Charles Edward Whittingham (April 13, 1913 – April 20, 1999) was an American Thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history.

Early career

Born in

Chula Vista, California Chula Vista (; ) is the second-largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the Largest cities in Southern California, seventh largest city in Southern California, the List of largest California cities by population, fifteenth largest city ...

, Whittingham began working around race horses at a young age and was eventually taken on as an assistant by Hall of Fame trainer

Horatio Luro Horatio A. Luro (February 27, 1901 - December 16, 1991) was a thoroughbred horse racing trainer in the United States. Luro was born in Argentina as one of nine children into the wealthy family of rancher and meat packer Adolfo Luro. The family h ...

. During World War II, his career was interrupted by service with the United States Marine Corps. At war's end, he returned as an assistant trainer until 1950, when he set up his own stable to take on the training of horses for various owners. He got his big break when

Liz Whitney Tippett Mary Elizabeth Whitney Person Lunn Tippett (born Mary Elizabeth Altemus) (June 18, 1906 – October 30, 1988) was a wealthy American socialite and philanthropist who was a champion Equestrianism, horsewoman and for more than fifty years, a prominen ...

hired him to condition her Llangollen Farm Stable racing stable. On June 10, 1953, the then forty-year-old Whittingham saddled his first stakes winner when Liz Person's Porterhouse won the National Stallion Stakes. The colt would go on to earn that year's U.S. Two-year-old colt honors.''The Bloodhorse.com'' Champion's history charts

Records and champions

Over his 49 years as a head trainer, Whittingham had 252 stakes wins and became the all-time leading trainer at both Hollywood Park Racetrack and Santa Anita Park. Whittingham trained several champions, including

American Horse of the Year The American Award for Horse of the Year, one of the Eclipse Awards, is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. Because Thoroughbred horse racing in the United States has no governing body to sanction the various awards, "Hor ...

honorees

Ack Ack Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

, Ferdinand, and

Sunday Silence Sunday Silence (March 25, 1986 – August 19, 2002) was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In 1989, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes but failed to complete the Triple Crown when he was defeated in the Belmont ...

. Among others, he trained Daryl's Joy, champion New Zealand two-year-old, winner in Australia wfa championship W S Cox Plate, Victoria Derby, Oak Tree International (USA), Cougar II, the 1972 U.S. Champion Turf Horse, Kennedy Road, the 1983 Canadian Horse of the Year, and for a time, Exceller. He also trained the champion daughter of Affirmed, Flawlessly. His horses were named Champion Female Turf Horse on four occasions. In 1986, at the age of 73, he became the oldest trainer to win the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

, then won the prestigious race again three years later. Both Derby-winning horses went on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic. He continued to train horses right up to the time of his death at age 86.

Honors

In 1974, Charlie Whittingham was inducted into the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

. In 1993, he was also inducted into the Breitbard Hall of Fame in the San Diego Hall of Champions. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in the U.S. in 1971, 1982, and 1989 and U.S. Champion Trainer by earnings seven times: 1970 to 1973, 1975, 1981, and 1982. Named in his honor is the

Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap The Charles Whittingham Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses age three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA. The event curre ...

, a Grade 1 stakes race that was held annually at Hollywood Park and moved to Santa Anita Park when Hollywood closed. A bust of Whittingham and his dog Toby is at the paddock at Santa Anita.

Del Mar Race Track Del, or nabla, is an Operator (mathematics), operator used in mathematics (particularly in vector calculus) as a vector (geometry), vector differential operator, usually represented by the nabla symbol ∇. When applied to a function (mathema ...

has the Whittingham Sports Pub with photos and sports memorabilia honoring Charles Whittingham, and Hollywood Park Racetrack has the Whittingham Pub and Deli.

Selected other race wins

* Futurity Stakes (1953) *

Knickerbocker Handicap The Knickerbocker Stakes is an American Grade III race on turf for Thoroughbred horses run each year at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The Knickerbocker is open to three-year-olds and up, and set at a distance of miles (nine furlongs). Run ...

