The Aintree of America... Fair Hill

In the northeastern corner of Maryland lies one of the most unique racecourses in American horse racing history, Fair Hill. The Fair Hill project began in the 1920 when William S. du Pont, Jr. began assembling 7,000 acres of land, known as Foxcatcher Farm, straddling the Maryland-Pennsylvania border into one of the America's last fox hunting preserves. As part of this project, he also built a race course which he hoped would match or surpass the competition over the fabled fences of the Aintree Race Course, home of the Grand National in England. He would ultimately design 23 race courses including Delaware Park. Unfortunately, the Fair Hill's major race, the Foxcatcher Steeplechase, never did attain the statue which du Pont hoped it would.

1935 Fair Hill Race Course

Aerial view of the 1938 Race Meet

Construction of the race course began in 1926 with the planting of grass for both the steeplechase and turf courses, but the course did not open until August 25, 1934, when the first Fair Hill races were held. The Foxcatcher National Cup, the major race of the course, consisted of a daunting three mile race over 19 obstacles, the lowest fence 4'8", the highest, the 6'4" Chinese Wall named for its brick and stone construction. The Chinese Wall also had a depth of 13 feet including a water hazard and a ditch. The courses lowest jump was only 3 feet, but required a 24 foot overall jump over 16 feet of water. The Liverpool on the course required a horizontal leap of nearly 10 feet. (It should be noted that this course had hedge fences, not the timber found in the established Maryland steeplechase races.) To maintain the sod for the track and for other properties, duPont set aside approximately 400 acres east of Appleton Road to grow and pamper the sod grassland.

The 1st Fence at the 1941 Foxcatcher National Cup Steeplechase

The 4th Fence at the 1941 Foxcatcher National Cup Steeplechase

The 5th Fence at the 1936 Foxcatcher National Cup Steeplechase

The 13th Fence at the 1941 Foxcatcher National Cup Steeplechase

At it's full development, the course featured four stands. The National Cup Stand and Aintree were the largest stands and were located behind and adjacent to the finish line. There was also one stand which was reserved for farmers in the Fair Hill area. The fourth stand was for the grooms, who like the farmers were admitted free of charge. the infield of the course.

1938 General View of the Grandstand showing the Judges' Stand in the foreground

Spectators at the 1937 Fair Hill Race Meet

Let to Right: Mr. James Stokes, Mr. Alfred Du Pont, Mrs. Conrad Thibault, and Mr. Conrad Thibault

Society at the Foxcatcher Cup Steeplechase

Mrs. Lawrence Bevans and Mr. C.E. Hoffman at the 1938 Foxcatcher National Cup

The trophy for the Foxcatcher National Cup Steeplechase was silver, presented by W. Plunket Stewart and rumored to date back to the time of Queen Anne, engraved on the inside "long life to the chase, the turf and the road." In addition to the Foxcatcher National Cup, there was the Fair Hill Steeplechase, for which a gold cup about 20 inches high with a pre-war value of $3500 was awarded.

1937 Trophy Presentation of the Foxcatcher National Cup

Left to Right: Mrs. W. Plunket Stewart, Mr. Campbell Weir owner of the winner Soldier's Fate, and Mrs. William du Pont, Jr.

1938 Trophy Presentation of the Foxcatcher National Cup

Left to Right: Mrs. W. Plunket Stewart, Mr. A.W. Baltazzi owner of the winner Ad Lib, and Mrs. William du Pont, Jr.

In 1937 and 1938 the Foxcatcher National Cup had the second largest prize in horse racing behind the Grand National at Belmont Park.

Ad Lib in the final stretch of the 1938 Foxcatcher National Cup

Ad Lib with H. Harrison up, an 8-1 shot, comes up from behind in the final stretch

Corrigan in the final stretch of the 1941 Foxcatcher National Cup

Some things came to the Foxcatcher which were never seen at other steeplechases. In 1937, ten planes hazarded a landing in the infield of the course. To prevent accident, in August 1938 a new landing field was created directly north of the grandstands on the north side of Route 273 and adjacent to the course.

1938 Aerial view of the landing field created on the north side of Route 273

Eventually, duPont held two race meets on two successive Saturdays in September, with a horse show prior to the first race and a cattle show prior to the second. The races were organized by the Foxcatcher Hounds Hunt Club and the Cecil County Breeders Fair and du Pont invited all his neighbors to show their animals and offered good prize money without collecting any entry fees. He hosted a lunch for all the local farmers in the “Tea Barn” behind the race stands. All the farmers who farmed the estate or who bordered the estate were given free passes to the races, a tradition that continued after his death and until the State of Maryland purchased the land.

The bookies, as they were surrounded by the crowd placing bets, at the 1937 Race Meet

In 1942 the races were cancelled due to World War Two, resuming in 1948.

The site today has a grandstand and box seats, a rarity at American hunt meets. Until recently with parimutual betting coming to the Virginia Gold Cup, Fair Hill was unique among hunt meets in that it had legal betting. Fair Hill's natural-brush fences have been gone for many years, and today races are run over artificial brush fences, a shadow of the former fences. DuPont's turf continues to be in excellent shape and requires only normal maintenance to this day. Other improvements to the course have been paid for by the State of Maryland, which owns the race course and the portion of the former Foxcatcher Hounds hunting grounds within the State.

