Fair Play (KY)
Fair Play was arguably the best colt August Belmont II ever raced in America. A chestnut son of Hastings out of the Bend Or mare Fair Gold, Fair Play set track records as a 3-year-old at both Belmont Park and Gravesend and later became a three-time leading sire.
1956
1905
Hastings
Fairy Gold
Bend Or
August Belmont II
August Belmont II
Andrew J. Joyner
1907-1909
$86,950
Racing Record
32
Starts
| 1907 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | $16735 $16,735 |
| 1908 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 1 | $70215 $70,215 |
| 1909 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $0 $0 |
Biography
Fair Play was arguably the best colt August Belmont II ever raced in America. A chestnut son of Hastings out of the Bend Or mare Fair Gold, Fair Play set track records as a 3-year-old at both Belmont Park and Gravesend and later became a three-time leading sire.
Trained by Hall of Famer Andrew Joyner, Fair Play broke his maiden in his second career start in 1907 at Brighton Beach. He won three times as a juvenile, including the Montauk and Flash stakes. He also finished second in the Hopeful and third in the United States Hotel.
Fair Play finished first or second in 15 of 16 starts as a 3-year-old in 1908. He set a track record for 1 1/4 miles at Gravesend and for 1 5/16 miles at Belmont Park. Fair Play, however, was always behind the undefeated Colin and finished second to him in the 1908 Belmont Stakes, missing victory by only a head. It was the fifth and final meeting between Colin and Fair Play, as Colin retired following the Belmont.
With Colin on the sidelines, Fair Play dominated the second half of the 1908 season, winning the Brooklyn Derby, Coney Island Jockey Club Stakes (equaling the track record of 2:31⅕ for 1 1/2 miles), Lawrence Realization, First Special (setting a track record of 2:03⅖ for 1 1/4 miles), Jerome Handicap (setting a track record of 2:10⅖ for 1 5/16 miles), and Municipal Handicap. He finished his sophomore season with a record of 7-8-1 from 16 starts and earnings of $70,215.
Betting on a race became illegal in New York when the Percy Grey law was repealed in 1908 and Belmont sent many of his horses, including Fair Play, to run in England. As a 4-year-old, Fair Play was winless in six starts overseas, finishing no better than fourth. He was retired with a career record of 10-11-3 from 32 starts and earnings of $86,950.
Fair Play went on to become America’s leading sire in 1920, 1924, and 1927. His masterpiece was the immortal Man o’ War. Other standouts sired by Fair Play included Display, Mad Hatter, Chance Shot, Chance Play, Mad Play, and the Hall of Fame steeplechaser Fairmount.
Fair Play died Dec. 16, 1929, at Elmendorf Farm near Lexington, Kentucky, at the age of 24.
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