1.
Pimlico Race Course
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Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlicos Tavern in London. The racetrack is nicknamed Old Hilltop after a rise in the infield that became a favorite gathering place for thoroughbred trainers. It is currently owned by Maryland Jockey Club, Pimlico officially opened in the fall of 1870, with the colt Preakness winning the first running of the Dinner Party Stakes. Three years later the horse would have the 1873 Preakness Stakes named in his honor. The track is noted as the home for the match race in which Seabiscuit beat War Admiral in the second Pimlico Special, on November 1,1938. The capacity of the stadium is 98,983, the Preakness Stakes and the Pimlico Special are run at a distance of 1 3/16 miles. The Pimlico track record for distance is held by Farma Way. Pimlico also survived Prohibition and even a movement in 1910. As Alfred G. Vanderbilt said, Pimlico is more than a dirt track bounded by four streets and it is an accepted American institution, devoted to the best interests of a great sport, graced by time, respected for its honorable past. The races held at Pimlico, especially the Preakness, draw spectators from the Mid-Atlantic region, in 2007, the official attendance was 121,263 for the Preakness, the most people to watch a sporting event in Maryland history. More than $87.2 million in bets were made, on March 23,2010 an agreement was reached to sell the two Maryland Jockey Club tracks from Magna Entertainment Corporation to its parent company, MI Development. On May 7, Penn National, with MI Development, announced they would jointly own, Penn National, which began in 1973, operating a thoroughbred race track near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has grown to become the largest racetrack operator in the country. The Stronach Group is owned by Canadian horse breeder and owner Frank Stronach, who also was MI Developments chairman and chief executive, Penn National bought a 49% stake in the Jockey Club in 2010 in hopes of securing a slots license at Laurel Park. On October 24,1877, the United States Congress shut down for a day so its members could attend a race at Pimlico. The event was a 2½-mile match race run by a trio of champions, Ten Broeck, Tom Ochiltree, Ten Broeck, the Kentucky champion, was owned by F. B. Tom Ochiltree, the Eastern champion and winner of the 1875 Preakness Stakes, was owned by George L. Lorillard, Parole, a gelding, was owned by Pierre Lorillard IV. An estimated 20,000 people crowded into Pimlico to witness the event, the event is depicted in a four-ton stone bas relief—copied from a Currier & Ives print and sculpted in stone by Bernard Zuckerman—hanging over the clubhouse entrance at Pimlico
2.
Baltimore
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Baltimore is the largest city in the U. S. state of Maryland, and the 29th-most populous city in the country. It was established by the Constitution of Maryland and is not part of any county, thus, it is the largest independent city in the United States, with a population of 621,849 as of 2015. As of 2010, the population of the Baltimore Metropolitan Area was 2.7 million, founded in 1729, Baltimore is the second largest seaport in the Mid-Atlantic. Baltimores Inner Harbor was once the leading port of entry for immigrants to the United States. With hundreds of identified districts, Baltimore has been dubbed a city of neighborhoods, in the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner, later the American national anthem, in Baltimore. More than 65,000 properties, or roughly one in three buildings in the city, are listed on the National Register, more than any city in the nation. The city has 289 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the historical records of the government of Baltimore are located at the Baltimore City Archives. The city is named after Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, of the Irish House of Lords, Baltimore Manor was the name of the estate in County Longford on which the Calvert family lived in Ireland. Baltimore is an anglicization of the Irish name Baile an Tí Mhóir, in 1608, Captain John Smith traveled 210 miles from Jamestown to the uppermost Chesapeake Bay, leading the first European expedition to the Patapsco River. The name Patapsco is derived from pota-psk-ut, which translates to backwater or tide covered with froth in Algonquian dialect, a quarter century after John Smiths voyage, English colonists began to settle in Maryland. The area constituting the modern City of Baltimore and its area was first settled by David Jones in 1661. He claimed the area today as Harbor East on the east bank of the Jones Falls stream. In the early 1600s, the immediate Baltimore vicinity was populated, if at all. The Baltimore area had been inhabited by Native Americans since at least the 10th millennium BC, one Paleo-Indian site and several Archaic period and Woodland period archaeological sites have been identified in Baltimore, including four from the Late Woodland period. During the Late Woodland period, the culture that is called the Potomac Creek complex resided in the area from Baltimore to the Rappahannock River in Virginia. It was located on the Bush River on land that in 1773 became part of Harford County, in 1674, the General Assembly passed An Act for erecting a Court-house and Prison in each County within this Province. The site of the house and jail for Baltimore County was evidently Old Baltimore near the Bush River. In 1683, the General Assembly passed An Act for Advancement of Trade to establish towns, ports, one of the towns established by the act in Baltimore County was on Bush River, on Town Land, near the Court-House
3.
