If appearances on cigar labels are the criterion, no sport was more popular in the second half of the 19th century, and on into the 20th, than horse racing. That’s no surprise given the importance of the horse in every day life of ranchers, farmers and even city folk. Ever since they were first domesticated, men have competed to see who has the biggest, fastest and strongest horse. Those that won were a source of pride, a pride often flaunted on cigar labels. Although generic horse racing labels exist, the most popular were those depicting winners, of races of all sizes and importance.
Horse Racing
A National Cigar Museum Exhibit
© Tony Hyman
Early 1880’s box featuring a quartet of champions, Iroquois and Foxhall from the world of thoroughbreds and sulky horses St. Julien and Maud S. Cigars by Straiton & Storm, Fact. 13, 3rd Dist NYC. [0884]
Made in PA for a Sioux City, Iowa, distributor, the brand features six prize horses: Alix, Robert J, Imp, Flying Jib, Star Pointer, and Salvator. File card with
further data missing.
[0717]
Hambletonian features the most important race for sulky drivers, but no named horses. Cigars made in Fact. 15, 3rd Mass. for R.N. Messer of West Andover, NH around 1903.
[0718]
Generic horse racing label from early 1880’s, Name refers to horse and cigar as being leaders, a phrase in the cigar world meaning a big seller.
Catalog card missing.
[0703]
Generic horse racing label. A dark horse is one given little chance to win, but sometimes does.
Fact. 97, 26th Dist. NY, 1881.
[5577]
Wasn’t able to trace Great Tom as a horse but the cigars were made in the 500 roller factory of the Levy Brothers at 13th and Ave. C in NYC
in the early 1880’s.
[0702]
TEN BROECK was an important 1870’s champion, winner of 5 of his 8 races at age 3 and 4 of 5 a year later. Called “last of the great four milers” as races were often much longer than today. b1872-d1887. Unusually fancy box for 1876. [5573]
TEN BROECK box interior (he’s the dark colored horse at right). Cigar price “1 for 5¢” penciled upside down below label. Cigars by Krohn Feiss & Co., Fact. 14, 1st Dist. Ohio.
[5574]
California champion in the 1870’s owned by P. Lorillard of tobacco fame and named after one of his brands of chewing tobacco. Famous stakes race in which he beat five year old TEN BROECK, the latter’s only loss in 10 races that year. [8389]
Unusually detailed NWH style cigar box registered in 1879 not long after his stakes race against the Eastern wonder horse. Both PAROLE and TEN BROECK are in the racing Hall of Fame.
[8388]
Harris label from 1880’s pictures horse in exaggerated stride. Name is letterpressed on a stock label that could represent any horse. Who was Shenandoah? ¿Quien sabe? Cigars made in Fact. 110, 6th District of Virginia. [0714]
Winner of various European stakes races in the 1870’s, plus two places and a show in the three most important meets. Fact. 415 2nd Dist CT. Unusual NWH box with a full size BW label.
[0719]
American horse racing in Europe to enormous success in 1880’s including Ascot Gold Cup. Only American horse to ever win Grand Prix de Paris.
Named after the owner’s son, Foxhall Keene.
Bondy & Lederer, Fact. 294, 3rd NYC. [0716]
Born 1869; discovered pulling a milk wagon, bought for $600. At age 7 won all six races; world record holder at 11. Cigars by R.N. Ewell, whose 125 rollers made it KY’s largest factory. Fact. 341,
5th District, Louisville. [0706]
Born 1874, MAUD S was once the world’s fastest harness horse, known as “Queen of the Turf.” Sold as 4 year old for $21,000 to William Vanderbilt who used her as a road horse. In 1884 she resumed racing, lowering the record once again. [0704]
Maud as celebrity spokes-animal: “More Horses are ruined by the use of cheap cut nails, than by hard driving. The best horsemen the world over use only The Putnam Hot-Forged and Hammer-Pointed Nail.” [0705]
Born in 1896, in ten years this famous pacer never lost a race. Many tracks wouldn’t accept bets on him. Ultimately set records in every class and distance. Raced mostly exhibitions because
horses wouldn’t run against him. [0709]
Some enterprising cheat pasted the name DAN PATCH on a SAN ARDO box in an effort to boost popularity and sales. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that horses ran as fast so Dan Patch was still well known. Fact. 47 Wisconsin, 1944. [0715]
Local horses that won races frequently ended up
on cigar boxes. C.W. Rose in Mason, Michigan
Fact. 453, 1st Dist. Michigan, made these c.1903.
