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As the race was nearing the home stretch, those predictions were no longer valid.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.
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