Looking back a century at the first Hambletonian

by John Berry

The year 1926 was a milestone year in many ways.

The first liquid-fueled rocket was launched.

Gertrude Ederly became the first woman to swim the English Channel.

Warner Brothers premiered the Vitaphone sound-on-film, which revolutionized the film industry.

The Great Miami Hurricane made landfall devastating South Florida which resulted in hundreds of deaths and immense property damage.

It was also the year of the first Hambletonian Stake.

Back a few years prior, 1923, Harry O. Reno, a live-wire salesman from Chicago, caught notice of a popular early season sweepstake that was raced over the old Belmont Driving Club mile racetrack at Narberth, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia.

There were several other stakes considered valuable that caught Reno’s eye when he traveled to Philly on a business trip and purchased a trotting mare to race in his neck of the woods.

Reno’s relative, William M. Wright, owner of the fabled Calumet Farm, also had his interest peaked because of Reno and, after a conversation with the manager of the “Philly Stake,” the H. O. Reno Pacing Derby was formed and proved so successful that he thought the same thing might be possible for 3-year-old trotters.

One of the premier journalists of trotting affairs in that era, Joseph Markey, of The Horse Review, became very enthusiastic about the idea and, with Wright’s backing, along with other prominent breeders, started the publicity on what, first, was but an idle pipe dream, and, in 1926, became a reality.

The name of the still proposed stake was up-in-the-air but, finally, all agreed on the “Hambletonian.”

Thus, the first Hambletonian Stake was awarded to the New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY.

Several bids were received to host the first Hambletonian and one, from the Seaqui Centennial in Philadelphia, the apparent high bidder, had to withdraw their bid owing to “the practical collapse” of that entity.

Kalamazoo, MI, and Atlanta were other bidders for the Hambletonian.

So, to the New York State Fair the Hambletonian was awarded.

The winner of the inaugural Hambletonian was Guy McKinney, a son of Guy Axworthy, coming from Pennsylvania with the driver being Nat Ray, a Canadian.

The purse was $73,451.32, an amount not surpassed until 1950 when the purse was $73,704.94.

Guy McKinney was a $925 yearling and developed what was described as a critical illness.

With only a handful of starts at age 2 and no hint of his future greatness, owner Henry Rea went ahead and made the Jan. 1 nominating payment — he was said to be 40-1 odds in the winter book — with the colt solidifying Rea’s confidence with an unbeaten winning streak coming into the Hambletonian.

He was a straight heat winner — 2:05 1/2 and 2:04 1/4 — defeating another son of Guy Axworthy, Guy Dean, who was second in both heats.

Ellie Trabue (4-3), Charm (3-4), Full Worthy (5-5) and Station Belle (10-6) were amongst the field of 14 in the first heat and 13 in the finale — the winner’s share being $45,868,43.

The first heat was a neck-and-neck duel with Guy Dean, driven by Walter Cox, with the outcome decided by a neck.

In the second heat, Guy McKinney was trailing Ellie Trabue to the backstretch before taking command as Charm brushed to the front after that.

Guy McKinney then brushed forward once again as Guy Dean was surging late but unable to catch Guy McKinney.

The trophy (for the first three years) was the Onondaga Hotel Cup with New York’s legendary mayor, Jimmy Walker, making the presentation to owner Rea and particularly noting Ray’s green colors lamenting, “Well, you’ve sure got the right colors, anyway.”

Guy McKinney was the 3-2 favorite in the betting pools.

By the way, Ray, sitting in the home of a Goshen friend about a month before the race, offered to bet $1,000 against the field that his colt would win.

Ray also won $20,000 in the auction pools betting on Guy McKinney.

He also was rewarded by owner Henry Rea with a $4,581 (?) check for his “masterful drive.”

Ray (1876-1953) was born in Whitby, ON, and began riding ponies at age 6.

He came to the U.S. in 1896 and gained prominence as a jockey and steeplechase rider; he rode four winners of the American Grand National Steeplechase.

His first winner was at Latonia, KY. His first notable winner being with the horse, Bob Beeley, in 1898 for owner Abe Orpenof of Toronto, who owned several racetracks in Canada.

Traveling to England with the hope of riding for King Edward VII in the steeplechase and, perhaps, getting a mount in the Grand National, he won his first ride with a horse called Aero, said to be a “bad actor” that had started several races, but never finished a single one.

Aero finished first and the horse was acting “kindly as a kitten” with other steeplechase riders shortening their stirrups, imitating his style of racing.

He took on training and driving standardbreds as his weight increased with his pinnacle reached in the very first Hambletonian.

But he continued to develop outstanding trotters, including Peter The Brewer, Jimmy McKerron, Tarzan Grattan, and Juno, among others.

In his honor, the Nat Ray Invitational Trot was established as a historical tribute to him, adding to his legacy as he is also an immortal in both our Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY, and the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

It is shameful that the Nat Ray Invitational Trot has been erased from history as this event has been renamed.

May The Horse Be With You!