Smithtown's History - Horse Talk

By Rita Egan

From time to time, Smithtown residents will spot a horse grazing at its home or being led by its owner to a local park. However, in our town’s past, these beautiful animals were part of equestrian events that took place right in our township.

photo - Smithtown Historical SocietySmithtown was even once home to a racehorse considered a champion in our country. According to Colonel Rockwell’s Scrap-Book, a trotter named *Lady Suffolk was the first to beat the record of one mile in 2:30 minutes. Foaled in 1833 on a farm in Smithtown, her first two years were spent as a work animal. After being sold to a member of the Blydenburgh family, the horse pulled a butcher’s truck for another two years. It was a David Bryant who discovered her and brought the horse to his farm in Commack. In 1838 at the age of five, Lady Suffolk ran her first race and at 12 years old ran one mile in 2:29 ½ minutes. According to Smithtown Historian Brad Harris, during her career, she raced 169 races, won 89 and placed second in 53. In 1854 after a successful 16-year career, Lady Suffolk died at the age of 21.  

When it came to attending horse races in the late 1800s, local residents didn’t have to travel far to spend the day at the track. A popular race track, a result of the Burr family’s tradition of horse breeding, was located right in Commack where we find Commack High School today.

According to Harris’s Commack…a beautiful place: Commack Public Education, 100 Years — 1899-1999, hotelphoto - Smithtown Historical Society owner Smith Burr began breeding light harness horses, and was one of the first trainers to use a sulky. The light cart, as opposed to wagons, allowed the horses to move at faster speeds. In 1857, Smith’s son Carll bought a 350-acre piece of property, which became known as Indian Head Stock Farm. Once found on the south side of what is now Burr Road, the farm had a half-mile track. Carll, who specialized in raising Hambletonians, started the Burr Equine Educational Institution. Throughout his career, known as the Grand Old Man of Commack, he worked with the horses of prominent figures such as President Ulysses S. Grant and J.P. Morgan.

photo - Smithtown Historical SocietyIt was with his son Carll Burr Jr. that the Grand Old Man of Commack built a race track on the east side of Town Line Road. A popular spot in the 1890s, the one-mile oval race track with its regular weekend trotting races drew people from all over Long Island as well as the state. However, in 1900 an anti-betting law was passed, and the days of horse racing at the Burr race track started to become a part of history. According to Harris, the track was used again in the 20s and 30s, but this time around for motorcycle, bicycle and automobile racing.    

While anti-betting laws may have deterred early residents from attending the horse races, another equestrian event became popular in Smithtown. According to Harris, Lawrence Smith Butler, a descendant of town founder Richard Smythe, proposed the idea of a horse show to friends. Simply called the Smithtown Horse Show, the first show was held in 1909 at Fifty Acre Field located at the southwest corner of Edgewood Avenue and Moriches Road.

Fifty Acre Field proved to be a perfect spot with a race track right on the property. It was once the vicinity ofphoto - Smithtown Historical Society the St. James Driving Park, which had been owned by Butler’s uncle James Clinch Smith. While not much is known of the driving park, Harris said an 1877 Long Island Rail Road brochure called it a popular resort. Smith sold the property in 1905 to an opera singer, who eventually sold the property to Butler and his brother Charles. With his land purchase, as well as additional land that was deeded to him by his mother, Butler not only held the horse shows on the property but also started a country club.  

The Smithtown Horse Show included local residents and their horses competing in categories such as saddle, harness, hunting, roadster and racing. Among the impressive participants and committeeman were members of the Smith family including golf architect Devereaux Emmet, who was married to Smith descendant Ella Smith. Other participants included the likes of family members of William J. Gaynor who resided at Deepwells Mansion and served as New York City mayor from 1910 to 1913.

photo - Smithtown Historical SocietyHarris said bleachers, benches and a spectators pavilion could be found at Fifty Acre Field for the annual event. In the early days, there was no admission price charged or cash prizes for entrants. Attendees would bring their picnic lunches, and men could be seen in suits and bowlers and women in gowns with parasols. The shows would include work horses as well as ponies, and the various categories provided opportunities to compete for not only men, but women and children also.    

According to a September 26, 1930 Long Islander article, two horse shows were held in Smithtown that year due to a difference of opinion among members. The North Shore Horse Show was held on the same days only a half a mile away from the Smithtown Horse Show. According to the article, the original show drew around 2,000 attendees which included the usual locals, while the new show was attended by around 500 people who were mostly out-of-towners.

Despite the split in 1930, the Smithtown Horse Show remained a popular event for decades, and in 1939 a young Jacqueline Bouvier (Kennedy) even participated in the show. According to Images of America – St. James by Geoffrey K.Fleming, the last horse show to be held in our township was in 1981.

The days of equestrian events may be a part of the town’s past, but with plenty of land and parks, residents are still fortunate to enjoy these beautiful animals right here in Smithtown. 

Editors Note * Found this in The NY Times written in 1962 -

By Louis Effrat – Special to The New York Times

“WESTBURY, L.I., SEPT, 7 – Nowadays ——-and nights———trotters race a mile a half minute or so faster than Lady Suffolk did more than 100 years ago.  However, when the mare became the first to trot that distance in a tick or two under 2:30, she was the talk of many a town.

In fact, Lady Suffolk, who was foaled at Smithtown, L.I., was the one who inspired the song, “The Old Grey Mare.”

Lady Suffolk, who dominated the harness racing scene from 1838 to 1853, will be honored tomorrow night at Roosevelt Raceway.  The feature event will be the Lady Suffolk Trot, in which eight 3-year-old filly trotters will go to the post in quest of the winner’s share of the $27,723.25 purse.” The New York Times Published September 8, 1962