10/21/2025 General, Modern & Contemporary Art, General Paintings
A Whitney & Vanderbilt Legacy: Property from the Collection of Marylou Whitney & John Hendrickson offers collectors and racing enthusiasts a rare opportunity to acquire pieces from a family whose name is synonymous with Thoroughbred breeding and racing. The auction on November 12 features a rich selection of artwork and memorabilia that reflects the Whitney family’s deep and enduring legacy in the sport spanning more than a century. Across generations, the Whitneys produced more stakes winners than any other family in U.S. racing history, with their Eton blue and brown silks becoming emblematic of victory on the turf.
The Whitney legacy is equally woven into the fabric of Saratoga Springs, New York. From the 1901 purchase and sweeping restoration of the Saratoga Race Course into a world-class racing venue, to the acquisition of their historic country estate, Cady Hill, where they entertained leading figures of society, to their role in founding the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, and the annual summer gala that became the hallmark event of the racing season—the Whitneys defined the very identity of Saratoga Springs itself.
This racing dynasty began with William Collins Whitney (1841-1904), financier and Secretary of the Navy under President Grover Cleveland. Introduced to the sport by legendary owners and breeders August Belmont II and John E. Madden in the 1890s, Whitney developed an interest in Thoroughbred breeding, and the stable he assembled helped shape the modern American racehorse. Featured in the upcoming sale are two copies of The Whitney Stud, his privately printed 1902 record of the Whitney stable’s breeding operation, along with a rare photograph album of Whitney horses and related volumes tracing Whitney horse bloodlines (lot 69).
His son, Harry Payne Whitney (1872-1930), elevated the family’s prominence in the sport, breeding an extraordinary 192 stakes winners. Among the offerings in the auction are two equestrian paintings depicting National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductees from the Whitney stable: Broomstick (lot 3), the sire of numerous winners, and his celebrated offspring Regret (lot 15), who made history in 1915 as the first filly to win the Kentucky Derby.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, known as “C.V.” and “Sonny,” became the third generation of the family involved in racing. A three-time U.S. Open Polo champion, he inherited his father’s stable in 1930 and went on to breed 176 stakes winners. The sale features portraits of National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame inductee Top Flight (lot 5); Mahmoud (lot 6), the sire of 70 stakes winners for the Whitney stable; and State Dinner (lot 14), winner of the 1980 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga, along with a trove of racing photographs and memorabilia (lot 61).
Following C.V.’s death in 1992, his wife, Marylou Whitney, continued the Whitney family’s Thoroughbred legacy. The “Queen of Saratoga” was a beloved fixture at the races, radiating effervescent enthusiasm for the sport while captivating fans with her signature style and charm. She set about reacquiring “Whitney mares” for the new Marylou Whitney Stable, including Dear Birdie, dam of two horses whose portraits appear in the sale: Bird Town (lot 12), who was named American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly of 2003, and Birdstone, winner of the 2004 Belmont Stakes (lot 13 and lot 17), in addition to a portrait of graded-stakes winner Pretty Birdie (lot 20).
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
C.V. Whitney played a foundational role in creating the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs in 1950. He envisioned a national repository dedicated to preserving the history, art and spirit of American Thoroughbred racing. His influence is still felt in the C.V. Whitney Courtyard and in the institution’s enduring mission to celebrate the heritage of the sport he loved.
Marylou Whitney carried that legacy forward with characteristic grace and generosity. Together with her next husband, John Hendrickson (1965-2024), she underwrote the renovation of the C.V. Whitney Courtyard and supported numerous museum initiatives. In recognition of her impact on racing and the Saratoga community, she was inducted as a “Pillar of the Turf” in 2019. John Hendrickson continued her work as chairman of the museum, overseeing a major modernization of its galleries and exhibits that brought new vitality to its mission. Together, C.V. Whitney, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson secured the museum’s place as a lasting monument to the history, culture and enduring spirit of American Thoroughbred racing.
Doyle is honored to auction artwork, furniture, silver, decorations, racing memorabilia, jewelry and more from Cady Hill, the stately Saratoga Springs, New York residence that for nearly a century was home to the Whitney family.
Auction Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 10am
Exhibition November 8 – 10
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Sale Info & Highlights
In addition to artwork, racing memorabilia in the Collection includes William Collins Whitney’s copies of The Whitney Stud from 1902 (lot 69), legendary jockey Edgar Prado’s autographed riding boot, made into a table lamp (lot 71), two cast iron lawn jockeys painted in Whitney silks (lot 232), a set of sixteen Pia bone china equestrian napkin rings (lot 228) and much more.