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29-483: The race dates back to 1899 where it was first run at Morris Park Racecourse . It was long the premier stakes in U.S. jump racing. Past winners include 11 of the 14 steeplechasers inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame : Flatterer (also a close second in the 1987 Champion Hurdle ), Zaccio , Café Prince, Bon Nouvel, Neji , Oedipus , Elkridge, Bushranger , Battleship (in 1938 became

58-523: A disproportionate influence over the nation's political, educational, religious, and other institutions. Of all social classes, members of the upper class also have a strong sense of solidarity and 'consciousness of kind' that stretches across the nation and even the globe. Since the 1970s, income inequality in the United States has been increasing, with the top 1% (largely because of the top 0.1%) experiencing significantly larger gains in income than

87-415: A few number of professionals , are considered members of this class by contemporary sociologists, such as James Henslin or Dennis Gilbert . There may be prestige differences between different upper-class households. An A-list actor, for example, might not be accorded as much prestige as a former U.S. President , yet all members of this class are so influential and wealthy as to be considered members of

116-650: A part of Westchester County, New York that was annexed into the Bronx in 1895 and later developed as the neighborhood of Morris Park . The racecourse was the site of the Belmont Stakes from 1890 through 1904 as well as the Preakness Stakes in 1890. Morris Park Racecourse was conceived and built by majority shareholder John Albert Morris as a result of the planned closure of the nearby Jerome Park Racetrack , where racing ended in 1894 to make way for

145-455: A particular manner to understand and share upper class values, traditions, and cultural norms. The term is often used in conjunction with terms like upper-middle class , middle class , and working class as part of a model of social stratification . Historically in some cultures, members of an upper class often did not have to work for a living, as they were supported by earned or inherited investments (often real estate ), although members of

174-424: A stretch that was 2,250 feet (690 m) long and widened from 80 feet (24 m) at the top of the homestretch to 240 feet (73 m) at the finish line. The north end of the track was located on a hill so horses had to run uphill on the backstretch and downhill on the homestretch. A chute on the main track permitted races of 1 + 1 ⁄ 8  mi (1.8 km) to be run with one turn. Another track called

203-406: A total of 1,000 stalls, more than any two of the other American racetracks combined. 40°51′00″N 73°51′20″W  /  40.85000°N 73.85556°W  / 40.85000; -73.85556 Upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status, usually are the wealthiest members of class society , and wield

232-553: A two-tier social class system composed of working class and middle class (with the exception of a small number of wealthy billionaires). The American upper class is a social group within the United States consisting of people who have the highest social rank primarily due to economic wealth . The American upper class is estimated to constitute less than 1% of the population. By self-identification, according to this 2001–2012 Gallup Poll data, 98% of Americans identify with

261-534: The Jerome Park Reservoir . Principal owner John Morris had extensive business interests in Louisiana and the prominent New York businessman and horseracing enthusiast Leonard W. Jerome served as the racecourse's president. African-American Racing Hall of Fame jockey Isaac Murphy rode on opening day at the new facility—August 20, 1889—and Morris Park was described as "the finest race track in

290-725: The Second World War , the term has come to encompass rich and powerful members of the managerial and professional classes as well. In the years since Irish independence in 1922 the upper class has all but vanished in the Republic of Ireland. Aristocratic titles within the Peerage of Ireland granted by the British monarch have no recognition in the Irish Constitution. Contemporary Ireland is generally perceived to have

319-550: The Szlachta of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth . In Great Britain and Ireland , the "upper class" traditionally comprised the landed gentry and the aristocracy of noble families with hereditary titles. The vast majority of post-medieval aristocratic families originated in the merchant class and were ennobled between the 14th and 19th centuries while intermarrying with the old nobility and gentry. Since

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348-421: The old upper classes, and they are often culturally distinct from the newly rich middle classes that tend to dominate public life in modern social democracies. According to the latter view held by the traditional upper classes, no amount of individual wealth or fame would make a person from an undistinguished background into a member of the upper class as one must be born into a family of that class and raised in

377-544: The Eclipse course ran diagonally across the main track on a straightaway of 3 ⁄ 4  mi (1.2 km), joining the main track at its finish line. It was named after Eclipse, a horse owned by Francis Morris. A six furlongs race on the Eclipse course was nicknamed the "Toboggan Slide" and continues to be run today at Aqueduct Racetrack as the Toboggan Handicap . The stables at Morris Park Racecourse held

406-722: The Preakness and Belmont Stakes. While the Preakness Stakes was canceled for three years then restarted in 1894 at Gravesend Race Track on Coney Island , the Belmont Stakes was held at Morris Park until it moved to Belmont Park on Long Island in 1905. During this same period of 1890 through 1904, the Champagne Stakes and the Ladies Handicap were also raced here. The Metropolitan Handicap

435-555: The decline in attendance resulted in the decision to close Morris Park Racecourse. The final day of races was held on October 15, 1904, and racing shifted to the new Belmont Park the following year. After its closure, the Morris Park Racecourse was used for automobile racing but a few years later the Morris heirs sold the property to real estate developers. The new owners ran into financial problems which resulted in

