[1] The inaugural running of this race was won by Commando, a two time American Horse of the Year and a future U.S.
[2][3] Commando's son Colin won the Brighton Junior Stakes in 1907 and would go on to retire undefeated with fifteen wins.
[4][5] On June 11, 1908, the Republican controlled New York Legislature under Governor Charles Evans Hughes passed the Hart–Agnew anti-wagering bill.
Racetrack owners had no choice but to drastically reduce the purse money being paid out which saw important stakes worth as little as twenty-five percent of what they were just two years earlier.
[8] However, further restrictive legislation was passed by the New York Legislature in 1910 which resulted in the deepening of the financial crisis for track operators and led to a complete shutdown of racing across the state during 1911 and 1912.