Joseph E. Widener, the son of a butcher who became a prominent business figure, was an inventive architect of contemporary American racing. He earned acclaim for transforming Hialeah Park into an internationally recognized destination and guiding Belmont Park through a pivotal period of refinement.
As a leading figure in the sport and a staunch defender of its traditions, he united his appreciation for fine art with a commitment to preserving racing’s aesthetic appeal and structural integrity. His enduring influence can be found in the lineage of the sport’s top equines and his relentless efforts to elevate the social and cultural standing of American turf racing.
Familial Background
In 1915, upon the death of Peter Arrell Browne Widener, news reports highlighted his $60 million estate, amassed through numerous business undertakings. The Philadelphia native commenced his career as a butcher, expanded to operate a chain of meat stores, and then initially built his wealth with a contract to provision mutton to the Union Army during the Civil War. Following this, Widener partnered with William Lukens Elkins and William H. Kemble to establish the Philadelphia Traction Company, which pioneered electric trolley systems in several major cities. His other commercial activities included American Tobacco Co., International Mercantile Marine Co., and U.S. Steel, alongside substantial investments in commodities such as railroads, petroleum, and natural gas. When the elder Widener passed away, his fortune was inherited by his youngest and sole surviving son, Joseph Early Widener.
Joseph’s eldest brother, Harry, succumbed to typhoid fever at age 11 in 1871. Subsequently, his brother George Dunton Widener and George’s son, Harry, perished aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912—a calamity from which their father never fully recovered. As the sole inheritor of his father’s fortune following the deaths of his brothers and his mother in 1896, the younger Widener assumed control of the family estate at Lynnewood Hall and his father’s magnificent art collection. This collection included masterpieces by artists such as Degas, Donatello, El Greco, Monet, Raphael, Rembrandt, Titian, and van Dyck, among others. Beyond overseeing the Widener family’s properties and assets, Joseph Widener diligently expanded his father’s collections and pursued his keen interest in horse racing.
The younger Widener had acquired his first Thoroughbreds before reaching his twentieth year, though his initial horses, Vendetta and Radiant, were not particularly noteworthy. Undeterred, he continued to purchase and race horses, with most of his early triumphs occurring in steeplechase competitions. Bushranger and Fairmount, two of his most accomplished horses, are recognized in the Hall of Fame for their achievements over the jumps. In collaboration with trainer John Howard Lewis, they produced 12 steeplechase and two flat racing champions.
In 1923, Widener also acquired a portion of James Ben Ali Haggin’s Elmendorf Farm alongside his nephew George D. Widener Jr. He retained the name Elmendorf for his segment, while his nephew designated his part as Old Kenney Farm. By this period in the early 20th century, Joseph Widener was a member of The Jockey Club and had also served as a steward. With his considerable wealth and his career dedicated to the sport of horse racing, Widener advanced his involvement following the demise of his friend August Belmont II in 1924.
Pioneer of the Track
Following the unexpected death of August Belmont II, The Jockey Club—which he had helped establish and served as chairman for three decades—found itself without a leader. Among the candidates proposed for the role was Joseph E. Widener, described by the Daily Racing Form as “an individual exceptionally suited to lead the sport. Mr. Widener possesses all the qualities that would render him an appropriate successor.”
Given that the sportsman resided in Philadelphia rather than New York, he was not chosen for that particular post. However, his friend’s passing presented Widener with an occasion that would permanently secure his standing in the annals of New York racing.
He assumed the presidency of the Westchester Racing Association, the entity responsible for Belmont Park, and committed to elevating the racetrack to one of the nation’s premier venues. He incorporated a straight chute through the center of the 1 ½-mile circuit, enabling races such as the seven-furlong Futurity to be contested on a straight course, thereby reducing the likelihood of congestion in those important juvenile events. Noticing undeveloped areas surrounding the recently built straight, he mandated the planting of trees to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the vicinity. His initiatives transformed Belmont Park into a highly desirable location for racing enthusiasts, including his acquaintance Edward George Villiers Stanley, the 17th Earl of Derby.
In the spring of 1930, Lord Derby traveled to the United States as a guest of Widener. Widener escorted him through New York and Kentucky, making a stop at Elmendorf Farm, where the Earl’s horse, Sickle, was kept under a leasing arrangement established between the two individuals.
Widener additionally brought his visitor to the Kentucky Derby, where Lord Derby witnessed his associate William Woodward’s horse, Gallant Fox, secure victory in the second leg of the three Triple Crown contests. Weeks subsequently, Widener was the individual who awarded the Belmont Stakes trophy to Woodward after Gallant Fox clinched his Triple Crown with a comfortable win.
In the same year, Widener acquired the Hialeah Park racetrack located in Miami. Aiming to establish the South Florida track as a premier spot for winter racing, he commanded the reconstruction of the hurricane-damaged premises, featuring an updated grandstand and clubhouse, alongside landscaped gardens and an inner lake which he instructed to be populated with flamingos. Renowned for its picturesque setting, Hialeah became a preferred venue for winter racing, where numerous champions commenced their racing calendars. Widener also commissioned the installation of an Australian totalizator system for pari-mutuel betting, marking a pioneering achievement for a racetrack in America.
Recognizing that pari-mutuel betting represented the future direction for the sport, Widener additionally advocated for the legalization of this wagering method in New York State, which granted approval in 1940. Although pari-mutuel betting had seen success elsewhere, New York had, until that point, relied on on-track bookmaking as its principal form of gambling. The newly introduced betting system proved successful from its inception. Spectator numbers rose, and the sport flourished, initiating a fresh period of prosperity for the state.
Widener’s passion for horse racing and his ambition to expand the sport, combined with his family’s affluence, enabled him to financially back the commercial aspects of racing. It also instilled in him the drive to acquire and develop bloodlines of horses destined to race under his distinctive silks across courses in both the United States and Europe.
New York’s Enduring Influence
Similar to numerous distinguished racing lineages from the early to mid-20th century, Widener engaged in breeding horses primarily for competition, cultivating successive generations of equine families that would eventually integrate into his descendants’ personal breeding and racing endeavors.
One of Widener’s significant contributions to horse racing was his breeding initiative. Following August Belmont’s demise in 1924, when his horses were sold off, Widener invested $100,000—a considerable amount for that period—to acquire Fair Play. He additionally purchased Mahubah, resulting in both Man o’ War’s sire and dam residing at Elmendorf, where they lived their remaining years and were ultimately interred. His acquisitions further encompassed Chance Shot, who triumphed in the Belmont Stakes for Widener and subsequently fathered Peach Chance, another victor of the Belmont. His home-bred horse, Haste, claimed victory in the Withers and then produced Hurryoff, the winner of the 1933 Belmont Stakes. Hurryoff’s mother, Blue Glass, also foaled Unbreakable for Widener, and in 1942, the year prior to Joseph Widener’s passing, Polynesian was born. Polynesian not only secured the Preakness Stakes for Widener’s son, P.A.B. Widener II, but also became the sire of the legendary Native Dancer.
In 1931, The New York Times declared Joseph Widener to be “the third member of a racing triumvirate, preceded by William C. Whitney and August Belmont,” a significant commendation for an inheritor who dedicated himself to equestrian pursuits with the same intensity as his family’s vast art holdings. This devotion to art also motivated him to become a foundational patron of the National Museum of Art in Washington, D.C. His financial commitments across New York, Kentucky, and Florida rendered him as indispensable to the sport during his era as the distinguished figures cited by The New York Times, playing a crucial role in establishing contemporary horse racing as it exists today.