464-538: The five other class terms used, 48–50% identifying as "middle class". The main distinguishing feature of the upper class is its ability to derive enormous incomes from wealth through techniques such as money management and investing, rather than engaging in wage-labor salaried employment, although most upper-class individuals today will still hold some sort of employment, which differs from historical norms. Successful entrepreneurs , CEOs , investment bankers , venture capitalists , heir to fortunes, celebrities, and

493-443: The greatest political power . According to this view, the upper class is generally distinguished by immense wealth which is passed on from generation to generation. Prior to the 20th century, the emphasis was on aristocracy , which emphasized generations of inherited noble status , not just recent wealth. Because the upper classes of a society may no longer rule the society in which they are living, they are often referred to as

522-490: The land into building lots. As late as 1921 the clubhouse was still intact when it was sold as part of a 14-lot package to a company who converted it for use as a factory to manufacture ornamental iron . Morris Park Racecourse was situated in the area bounded on the south by Sackett Avenue and by what is today the Amtrak Northeast Corridor railroad right-of-way, on the east by Williamsbridge Road, on

551-473: The oldest races in steeplechasing and one of the most important outside Europe. The day of steeplechasing at Far Hills includes seven races, the most important of which is the Grand National. †Race no longer part of Breeders' Cup · §Race no longer run. Morris Park Racecourse Morris Park Racecourse was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility from 1889 to 1904. It was located in

580-611: The only winner of this race and the Aintree Grand National ), Jolly Roger and Good and Plenty . The race has also been held at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course as well as the steeplechase meets at Fair Hill, Maryland and Charlottesville, Virginia . The Grand National (sometimes called the American Grand National to distinguish it from the race held at Aintree in England) is one of

609-558: The rest of society. Alan Greenspan , former chair of the Federal Reserve , sees it as a problem for society, calling it a "very disturbing trend". According to the book Who Rules America? by William Domhoff , the distribution of wealth in America is the primary highlight of the influence of the upper class. The top 1% of Americans own around 34% of the wealth in the U.S. while the bottom 80% own only approximately 16% of

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638-553: The term "upper class" was intimately associated with hereditary land ownership. Political power was often in the hands of the landowners in many pre-industrial societies despite there being no legal barriers to land ownership for other social classes. Upper-class landowners in Europe were often also members of the titled nobility , though not necessarily: the prevalence of titles of nobility varied widely from country to country. Some upper classes were almost entirely untitled, for example,

667-549: The track being taken over by the City of New York in 1907. The city then leased it for two years to the Aeronautic Society of New York who hosted the first public air show on the grounds. In June 1909, Glenn H. Curtiss put on a flying exhibition at Morris Park. On April 10, 1910 a fire ravaged much of the stables and nearby facilities. Three years later the property was auctioned off to developers who would subdivide

696-465: The upper class may have had less actual money than merchants. Upper-class status commonly derived from the social position of one's family and not from one's own achievements or wealth. Much of the population that composed the upper class consisted of aristocrats, ruling families, titled people, and religious hierarchs . These people were usually born into their status and historically there was not much movement across class boundaries. In many countries,

725-501: The upper class. At the pinnacle of U.S. wealth, 2004 saw a dramatic increase in the numbers of billionaires. According to Forbes Magazine , there are now 374 U.S. billionaires. The growth in billionaires took a dramatic leap since the early 1980s, when the average net worth of the individuals on the Forbes 400 list was $ 400 million. Today , the average net worth is $ 2.8 billion. Upper-class families... dominate corporate America and have

754-403: The wealth. This large disparity displays the unequal distribution of wealth in America in absolute terms. In 1998, Bob Herbert of The New York Times referred to modern American plutocrats as " The Donor Class " (list of top donors) and defined the class, for the first time, as "a tiny group – just one-quarter of 1 percent of the population – and it is not representative of the rest of

783-454: The west by what is now Bronxdale Road, and on the north by Pelham Parkway . The grandstand stood at the intersection of Bogart and Fowler Avenues and the clubhouse was near the intersection of Fowler and Van Nest Avenues. The racetrack covered 360 acres (1.5 km ) and had a grandstand 650 feet (200 m) long that could accommodate up to 15,000 attendees. The main track had circumference of 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  mi (2.4 km), with

812-597: The world." Accessible by horse and buggy, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad added a short spur from its main line near the Van Nest station that brought racing fans directly to the new race track from the greater New York City area. The track held the USA Cross Country Championships from 1890 to 1892 and 1897 to 1898. On June 10, 1890, Morris Park Racecourse hosted both

841-614: Was inaugurated here in 1891 as was the Matron Stakes the following year. A few days before he died in May 1895, John Morris leased the racecourse, with an option to purchase, to the Westchester Racing Association. Although the 1½ mile racecourse was modified to a one-mile circuit to allow for better spectator viewing, a lack of patronage by high society members meant the clubhouse was usually empty. By 1902,

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