Watervale (horse)
Watervale was an American Thoroughbred racehorse of exceptional speed who set two track records in the United States and a national record in Canada.
Background
Bred at August Belmont Jr.'s Nursery Stud near Lexington, Kentucky, Watervale's dam was the retrospective American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for 1892. His British-born sire, Watercress, was a winner of the 1892 Prince of Wales's Stakes who was imported to the United States by prominent breeder, James Ben Ali Haggin. Watercress also sired the very good filly, Rhine Maiden. His grandsire, Springfield, was bred by Queen Victoria and was a winner of the first two runnings of the July Cup in 1876–1877 at Newmarket Racecourse.Racing career
Among his races at age two, Watervale won a race for his age group at Sheepshead Bay Race Track and finished third in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.Racing at age three, on May 1, 1911, Watervale equaled the Pimlico track record of 1: for. Ridden by Eddie Dugan, on May 17, 1911, Watervale set another Pimlico track record of 1:51 flat for in winning an American Classic, the Preakness Stakes. On July 5, 1911, Watervale broke the Canadian record for when he won the feature race at Fort Erie Racetrack in Fort Erie, Ontario. His winning time of was achieved despite being slowed by his jockey before the finish line.