Mad Play

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Mad Play (foaled 1921 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a chestnut stallion bred by August Belmont, Jr., sired by Fair Play (the sire of Man o’ War) and out of a Rock Sand mare named Mad Cap. He was a full brother to 1921 U.S. Champion Older Male Horse Mad Hatter. Mad Play was owned by Harry Sinclair’s Rancocas Stable and trained by Sam Hildreth, with Earl Sande as his jockey.

As a three-year-old, Mad Play finished third in the Preakness Stakes and second in the Dwyer Stakes, but he is best known for winning the Belmont Stakes as the favorite by 1½ lengths, a third Belmont win for his owner. He also won the Brookdale Handicap, the Continental Handicap, and the Yorktown Handicap in 1924. He placed third in the International Special No. 3 at Latonia Race Track, finishing behind Sarazen.

At four, he won the Long Beach Handicap, the Brooklyn Handicap, the Queens County Handicap, the Empire City Handicap, the Chicago Special, and the Saratoga Cup, finishing the year as a leading handicapper with a 13-7-3-3 record.

After retirement, Mad Play was found to be completely sterile. He was put back into training in 1928 and raced again until 1933. He earned $139,769 in his career and is remembered for his 1924 Belmont Stakes victory.