Philip J. Dwyer - The Jockey Club

The Jockey Club

Organized by Pierre Lorillard IV in 1891 and Chaired by John Hunter, the Racing Trust, more commonly referred to as the Board of Control, was the governing authority that oversaw the sport of horse racing in New York State. It was dominated by the Dwyer brothers and John A. Morris, a businessman known as the "lottery king" who owned the Morris Park Racecourse. In the early 1890s they came under severe criticism from a group of horse trainers who claimed the Dwyers routinely acted in their own self interests to the detriment of the competitors and the public. The trainers called for change and were soon joined by a group of prominent owners such as James R. Keene and August Belmont, Jr.. The matter culminated with the 1894 formation of The Jockey Club. However, the members of the old Board of Control were granted automatic membership in the new Jockey Club, including Philip Dwyer. The May 4, 1894 issue of the New York Times was very critical of the "new " Jockey Club in an article titled The Jockey Club Heard From; All The Earmarks of the Old Board of Control. Nonetheless, the Jockey Club eventually earned respect and continues to play an important role in the industry to this day.

At the age of seventy-two in 1917, Philip J. Dwyer died of pneumonia at the Hotel Wolcott in Midtown Manhattan. The following year, the Brooklyn Derby was renamed the Dwyer Stakes.