Woodlawn Vase - History of The Vase

History of The Vase

It has been raced for in Louisville, Kentucky, Elizabeth, New Jersey, the Sheepshead Bay Race Track, New York, Jerome Park Racetrack, New York, Morris Park Racecourse, New York, and since 1917, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Created as a challenge cup, the Woodlawn Vase was first won by Capt. Thomas G. Moore's mare, Mollie Jackson, in 1861. This excerpt appeared in the newspaper that week, "The rules under which this prize is to be contended for are such that a man who wins it on the first trial (which is to occur on Saturday, the 18th instant of the year) is to give bonds to produce the Vase for future trials; and no one is entitled to it without giving such bonds, until he has won it three successive times. The challengers for the Vase, who name their horses to the post will be listed in the paper and the result reported for perpetuity in time in our next paper." The same owner retained possession the following year through the victory of the famous mare "Idlewild." The outbreak of the Civil War prevented further competition until 1866. The vase in the meantime was buried at Woodlawn Farm in Kentucky with the Moore family silver and jewelry, lest it be discovered and melted into shot for Confederate Army soldiers.

Following the war, the vase remained in Kentucky for 13 years until 1878, when the Dwyer Brothers Stable captured it by the aid of their colt "Bramble" and trainer Jim McLaughlin in the American Stallion Stakes at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky. The Dwyer Brothers presented the vase to the Coney Island Jockey Club, where notable stables of the day competed vigorously for the vase for the next 25 years.

The first running at Morris Park Racecourse took place on October 26, 1901. It was won by Gold Heels, whose trainer, Matthew Allen, had been part of the training staff at Louisville, Kentucky for 1861 winner, Mollie Jackson.

Thomas C. Clyde, owner of Goughacres Stable, won possession through the double victory of his homebred colt "Shorthose" in 1903 and 1904. "Shorthose" was the only horse - with the exception of the wonderful Miss Woodford - to win it twice. In 1917, Mr. Clyde presented the vase to the Maryland Jockey Club, of which he was a director. It was added to the Preakness that year, though Clyde proposed a condition - the winning owner should keep the vase for the year, and have the privilege of naming the course and the stake for its renewal. Edward R. Bradley's Kalitan was the first winner of the vase at Pimlico.

The vase was presented to the winning Preakness owner each year – although the latter part of Clyde's condition did not prevail. In 1953, when Alfred G. Vanderbilt's Native Dancer won the trophy and proclaimed, "Due to the historic value of the legendary trophy and Mrs. Vanderbilt preference not to accept responsibility for the vase's safekeeping until the next year's Preakness," that the trophy be permanently kept and protected by the Maryland Jockey Club.