ough bre d ▁horse ▁racing ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁tra iner ▁and ▁owner . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Born ▁in ▁Independ ence , ▁Missouri , ▁Sam ▁H ild re th ▁began ▁his ▁training ▁career ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁compet ing ▁at ▁rac etra cks ▁in ▁the ▁Mid western ▁United ▁States ▁with ▁such ▁horses ▁as ▁the ▁good ▁rac em are ▁Hur ley ▁Bur ley , ▁the ▁dam ▁of ▁Burg om aster . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁where ▁thorough bre d ▁racing ▁was ▁a ▁leading ▁sport ▁offering ▁the ▁largest ▁purs es . ▁He ▁was ▁first ▁h ired ▁to ▁train ▁horses ▁owned ▁by ▁wealth y ▁business man ▁William ▁Collins ▁Whit ney , ▁but ▁soon ▁set ▁out ▁on ▁his ▁own , ▁bu ying ▁horses ▁for ▁himself ▁and ▁training ▁for ▁others . ▁He ▁won ▁his ▁first ▁of ▁seven ▁Bel mont ▁St akes ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁with ▁the ▁horse ▁Jean ▁Bere aud ▁for ▁owner ▁Sydney ▁P aget . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁Samuel ▁H ild re th ▁had ▁expanded ▁his ▁New ▁York ▁operations ▁and ▁owned ▁the ▁largest ▁racing ▁st ables ▁at ▁the ▁Fair ▁Gr ounds ▁Race ▁Cour se ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans . ▁That ▁year , ▁he ▁appointed ▁former ▁out law ▁Frank ▁James ▁as ▁his ▁bet ting ▁commission er ▁at ▁the ▁track . ▁Among ▁the ▁horses ▁H ild re th ▁owned ▁was ▁Fitz ▁Herbert ▁( b . ▁ 1 9 0 6 ) ▁who ▁won ▁the ▁Brook lyn ▁Hand ic ap