1868 TOP EVENTS
Where the result of the inaugural running of the Knickerbocker Stakes in 1867 resulted in a surprise victory by the lightly-regarded Augusta, the second running produced a result much more in line with expectations. The field, officially limited to three-year-olds (although all four entries the previous year had been three-year-olds, the race wasn't limited by rule - that was no longer the case), grew to six horses for the second running. Frank Cabell, who owned Augusta, had one entry in the race, Grenadier, a full sibling of Thunderer who had run the previous year and the colt would be carrying the jockey who rode Augusta into history, Ben Hartung.
But it wasn't going to be two-for-two for Cabell. The winning horse came from the racing hotbed of Kentucky. Edwin Williams had been breeding fine race horses for nearly a decade when he brought his best, a colt named Fleetwood, east to compete in Jacob Knickerbocker and Charles Bigsby's race. Bigsby himself had an entry. Though he personally had little to no knowledge of horseflesh, Bigsby had money and bought a two-year-old colt the previous year. The colt, Catapult, shared a sire with Augusta and was considered a promising sprinter, though it was unknown how he'd handle the 12 furlong length of the Knickerbocker.
The field was rounded out by two colts and James Donaldson's Mae, like Augusta a filly racing against colts. Donaldson's 67 entry, Umbria, had finished second to Augusta and he sought to duplicate the surprise of the chestnut filly with one of his own. The other colts were Cleatus, another entry by Brutus Anderson, whose talent and eye for a good horse were hindered by his lack of funds when compared to the other owners; and Magenta, a fine-looking horse owned by Andrew Woolcott, a Connecticut breeder who was making his first foray into racing.
The race was not particularly thrilling. Fleetwood had dominated a one-mile race in Secaucus, NJ, the month before and was not bothered by the significantly longer distance in Westchester. He ran at the front the entire way and easily won by over a length over Grenadier. The filly Mae finished third, with Catapult, Cleatus and Magenta rounding out the field. Edwin Williams took the silver trophy and $2,500 back to Kentucky - and he also came away with an idea for a stakes race of his own...
Code:
1868 Knickerbocker Stakes
June 10, 1868
Knickerbocker Racetrack, Westchester Cty, NY
Track: Dirt, Fast; Distance: 12 furlongs (1 1/2 miles)
Time: 3:01
Finish Horse Wt Jockey Owner
1 Fleetwood 110 Daniel Masters Edwin Williams
2 Grenadier 110 Ben Hartung Francis H. Cabell
3 Mae(f) 107 Robert Morton James B. Davidson
4 Catapult 110 Tom Gilbert Charles Bigsby
5 Cleatus 110 Brutus Anderson Brutus Anderson
6 Magenta 110 James Scantling Andrew Woolcott
Purse: $2,500
In other news, the popularity of base ball continued to rise. Several clubs, professional in all but name, were prominent on the barnstorming scene, one of which, the Frankford Fortitude Nine, considered the best of the bunch, would eventually become the Philadelphia Centennials (today's Keystones). The Fortitudes featured Canadian-born outfielder Al O'Malley, one of the first stars of the game. James Tice's Cincinnati Monarchs were self-proclaimed 'Champions of the West" but refused a challenge from Frankford for a true championship contest.
In boxing, there were several prominent bare-knucklers who staked a claim to the title of "American Champion" but the sport was still considered dangerous and disreputable. Despite this, spectators for boxing events were never in short supply and the betting on the sport was rampant.
IMAGE: A painting of Fleetwood, winner of the 1868 Knickerbocker Stakes.