Edith W. Bancroft
Edith Bancroft | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edith Woodward October 8, 1905 |
| Died | November 4, 1971 (aged 66) |
| Resting place | Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House Cemetery, Sandy Spring, Maryland |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | Thoroughbred racehorse owner & breeder |
| Known for | Damascus (U. S. Hall of Fame racehorse) |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas Moore Bancroft (1902-1970) |
| Children | Thomas Moore Bancroft Jr., William Woodward Bancroft |
| Parent(s) | William Woodward Sr. Elsie Ogden Cryder |
Edith Woodward Bancroft (October 8, 1905 – November 4, 1971) was an American owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racing horses best known for breeding and racing Damascus, the 1967 American Horse of the Year and a 1974 National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee who was ranked 16th in the 1999 Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century.[1][2] Among others, Edith Bancroft bred Cloudy Dawn, who won the Arlington Handicap and Dwyer Stakes and ran third to winner Riva Ridge in the 1972 Belmont Stakes. [3]
The eldest of the four daughters of William Woodward Sr. and Elsie Ogden Cryder, in 1929 Edith Woodward married textile executive Thomas Moore Bancroft.[4][5]
A Thoroughbred racing legacy
Edith Bancroft's father was President and a major shareholder of Hanover National Bank who also owned Belair Stud, one of the most important breeding and racing operations in the history of American Thoroughbred racing. As part of winning twelve American Classics races, under William Woodward Sr., Belair won each of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes three times and the Belmont Stakes six times. On two occasions their horse swept the U.S. Triple Crown. Five Belair horses were voted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and William Woodward Sr. was inducted as one of the "Pillars of the Turf in 2016."[6]
Pen-Y-Bryn Farm
While her only brother William Woodward Jr. had inherited Belair Stud, Edith Bancroft's sons, William Woodward Bancroft and Thomas Moore Bancroft Jr. would continue the family tradition of breeding and racing Thoroughbreds. Following the passing of their mother, in 1971 the brothers began operating under the nom de course Pen-Y-Bryn Farm. Among their successful horses were Highland Blade, Honorable Miss, Zen, Bailjumper and Cloudy Dawn, the latter bred by their mother.[7][8]
References
- ^ "Damascus' legend began at Pimlico In '67, horse was fashionably 'late'". Baltimore Sun. 1992-05-11. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ "Hall of Fame Horses". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. 1955-01-01. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ "Cloudy Dawn". Equibase Company LLC. 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ "Elsie C. Woodward, Philanthropist, dies at 98". New York Times. July 14, 1981. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Bancroft Sr". New York Times. 1970-02-25. Retrieved 2019-06-09.
- ^ "William Woodward Sr". National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ "William Bancroft, Raced Highland Blade, Dead". Bloodhorse.com. 2003-01-22. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ "Memorial - William Woodward Bancroft '53". Princeton University - Princeton Alumni Weekly. 1953-01-22. Retrieved 2019-06-08.