Will Hendrie and the 1899 Queen's Plate

 “Hendrie wins!

“Butterscotch wins!

“ ‘Rah’ for Butter Scotch!

“Three cheers for Wm. Hendrie!

“These and similar cries rent the air at the Woodbine track on Saturday as the gallant bay filly Butter Scotch, wearing the brown and yellow of the William Hendrie stables, of this city, shot past the Seagram horse, Dalmoor, the favorite in the stretch, and took the lead over a larger field with her stable companion and half-sister Toddy Ladle so close up that it was no sure thing Seagram colors would even hold the place.

Hamilton Times.   May 22, 1899.

        The pre-race predictions for the running of the 1899 Queen’s Plate focused on Dalmoor, the big stallion owned by the Seagram family as the surefire potential winner. That sentiment was shown in the betting on the race as the odds were decidedly in Dalmoor’s favor, while Butterscotch, the smaller bay filly were very long.

        As the race was nearing the home stretch, those predictions were no longer valid. The finish was extremely close, but it was William Hendrie’s Butterscotch that crossed the finish line ahead of all the others in the race.

As described by the Spectator reporter who witnessed it, the scene was incredible when it was known that Butter Scotch was the winner:

“Never before was there such an outburst of enthusiasm. Even though the favorite had been beaten, the people, men and women rose up and cheered the clean-cut little filly. From all sides could be heard : ‘Well, Hendrie has been Seagram at last. I’m glad of it.’ The men threw their hats up in the air and hugged each other. For the minute, the handsomely-dressed ladies forgot their dignity and yelled like champion baseball rooters. The cheering was renewed when Jockey Mason returned to the stand with the winner. It was an outburst of the pent-up enthusiasm the people had stored up for years, waiting until Mr. Hendrie landed the Guineas. The Hamilton people were almost beside themselves. They were not joyful because of the money they made, as very few of them played Butter Scotch to win, but they were delighted over the victory of their fellow townsman. There was another cheer when the handsome cup which accompanies the purse was handed to Mr. Hendrie. The popular Hamilton owner and other members of his family were congratulated on all sides. Toronto people seemed to take as much pleasure out of the victory as the Hamilton folks.”¹

¹ “William Hendrie Wins His First Queen’s Plate : The Queen’s Plate Won By Wm. Hendrie’s Butterscotch”

Hamilton Spectator.   May 22, 1899.

A reporter from the Toronto Sunday World also recorded his impression of the finish of the 1899 Queen’s plate:

“By the way the crowd shouted, wholly forgetting for the nonce he whose horse had run a game race and had met the fate that comes to all horses and men alike, a stranger would have thought the whole twelve thousand people present had won to a man, a woman and a child. Such jubilation has never been heard before in Canada, and, perhaps, not in America. Again and again the enthusiasm broke forth. All can afford to cheer for the loser as much as for the winner, both of whom are doing and have done their best for the sport they love so well, regardless of the vast expense involved and with a single eye to the glory.”¹

William Hendrie was one of the richest, and best-known Hamiltonians of the era. His mansion, Holmstead, was one of the city’s finest, and his property Valley Farm was a model place for thoroughbred horse breeding and training:

