A full brother to champion handicapper Mad Hatter, Mad Play was one of the best American 3-year-olds of 1924 and trained on to be one of the top handicappers of 1925. Unfortunately for him, he proved completely sterile when tried at stud. Even more unfortunately, he was returned to the track, where he slid into oblivion. His last start was in a US$600 claiming race at Beulah Park in 1933, in which he finished seventh at odds of 98-1.
Race record
63 starts, 17 wins, US$139,769
1923:
1924:
1925:
Assessments
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1924 by The Blood-Horse.
Ranked third among American older males of 1925 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A chestnut horse; no other information available.
Connections
Mad Play was bred and owned by Harry F. Sinclair's Rancocas Stable and was trained by Sam Hildreth. He was ridden to his Belmont Stakes win by Earl Sande. He proved completely sterile when tried at stud at 5 and 6. He was sold to Hal Price Headley for US$90,000 in June 1926 and reappeared on the track at age 7 in Headley's colors, with J. Daniels as trainer. In 1931, Mad Play went to the auction block at Arlington Park and was sold for just US$125.
Pedigree notes
Mad Play is inbred 5x5 to 1875 Derby Stakes winner and three-time English champion sire Galopin and to 1867 Derby Stakes winner and seven-time English champion sire Hermit. He is a full brother to 1921 American co-champion handicap male Mad Hatter and to Mill Maid, dam of 1929 Astoria Stakes winner The Spare (by John P. Grier) and second dam of five stakes winners including 1934 Florida Derby winner Time Clock.
Mad Play's dam Madcap is a full sister to Mileage, second dam of three-time American champion handicap male Sun Beau, and a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Madman (by Hastings). Madcap's dam Lady Madge (by Rayon d'Or) is out of juvenile stakes winner Lady Margaret (by The Ill-Used), making her a full sister to the minor stakes winner Lady Marian (dam of juvenile stakes winner Marjoram, by Hastings) and a half sister to 1902 Belmont Stakes winner Masterman (by Hastings), 1896 Preakness Stakes winner Margrave (by St. Blaise), and 1903 Tremont Stakes winner Magistrate (by Hastings). Lady Madge is also a half sister to Masthead (by Hastings), dam of 1918 Carter Handicap winner Old Koenig (by Golden Maxim) and stakes winner Mainmast (by Superman).
A full sister to 1892 American champion juvenile filly Lady Violet (dam of 1911 Preakness Stakes winner Watervale, by Watercress, and second dam of the good French stakes winner and useful sire Vulcain), Lady Margaret is out of 1880 Champagne Stakes winner Lady Rosebery (by Kingfisher), herself a full sister to 1884 Ladies' Handicap and Monmouth Oaks winner Duchess, dam of 1two-time American champion Clifford (by Bramble) and juvenile stakes winner Archduke (by Luke Blackburn), and a half sister to 1875 Maturity Stakes winner The Countess (by Kentucky), second dam of multiple stakes winner Patrician. Lady Rosebery, in turn is out of Lady Blessington (by Eclipse), whose family had an excellent record of winner production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but was disappointing as a source of sires.
Fun facts
Last updated: July 2, 2024
Race record
63 starts, 17 wins, US$139,769
1923:
- 2nd Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
1924:
- Won Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- Won Brookdale Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Continental Handicap (USA, 9FD, Jamaica)
- Won Yorktown Handicap (USA, 10FD, Empire City)
- 2nd Kings County Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Jamaica)
- 2nd Dwyer Stakes (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Jerome Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Latonia Championship (USA, 14FD, Latonia)
- 3rd Preakness Stakes (USA, 9FD, Pimlico)
- 3rd Manhattan Handicap (USA, 8FD, Belmont)
- 3rd International Special #3 (USA, 10FD, Latonia)
1925:
- Won Brooklyn Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Saratoga Cup (USA, 14FD, Saratoga)
- Won Long Beach Handicap (USA, Jamaica)
- Won Queens County Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Empire City Handicap (USA, 10FD, Empire City)
- Won Chicago Special Handicap (USA, 9.5FD, Hawthorne; new track record 1:56-2/5)
- 2nd Delaware Handicap (USA, 8FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Saratoga Handicap (USA, 10FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Brookdale Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Suburban Handicap (USA, 10FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Excelsior Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Jamaica)
Assessments
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1924 by The Blood-Horse.
Ranked third among American older males of 1925 by The Blood-Horse.
As an individual
A chestnut horse; no other information available.
Connections
Mad Play was bred and owned by Harry F. Sinclair's Rancocas Stable and was trained by Sam Hildreth. He was ridden to his Belmont Stakes win by Earl Sande. He proved completely sterile when tried at stud at 5 and 6. He was sold to Hal Price Headley for US$90,000 in June 1926 and reappeared on the track at age 7 in Headley's colors, with J. Daniels as trainer. In 1931, Mad Play went to the auction block at Arlington Park and was sold for just US$125.
Pedigree notes
Mad Play is inbred 5x5 to 1875 Derby Stakes winner and three-time English champion sire Galopin and to 1867 Derby Stakes winner and seven-time English champion sire Hermit. He is a full brother to 1921 American co-champion handicap male Mad Hatter and to Mill Maid, dam of 1929 Astoria Stakes winner The Spare (by John P. Grier) and second dam of five stakes winners including 1934 Florida Derby winner Time Clock.
Mad Play's dam Madcap is a full sister to Mileage, second dam of three-time American champion handicap male Sun Beau, and a half sister to juvenile stakes winner Madman (by Hastings). Madcap's dam Lady Madge (by Rayon d'Or) is out of juvenile stakes winner Lady Margaret (by The Ill-Used), making her a full sister to the minor stakes winner Lady Marian (dam of juvenile stakes winner Marjoram, by Hastings) and a half sister to 1902 Belmont Stakes winner Masterman (by Hastings), 1896 Preakness Stakes winner Margrave (by St. Blaise), and 1903 Tremont Stakes winner Magistrate (by Hastings). Lady Madge is also a half sister to Masthead (by Hastings), dam of 1918 Carter Handicap winner Old Koenig (by Golden Maxim) and stakes winner Mainmast (by Superman).
A full sister to 1892 American champion juvenile filly Lady Violet (dam of 1911 Preakness Stakes winner Watervale, by Watercress, and second dam of the good French stakes winner and useful sire Vulcain), Lady Margaret is out of 1880 Champagne Stakes winner Lady Rosebery (by Kingfisher), herself a full sister to 1884 Ladies' Handicap and Monmouth Oaks winner Duchess, dam of 1two-time American champion Clifford (by Bramble) and juvenile stakes winner Archduke (by Luke Blackburn), and a half sister to 1875 Maturity Stakes winner The Countess (by Kentucky), second dam of multiple stakes winner Patrician. Lady Rosebery, in turn is out of Lady Blessington (by Eclipse), whose family had an excellent record of winner production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries but was disappointing as a source of sires.
Fun facts
- In the 1924 Suburban Handicap, Mad Play faced off against his five-years-older full brother, Mad Hatter. Mad Hatter won with Mad Play unplaced.
- Mad Play was among the number of top runners and bad or sterile stallions trained by Hall of Famer Sam Hildreth. Hildreth was widely rumored to use a mix of strychnine and arsenic known as Fowler's solution to “hop” his horses. Fowler's solution was believed to damage a horse's reproductive capacity. While the rumors were never proved, the fact remains that the high-class horses Hildreth trained were almost uniformly disappointments or worse at stud.
Last updated: July 2, 2024