known as "quatre-vingt quinze" or "neuf cinq"...
, near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Sam Hildreth's stable trained for other prominent owners such as August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr.
August Belmont, Jr. was an American financier, the builder of New York's Belmont Park racetrack, and a major owner/breeder of thoroughbred racehorses.-Early life:...
for whom he won back-to-back Belmont Stakes in 1916 and 1917. He also met with great success training for Rancocas Stable
Rancocas Stable
Rancocas Farm was an American thoroughbred horse racing stud farm and racing stable located on Monmouth Road in Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, Jobstown, New Jersey....
owned by wealthy oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
industrialist Harry F. Sinclair
Harry F. Sinclair
Harry Ford Sinclair was an American oil industrialist.-Early life:Harry Sinclair was born in Benwood, West Virginia, now a suburb of the city of Wheeling. Sinclair grew up in Independence, Kansas. The son of a pharmacist, after finishing high school, he entered the pharmacy department of the...
. For Sinclair he won three Belmont Stakes with Grey Lag
Grey Lag
Grey Lag was a thoroughbred race horse born in Kentucky and bred by John E. Madden. At his Hamburg Place near Lexington, Kentucky, Maddon had a good stallion called Star Shoot which he bred to all his mares. Out of a failed racemare called Miss Minnie who had produced no previous winners, he got...
in 1921, Zev
Zev (horse)
Zev was an American thoroughbred horse racing champion.-Background:A brown colt, Zev was sired by The Finn out of the mare Miss Kearney . Bred by the famous horseman John E. Madden, Zev was owned by the Rancocas Stable of Harry F...
in 1923 and Mad Play
Mad Play
Mad Play was an American-bred Thoroughbred stallion racehorse. Bred by August Belmont, Jr., he was sired by the great Fair Play, which made him a half brother to Man o' War, out of another Rock Sand mare, Mad Cap. He was a full brother to 1921 U.S...
in 1924. In an era before the Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
had any significance, Hildreth only entered a few horses in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
because of the time restraints for the long journey to Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. As such, David J. Leary is listed as the trainer of Zev for his win in the 1923 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
. Back in New York, in October of that year, Zev defeated Epsom Derby
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, popularly known as The Derby, internationally as the Epsom Derby, and under its present sponsor as the Investec Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies...
winner Papyrus
Papyrus (horse)
Papyrus was a British Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Ireland. Out of the mare Miss Matty, he was sired by Tracery whose sire was Rock Sand....
, marking the first time a Kentucky Derby winner defeated an English Derby winner.
Twice Sam Hildreth won more races in a year than any other trainer in the United States and was the top money-earning trainer nine times, a record that stood for more than sixty years until broken by D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
in 1992. Hildreth's seven Belmont Stakes victories ranks him second only to James G. Rowe, Sr. and five times his horses were chosen American Horse of the Year, the highest honor in thoroughbred horse racing.
In 1925, Hildreth co-wrote an article with James R. Crowell titled "Down the Stretch" for the The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
. The two then collaborated on a history of American racing in a book titled "The Spell of the Turf" published in 1926 by J. B. Lippincott & Co.
J. B. Lippincott Company
J. B. Lippincott & Co. was an American publishing house founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1836 by Joshua Ballinger Lippincott.Formed by descendants of the Religious Society of Friends, Joshua Lippincott's company began selling a line of Bibles, prayer books and other religious works before...
of Philadelphia. In this book, he named Purchase
Purchase (horse)
Purchase , an American Thoroughbred racehorse, was called "The Adonis of the Turf." Walter Vosburgh, the official handicapper for The Jockey Club as well as a turf historian for many years , wrote: "…one of the most exquisitely beautiful of racehorses…to describe Purchase would be to exhaust the...
as one of the greatest horses he ever trained.
After forty-three years as a horse trainer, Sam Hildreth died at a hospital in Manhattan, New York following an unsuccessful operation for an intestinal disorder. He was buried in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
.
In 1955, Sam Hildreth was posthumously inducted into the newly-formed National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
.