Vanity (photographic) labels were easily made.
[0722]
S.C. Chambers of Chambers and Owen, a retail outlet in Milton Junction, Wisconsin, was proud of his horse and ordered a vanity (photographic) label in his honor. Cigars made in Fact. 954, 1st Mich.
[0724]
This cigar brand picturing a harness horse was registered to Jacob Vanden Berg, owner of Fact. 168, 4th Mich in Grand Rapids in 1900. Whose horse or what she did is unknown to me.
[0725]
“One of the most noted of pacing mares” driven by Ed Abrams d1938 “one of the coolest and most calculating drivers.” The horse’s record is one full second faster than what’s on the label. Unlisted
cigar maker Fact. 58 Michigan. 1945. [0707]
I’ve found roads, towns and schools named Hazel Patch but no record of her record. Cigars made by Oscar Leistikon, Fact. 719, 2nd Milwaukee, WI
in the 1920’s
[0708]
In 1934, the year of this box, COLD CASH was the “world champion two year old pacer” and a decade later still held the record for a 3-heat race. Unknown cigar maker for distributor Niles & Moser.
[0720]
California born in 1883, harness horse ALCAZAR became one of the two best known cigar label horses, appearing for half a century. Rarely found with its beautiful flap intact. Louis Kindling of Milwaukee, Fact 653, 1st WI made cigars. [4680]
In 1885, San Gabriel trained ALCAZAR became the 1st two year old to hold the record. Early versions of horse labels include their record. As their times get eclipsed, the records tend to get dropped. Alcazar’s remain for the duration. [0710]
The 1934 version has an NRA sticker and shows
the early 30’s price drop. Now made by Jos. Kerns’ Quality Cigar Co. Fact. 505 Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
[0711]
Late 30’s version. Note the changes in color of the title. There is a later cardboard version (not pictured) made in the 1950’s in Fact. 237 1st Pennsylvania by Schwartz Bros.
[0712]
Winner of a handful of races, the horse was named THE HARVESTER tho cigar smokers usually drop the first word. His half mile record set in 1925 still stood in 1944. Catalog card missing.
[0726]
In 1933, the price, like that of many other brands, was cut in half. Banners touted the drop. The NRA sticker identifies it as 1934.
[0727]
By the late 1930’s his record was gone as was “The” in his name. Price adjustments during WWII would raise the price back to a dime.
[0728]
Price reduced from a dime in the late 1940’s. Brand now made by Consolidated Cigar Corp, in Lancaster
Pennsylvania. Brand continues into the 1960’s and 70’s with totally redesigned boxes.
[0729]
Champion trotter of the early 1920’s.
Cigars probably made by William Muehlhauser in Fact. 1739, 1st Quakertown PA.
[0721]
Later version of the label doesn’t include record.
[0713]
The horse on this 1912 vanity box was called “the guideless wonder” with a 2:10 record. Cigars by Barnes, Smith & Co Fact. 1239, 21st Dist. NY, Binghamton. Distributed by G.W. Croucher.
[0730]
Later version which is available on loose labels but rarely found on boxes.
[0731]
Red Lion’s Neff & Co., Fact 533, made the cigars
filling this distinctive horse racing box in 1941.
[0732]
Canada’s best known box with a horse racing theme. From the 1950’s.
[0733]
By the early 1960’s label design had been simplified but horse racing remained an advertising theme.
Inexpensive cigarillo type cigars were very popular in the 1950’s and 60’s.
[0734]
An early form of harness racing made its way
to cigar boxes in the 1880’s. Cigars by J.D. Morris Sharpsburg in Fact. 42, 23rd PA.
[0830]