(1954) *

San Carlos Handicap The San Carlos Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race once held during the third week of February at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, but now run in March. The Grade II stakes race is open to horses, aged three and up, willing to rac ...

(1955, 1956, 1960, 1971, 1988, 1993) * Arlington Handicap (1956, 1983, 1987) * Californian Stakes (1956, 1957, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1990) * San Felipe Handicap (1956, 1963, 1966, 1989) *

Santa Barbara Handicap The Santa Barbara Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event open to fillies and mares, age four and older, it is contested of turf over a distance of o ...

(1956, 1964, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1985, 1987) * Woodward Stakes (1956) * San Gabriel Handicap (1957, 1966, 1971, 1977, 1984, 1985, 1997) * San Juan Capistrano Handicap (1957, 1959, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989) * Santa Maria Handicap (1958, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978) * San Bernardino Handicap (1960, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991) * Del Mar Handicap (1961, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1987, 1989, 1990) * American Derby (1962) *

San Vicente Handicap The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade II event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and currently carries a purse of $200,000. Hi ...

(1962, 1966, 1967, 1976) * Sam Marcos Handicap (1963, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1985) * Santa Catalina Stakes (1964, 1970, 1986, 1988) * Top Flight Handicap (1964) * Charles H. Strub Stakes (1967, 1975, 1989) *

John C. Mabee Handicap The John C. Mabee Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race contested in early August at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. It is run on the turf for fillies and mares, age three or older, at a distance of one and one-eighth mi ...

(1968, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994) *

San Luis Obispo Handicap The San Luis Obispo Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one and one-half miles on the turf. A Grade II event, it offer ...

(1968, 1971, 1972 (2), 1977, 1983, 1987, 1990) * Del Mar Oaks (1970, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1991) * San Luis Rey Handicap (1970, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989) * Hollywood Invitational Turf Handicap (1970, 1971, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987) *

Frank E. Kilroe Mile Handicap The Frank E. Kilroe Mile is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses four years of age and older, it is raced over a distance of one mile (1.6 km). The Grade I race curre ...

(1971, 1972, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1987) * Santa Anita Oaks (1971, 1973, 1974, 1986) * Norfolk Stakes (1972, 1977, 1980) *

Chula Vista Handicap The Clement L. Hirsch Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares age three years and older over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt track, scheduled annually in late July or early August at Del ...

(1973, 1980, 1987, 1989) * Beverly Hills Handicap (1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993) *

Sunset Handicap The Sunset Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually during the third week of July at Hollywood Park Racetrack in inglewood, California. The Grade III event is open to horses, age three and up, willing to race one and one-half ...

(1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1992) * Fantasy Stakes (1974, 1984, 1988) * Hawthorne Handicap (1974, 1976) *

Santa Ana Handicap The Santa Ana Handicap is a Thoroughbred horse race run at annually Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California during the third week of March. The race is open to fillies and mares, age four and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the ...

(1974, 1981, 1985, 1987) * Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (1981, 1989, 1991) * Yellow Ribbon Stakes (1981, 1982, 1985, 1994) * Goodwood Handicap (1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991) *

John Henry Handicap The John Henry Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California from 1986 through 1994. A Graded stakes race, Grade II event open to horses age three and older, it was contest on Gr ...

(1986, 1989, 1990) *

Providencia Stakes The Providencia Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the turf course scheduled annually in April at Santa Anita Park. The event currently carries a purse o ...

(1986, 1988) *

Longacres Mile Handicap The Longacres Mile Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race generally held in August at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington. The race is open to horses three years of age and older and is run on dirt over a distance of one mile (eight furlon ...

(1987) * Kentucky Oaks (1988) *

Super Derby The Super Derby is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually in September at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana. Inaugurated in 1980, the Super Derby is open to three-year-olds and the distance is miles on the dirt. Currently a Gr ...

(1989)

References

External links

Legends: Charlie Whittingham
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whittingham, Charlie 1913 births 1999 deaths American horse trainers Eclipse Award winners United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II Sportspeople from Chula Vista, California United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees United States Marines