St. Leger family historical importance was Gen. Anthony St. Leger. He was born in 1731, probably in Kildare, Ireland. He was one of a group of noblemen and gentlemen who in 1778 gathered for a private dinner party in an upper room of the Red Lion Inn, which stands in the market square in Doncaster. A horse race, which was to set the pattern for classic racing throughout the world, had been christened the St. Leger at the suggestion of Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham. The race, a sweepstake for three-year-olds, had been born two years earlier in 1776, at the suggestion
Washington Handicap The race was last run on October 20, 1951 and was won by Charles B. Bohn's gelding, Blue Hills. Washington Handicap The Washington Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland. Open to horses age three and older, it was contested on dirt over a distance of a mile and a quarter (10 furlongs). At one time the Washington Handicap was an important event that drew many of the top horses. Winners include several U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductees including U.S. Triple Crown champions, War Admiral and Whirlaway. Ridden by James