“William Hendrie reached the zenith of his turf career, winning the Queen’s Plate, the goal of his ambition, with three-year-old filly, Butterscotch. Martimas in the Futurity was a fitting prelude to his great triumph in Canada’s blue ribbon, and while from a financial standpoint, there is no comparison between the two events, the Futurity being worth $46,500, and the purse in the plate is only $1,000. Mr. Hendrie is on the turf for sport and not to make money, and sentiment cuts a great figure with him. He bought Matimas as a yearling, but Butterscotch was bred and raised by him at Valley farm, the filly being by his imported stallion, Derwentwater, out of Sugar Plum, and Mr. Hendrie has seen her growth and development since the day she was foaled, little thinking that she would someday win the prize coveted by all Canadian turf men, an honor as much sought after by them as is the English Derby by Britishers. That is why Mr. Hendrie glories in the victory. With all the congratulations heaped upon him, good sportsman that he is, he is magnanimous enough to say that the credit is not due himself, but to trainer Eddie Whyte and Jockey Mason. Long may Mr. Hendrie be spared to keep up the standard of the turf, and now that he has broken the spell, it is to be hoped that this will not be the last time his colors will be carried to the front in the Guinea. He has been patient and plucky to stick to the game as long as he has, going to trouble and expense of preparing platers year after year only to have them beaten. His disappointments have been many, but his Scotch pluck, was too strong within him to give up the struggle, and his colors have been worn in many races for the plate. At last, he has been rewarded for his pluck, and achieved a victory, the most popular one since the race was inaugurated. From all parts of Canada he has received the warmest congratulations and his reception on return to his native city touched his heart.”¹

The newspaper offices of the Times, Spectator and Herald had the sidewalks in front of them crowded. As telegraphed bulletins about the race were posted on the office windows, the excitement was palpable and when It was learned that Butter Scotch was the winner, the cheers were loud and long, and plans were made to welcome Mr. Hendrie back to Hamilton later in the day:

“The way citizens generally rejoiced at the success of the Hendrie stable in the Queen’s plate event on Saturday afternoon showed what a high place the genial Valley Farm owner occupies in the esteem of the people of his own city. The cheers that greeted the win of Butter Scotch at the Toronto track were echoed by the crowds of Hamilton people who were eagerly watching the bulletins in the newspaper offices. It did not take Mr. Hendrie’s many friends to determine that a royal welcome should be tendered to him on his return home, and the Thirteenth band was engaged to meet the 8:15 C.P.R. train at the Hunter street station.

“Long before the train head light was seen entering the tunnel, the station, the platform and the streets around the station were crowded with excited crowds. Citizens of all sorts were there. The ordinary, everyday laboring man elbowed the professional gentlemen. Lawyers, ministers and doctors were there and everyone had but one object : that was to get a glimpse of the veteran turf man who had brought honor to his native city and glory to his name. As the train drew up to the platform, the band struck up the air ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes,’ and as Mr. Hendrie appeared on the car platform, the crowd cheered itself hoarse.

“Mr. Hendrie and Mrs. Hendrie and party managed to get through the crowd to their carriage, where the owner of Butter Scotch made a brief speech, thanking the citizens for their welcome and intimating that his heart was full of satisfaction at being able to bring to the city of Hamilton and the Valley Farm stables the coveted Quuen’s plate honor. The band then headed a procession up James street to Mr. Hendrie’s residence, Holmstead, where there was an open house for the balance of the evening. “¹

Finally the Times carried an editorial tribute to Mr. Hendrie, capturing the feelings of most Hamiltonians:

“Mr. William Hendrie, here’s to you! You are a good citizen and a good sportsman. All Hamilton doffs its hat to you; nay, all Canada does you homage. Through years of varied and often poor success, you have stuck to the king of sports because it is the king of sports. You have done more than any living man to improve the breed of horses in Canada, and thousands have profited by your efforts. Now you have won the highest honors that the turf of your country can give, and no man living envies you your success. The honor fits you well. It becomes the record of the past and is a worthy companion for that great honor you won for yourself, for your city and your country when your good horse Martimas won the greatest race of the whole American continent nine months ago. Long has it been the desire of every Hamiltonian that you should, and the belief that you would, someday win the Queen’s plate. That desire and belief we expressed when congratulating you upon your Futurity success and the sentiment was re-echoed throughout the land. The day has come – a good deal sooner than the wise ones anticipated – and we congratulate you upon it. May you live to see the brown and yellow first under the wire in many a Queen’s plate race. Among the horses you breed may there be many another Butter Scotch, and among those which you purchase, may you find many a Martimas. So here’s to you, Mr. Hendrie, and here’s to your Queen’s plate winner!”²

² “Congratulations, Mr. Hendrie”

Hamilton Times.   May 22, 1899.