The paddock and saddling boxes at the 1937 Fair Hill Races

While the race may be a shadow of its former glory, this course was once a rival to Aintree as being one of the toughest steeplechase courses in the world. Maybe one day the jumps will be reconstructed to their former selves and we can once again experience the Aintree of America.

Winner of the 1941 Foxcatcher National Cup

Corrigan with W.G. Jones up

Foxcatcher National Cup Steeplechase - 3 mile 19 brush jumps

1934 Melita - R.B. Young - W.B. Streett 10,000 spectators

1935 Luckite - S.H. Hirst - J.W.Y. Martin 15,000 spectators

1936 What Have You - P.D. Reid - Mrs. Frank M. Gould 25,000 spectators

1937 Soldier's Fate - James S. Harrison - Campbell Weir 20,000 spectators

1938 Ad Lib - James S. Harrison - S.A.W. Baltazzi 15,000 spectators

1939 Farndale - Sidney Watters - Emile Pfizer 20,000 spectators

1940 Cartermoor - Sam Banks - Holmdel Stable 10,000 spectators

1941 Corrigan - W.G. Jones - Carroll K. Bassett 8,000 spectators

1942 - 1947 Not Held

1948 Replica II - Jimmie Murphy - Richard K. Mellon

1949 Replica II - Jimmie Murphy - Richard K. Mellon 11,000 spectators

1950 Canford - Joe Snyder - Mrs. Esther duPont Weir 8,000 spectators

1951 Palaja - John L. Cotter - Justin Funkhouser

1952 Cherwell - Warren Lane - Mrs. Esther duPont Weir 7,500 spectators
1953 Palaja - Melvin Ferral - Morris H. Dixon, Sr. 5,000 spectators
1954 Mighty Mo - Al Foot - Montpelier Farm
1955 Repose - John L. Cotter - Mrs. Michael G. Walsh

Fair Hill Steeplechase - 2 mile 14 brush jumps

1934 Swansea - N. Brown - John Bosley, Jr.

1935 Well Played - A. Fowler - Richard V.N. Gambrill

1936 Crooning Water - Sidney Watters - Mrs. J.C. Brady, Jr.

1937 Crooning Water - J. Magee - Mrs. J.C. Brady, Jr.

1938 Paper Maker - J. McGovern - F. Ambrose Clark

1939 Whaddon Chase - James S. Harrison - C. Mahlon Kline

1940 Dundrillin - E. Roberts - D.H. Read

1941 Kellsboro - L. Smith - Alvin Untermyer

1942-1947 Not Held

1948 Little Sammie - H. Harris - G.H. Bostwick

1949 My Good Man - Tommy Field - Stephen C. Clark, Jr.

1950 Sea Legs - Montpelier Farm

1951 Grandgent - Mrs. William Coze Wright
1952 Astronomer - T. Lyons -

Big Elk Flat Race - 1 mile 7 furlong turf
1934 - Keep Out - William du Pont, Jr. - Foxcatcher Farm
1935 - Annapolis -  C.K. Bassett - Mrs. T.H. Somerville
1936 - Tool Box - J.V.H. Davis - Richard K. Mellon
1937 - Tool Box - J.V.H. Davis - Richard K. Mellon
1938 - Old Dom - Charlie R. White -J.E. Ryan
1939 - Farragut - E. Jennings - Montpelier Farm
1940 - Hants - W. Passmore - J. Brooks Parker
1941 - Binder - J. Magee - Mrs. E. duPont Weir
1942-1947 Not Held
1948 - Navy Gun - R. McDonald -
1949 - unknown
1950 - Marcheast - Happy Hill Farm -
1951- unknown
1952 - Army Canteen - C. Cushman -
1953 - unknown
1954 - Young Colony - David R. Williams -

Lewisville Flat Race - about 7 furlong turf
1934 - Sable Muff - C.K. Bassett  - Mrs. T.H. Somerville
1935 - Sable Muff - C.K. Bassett  - Mrs. T.H. Somerville
1936 - Itsaboy - James E. Ryan - Mrs. Marion Gibson
1937 - Itsaboy - J.V.H. Davis - Mrs. Marion Gibson
1938 - Eolien III - Rigan McKinney -E.B. Schley
1939 - Hants - James S. Harrison - J.Brooks Parker
1940 - Winged Hoofs - Nick Coe -unknown
1941 - unknown
1942-1947 Not Held
1948 - Hals Pal - R. Belanzer - G.H. Bostwick
1949 - unknown
1950 - Moroccan - Pat Smithwick - Morris Dixon
1951 - unknown
1952 - Tico Tico - A.P. Smithwick -
1953 - (1st Division) Sea Hero - Rulon -
1953 - (2nd Division) River Jordan - Phelops -
1954 - Donar - R.R. Guest -

Cecil County Steeplechase - 3 mile over hunt country post and rail fences
1949 - Invulnerable - George Stephens - Mrs. L.H. Kelly
1950 - unknown
1951 - unknown
1952 - Done Sleeping - E.E. Weymouth - 

Andora Chase - 2 miles over brush
1950 - Trepid - Mrs. F Ambrose Clark

Exhibition Race 1 7/8 miles
1953 - Sea Term - Hobales -

Claiming Race - 2 miles brush
1953 - Moot - Thomas -

Cowentown Hurdle 1 mile 6 furlong hurdle
1953 - Fleur de Joie - Carter -

Christians Hurdle
1954 - St. Vince - C. Mahlon Kline

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