Aug. 29, 1987: Charlie Whittingham became the first trainer to surpass 500 stakes wins when he sent Ferdinand to victory in the Cabrillo Handicap at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Aug. 29, 1993: Laffit Pincay Jr., 46, became the second rider in North American racing history to ride 8,000 winners when he rode El Toreo to victory in the seventh race at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Bill Shoemaker was the first to hit 8,000, a feat he accomplished in 1981 at age 49.
Aug. 30, 1981: Bill Shoemaker became the first jockey to win a $1 million race when he rode John Henry to a nose victory over The Bart in the inaugural Arlington Million at Arlington Park.
Aug. 31, 1955: In an East versus West showdown, Nashua, ridden by Eddie Arcaro, went wire-to-wire to defeat Swaps, ridden by Bill Shoemaker in a match race at Washington Park. Nashua’s victory avenged his second-place finish, behind Swaps, in the 1955 Kentucky Derby.
Aug. 31, 1985: Angel Cordero Jr., 42, became the third rider in history-behind Bill Shoemaker and Laffit Pincay Jr.-to have his mounts earn $100 million, while riding at Belmont Park.
Sept. 1, 1881: The Dwyer Brothers’ three-year-old Hindoo won his 19th consecutive race, a purse event at Sheepshead Bay. His winning streak was snapped six days later in the September Handicap at Sheepshead, in which he finished third.
Sept. 1, 1924: A French colt, Epinard, headed the field for the first of three Internationals, of progressively longer distances, to be run at Belmont Park, Aqueduct and Latonia. Epinard finished second in the six-furlong race, which was witnessed by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII.
Sept. 1, 1947: With a victory by Armed in the Washington Park Handicap, Calumet Farm became the first stable to surpass $1 million in annual earnings. Calumet led all owners for 1947, with total earnings of $1,402,436.
Sept. 1, 2001: Jockey Tim Moccasin capped a streak of 14 consecutive victories, a North American record, at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. His fourteenth straight win came aboard Intricate Stitch in the fifth race.
Sept. 2, 1901: Seven-year-old Ogden won two races in a single day at Coney Island.
Sept. 2, 2001: Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Jones, best known as the conditioner of Citation, died at age 94 after a lengthy illness.
Sept. 3, 1956: Swaps ended his racing career with a victory in the Washington Park Handicap at Washington Park. He was subsequently named Horse of the Year.
Sept. 3, 1956: Jockey John Longden surpassed Sir Gordon Richards’ then-record number of wins when he rode Arrogate to victory in the Del Mar Handicap to attain his 4,871st victory.
Sept. 3, 1960: Kelso, ridden for the first time by Eddie Arcaro, won the Jerome Handicap.
Sept. 3, 2001: Jockey John Velazquez became the first jockey in history to ride six winners on a single card at Saratoga Racecourse.
Sept. 3, 2001: For the first time in Saratoga Racecourse history, attendance hit the million mark, with a total of 1,011,669 fans going through the turnstiles during the 36-day meet.
Sept. 4, 1920: Man o’ War won the 1 5/8-mile Lawrence Realization Stakes at Belmont Park by 100 lengths, the largest winning margin in modern racing history. His time for the race, 2:40 4/5, shattered the world record by 6 4/5 seconds and was his fifth record-setting performance of that year.
Sept. 4, 1959: Allaire du Pont’s two-year-old Kelso won his maiden race by 1 1/4 lengths at Atlantic City. In the following year, Kelso was voted the first of his record five consecutive Horse of the Year titles.
Sept. 7, 1970: Bill Shoemaker surpassed John Longden’s then-record of 6,032 wins when he piloted Dares J to victory at Del Mar and became the world’s winningest jockey.
Sept. 8, 1990: Bill Shoemaker scored his first stakes victory as a trainer when he sent a five-year-old mare, Baldomero (IRE), to victory in the Osunitas Handicap at Del Mar.
Sept. 8, 1999: The Emirates Racing Association announced that the 2000 renewal of the Dubai World Cup would be worth $6 million.
Sept. 10, 1999: Churchill Downs Incorporated completed its purchase of Hollywood Park Racetrack and Casino, including approximately 240 acres of land at the site in Inglewood, Calif.
Sept. 11, 1976: In the third race at Latonia, jockey John Oldham and his wife, Suzanne Picou, became the first husband and wife riding team to compete in a parimutuel race together. Oldham finished second aboard Harvey’s Hope and Picou rode My Girl Carla to an 11th-place finish.
Sept. 11, 1982: Jockey Earlie Fires had his 3,000th career win, aboard Volga Ace, in the fourth race at Arlington Park.
