New England Futurity

The New England Futurity was a short-lived Thoroughbred stakes race at Narragansett Park in Pawtucket, Rhode Island which the Daily Racing Form reported it to be "New England's richest and most important stake"[1] For two-year-old entire colts and fillies, it was first run on October 28, 1936.

New England Futurity
Discontinued stakes race
LocationNarragansett Park
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
Inaugurated1936-1940
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
Race information
Distance6 furlongs (​3⁄4 mile)
SurfaceDirt
Trackleft-handed
QualificationTwo-years-old

The Races

In a major upset, the Ethel V. Mars colt Reaping Reward defeated Jerome H. Loucheim's overwhelming favorite Pompoon to win the inaugural running.[2]

The second edition of the New England Futurity was never run due to in what became known as The Race Track War. It had been scheduled to run on Saturday, October 23, 1937 but in the days leading up to the race, a dispute got out of hand between Rhode Island Governor Robert Quinn and Walter E. O'Hara, Managing Director of the Narragansett Racing Association which owned and operated Narragansett Park. The Rhode Island state Horse Racing Division ordered O'Hara's removal as a track official and revoked the track's license at the close of the summer race meet. On October 17, Quinn declared that Narragansett Park was "in a state of insurrection," and ordered the National Guard to enforce martial law and lock down the track.[3] There would be no fall racing, and the situation would not be resolved until February 9, 1938 when a court order resulted in law enforcement seizing the racetrack's record books. O'Hara then resigned and was replaced by track secretary Judge James Dooley.

When racing resumed at Narragansett Park, the 1938 edition provided racing fans with a glimpse of the greatness to come from the Maryland owned, bred and raced Challedon who beat a strong field.[4] [5]

On September 28, 1939, over a muddy track, Parker Corning's Straight Lead won. Trained by future National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee Max Hirsch, the colt beat Fenelon from the powerful Belair Stud stable. [6]

In 1940, Robert W. McIlvain's Walmac Farm won the race with the colt Bushwhacker. At the new distance of six furlongs, he beat Anne Corning's colt Attention who had twice beaten Whirlaway, the Calumet Farm colt who would go on to win the 1941 U.S. Triple Crown.[7]

Winners
Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Dist.
(Miles)		 Time
 Win$
1940 Bushwhacker 2 Arthur Craig Howard Wells Walmac Farm 6 F 1:11.80 $38,060
1939 Straight Lead 2 Ronnie Nash Max Hirsch Parker Corning 1 mi, 70 yds 1:46.60 $37,900
1938 Challedon 2 George Seabo Louis Schaefer William L. Brann 1 mi, 70 yds 1:46.40 $33,410
1937 No race
1936 Reaping Reward 2 Charlie Stevenson Robert V. McGarvey Milky Way Farm Stable 1 mi, 70 yds 1:41.60 $36,850

References
  1. Daily Racing Form October 8, 1926 article titled "Pompoon to be Pointed for Rich New England Futurity on Oct. 28" Retrieved August 8, 2018
  2. Daily Racing Form October 29, 1936 article titled "Chicago's Reaping Reward Defeats Pompoon" Retrieved August 8, 2018
  3. Somerset (Pennsylvania) Daily American Newspaper Archives October 20, 1937 - Page 2 article titled "Governor’s Martial Law Stops Running Of Annual Futurity Stake" Retrieved August 8, 2018
  4. Challedon at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Retrieved August 8, 2018
  5. Daily Racing Form October 27, 1938 article subtitled "Some of the Best Youngsters in the Country to Face the Barrier for Race" Retrieved August 7, 2018
  6. Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) October 29, 1939 page 56 article titled "Straight Lead Takes $52,310 Futurity" Retrieved August 7, 2018
  7. Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky) October 5, 1940 page 17 Retrieved August 7, 2018
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