Rancho Del Paso Stakes
Historical notes
Historical notes
----------------

The race was named in honor of [Rancho Del Paso](/wiki/Rancho_Del_Paso%23The_Haggin_Years "Rancho Del Paso#The Haggin Years"), the great California breeding farm of [James B. A. Haggin](/wiki/James_B._A._Haggin "James B. A. Haggin"). The first edition of the Rancho Del Paso Stakes was held on October 8, 1898 and was won by the Canadian owned colt, [Martimas](/wiki/Martimas "Martimas"). Earlier in the year, at New York's [Sheepshead Bay Race Track](/wiki/Sheepshead_Bay_Race_Track "Sheepshead Bay Race Track") Martimas had won the [Futurity Stakes](/wiki/Belmont_Futurity_Stakes "Belmont Futurity Stakes"), the richest and most prestigious race in the country.   However, in a December 22, 1916 retrospective referencing of *[The Canadian Sportsman](/wiki/The_Canadian_Sportsman "The Canadian Sportsman")* magazine, the *[Daily Racing Form](/wiki/Daily_Racing_Form "Daily Racing Form")* reported that "His greatest performance as a two\-year\-old was probably in the Rancho Del Paso Stakes in which he ran three\-quarters of a mile in the mud the heavy weight up, in 1:12 and a fraction."

The first winner of the Rancho Del Paso Stakes after moving to Belmont Park in 1905 was the [filly](/wiki/Filly "Filly") Brookdale Nymph owned by [Harry Payne Whitney](/wiki/Harry_Payne_Whitney "Harry Payne Whitney"). Ridden by [Willie Shaw](/wiki/Willie_Shaw_%28jockey%29 "Willie Shaw (jockey)"), she won by two and a half lengths while setting a new [track record](/wiki/Glossary_of_North_American_horse_racing%23track_record/course_record "Glossary of North American horse racing#track record/course record") with a time of 1:10 4/5\.

What would turn out to be the final running of the Rancho Del Paso Stakes took place on October 12, 1908\. Only two horses started in a race offering a purse that had been cut by more than 80 percent from the previous year's offering. Frederick Lewisohn's Etherial won over [Newcastle Stable's](/wiki/Newcastle_Stable "Newcastle Stable") Wise Mason.


What is notable about Martimas' performance in the Rancho Del Paso Stakes?