George D. Widener Jr.
| George D. Widener Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 11, 1889 New York City, New York U.S. |
| Died | December 8, 1971 (aged 82) Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Residence | Erdenheim Farm |
| Occupation | Businessman, philanthropist, racehorse owner/breeder |
| Spouse(s) | Jessie Sloane Dodge (m. 1917; her death 1968) |
| Children | Diana Dodge (stepdaughter) |
| Parent(s) |
George Dunton Widener & Eleanor Elkins |
| Honors | |
George Dunton Widener Jr. (March 11, 1889 - December 8, 1971) was an American businessman and thoroughbred racehorse owner; one of only five people ever designated "Exemplars of Racing" by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Widener was born into the prominent and wealthy Widener family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the younger son of George Dunton Widener and Eleanor Elkins, and brother to Harry Elkins Widener (1885-1912) and Eleanor Widener (1891-1953).
His grandfathers, the traction (streetcar) magnate Peter A. B. Widener (1834-1915) and the oil & steel financier William Lukens Elkins (1832-1903), were long-time friends and business partners. At age 23, he lost both his father and brother when the RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic on her maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. His sister married Fitz Eugene Dixon in 1912.
Greatly influenced by his uncle Joseph E. Widener (1871–1943), head of New York's Belmont Park and builder of Hialeah Park racetrack in Miami, he became involved in thoroughbred horse racing.
In 1916, he began raising thoroughbreds at Erdenheim Farm, and at Old Kenney Farm (now Green Gates Farm) in Lexington, Kentucky. In 1962, he sold the farm and later that same year, his colt, Jaipur, won the Travers Stakes, which had eluded him since 1918. Jaipur was a sentimental favorite because of his owner and a betting favorite because of his promise, defeated Ridan by a nose. While Jaipur was not a candidate for the Kentucky Derby, the first of the contests in the Triple Crown, he did win the Belmont Stakes.
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