Maryland
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The states largest city is Baltimore, and its capital is Annapolis. Among its occasional nicknames are Old Line State, the Free State, the state is named after Henrietta Maria of France, the wife of Charles I of England. George Calvert was the first Lord of Baltimore and the first English proprietor of the colonial grant. Maryland was the state to ratify the United States Constitution. Maryland is one of the smallest U. S. states in terms of area, as well as one of the most densely populated, Maryland has an area of 12,406.68 square miles and is comparable in overall area with Belgium. It is the 42nd largest and 9th smallest state and is closest in size to the state of Hawaii, the next largest state, its neighbor West Virginia, is almost twice the size of Maryland. Maryland possesses a variety of topography within its borders, contributing to its nickname America in Miniature. The mid-portion of this border is interrupted by Washington, D. C. which sits on land that was part of Montgomery and Prince Georges counties and including the town of Georgetown. This land was ceded to the United States Federal Government in 1790 to form the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay nearly bisects the state and the counties east of the bay are known collectively as the Eastern Shore. Close to the town of Hancock, in western Maryland, about two-thirds of the way across the state. This geographical curiosity makes Maryland the narrowest state, bordered by the Mason–Dixon line to the north, portions of Maryland are included in various official and unofficial geographic regions. Much of the Baltimore–Washington corridor lies just south of the Piedmont in the Coastal Plain, earthquakes in Maryland are infrequent and small due to the states distance from seismic/earthquake zones. The M5.8 Virginia earthquake in 2011 was felt moderately throughout Maryland, buildings in the state are not well-designed for earthquakes and can suffer damage easily. The lack of any glacial history accounts for the scarcity of Marylands natural lakes, laurel Oxbow Lake is an over one-hundred-year-old 55-acre natural lake two miles north of Maryland City and adjacent to Russett. Chews Lake is a natural lake two miles south-southeast of Upper Marlboro. There are numerous lakes, the largest of them being the Deep Creek Lake. Maryland has shale formations containing natural gas, where fracking is theoretically possible, as is typical of states on the East Coast, Marylands plant life is abundant and healthy. Middle Atlantic coastal forests, typical of the southeastern Atlantic coastal plain, grow around Chesapeake Bay, moving west, a mixture of Northeastern coastal forests and Southeastern mixed forests cover the central part of the state
4.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
5.
Secretariat (horse)
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Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who, in 1973, became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. His record-breaking win in the Belmont Stakes, where he left the field 31 lengths behind him, is regarded as one of the greatest races of all time. During his racing career, he won five Eclipse Awards, including Horse of the Year honors at two and three. He was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1974, in the List of the Top 100 U. S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, Secretariat is second only to Man o War, at age two, Secretariat finished fourth in his 1972 debut in a maiden race, but then won seven of his remaining eight starts, including five stakes victories. His only loss during this period was in the Champagne Stakes and he received the Eclipse Award for champion two-year-old colt, and also was the 1972 Horse of the Year, a rare honor for a horse so young. At age three, Secretariat not only won the Triple Crown, he set speed records in all three races. His time in the Kentucky Derby still stands as the Churchill Downs track record for 1 1⁄4 miles and his controversial time in the Preakness Stakes was eventually recognized as a stakes record in 2012. He lost three times that year, in the Wood Memorial, Whitney and Woodward Stakes, but the brilliance of his nine wins made him an American icon and he won his second Horse of the Year title, plus Eclipse Awards for champion three-year-old colt and champion turf horse. At the beginning of his year, Secretariat was syndicated for a record-breaking $6.08 million on condition that he be retired from racing by the end of the year. Although he sired successful racehorses, he ultimately was most influential through his daughters offspring, becoming the leading broodmare sire in North America in 1992. Secretariat died in 1989 due to laminitis and his daughters produced several notable sires, including Storm Cat, A. P. Indy, Gone West, Dehere and Chiefs Crown, and through them Secretariat appears in the pedigree of many modern champions. He continues to be recognized as one of the greatest horses in American racing history, Secretariat was sired by Bold Ruler and his dam was Somethingroyal, a daughter of Princequillo. Bold Ruler was the leading sire in North America from 1963 to 1969, owned by the Phipps family, Bold Ruler possessed both speed and stamina, having won the Preakness Stakes and Horse of the Year honors in 1957, and American Champion Sprint Horse honors in 1958. Bold Ruler was retired to stud at Claiborne Farm, but the Phippses owned most of the mares to which Bold Ruler was bred, and few of his offspring were sold at public auction. Assuming two foals were produced, the Phipps family would keep one and the owner would keep the other. Under such an arrangement, Chenery sent two mares to be bred to Bold Ruler in 1968, Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal and she then sent Cicada and Somethingroyal in 1969. The foal-sharing agreement stated that the winner of the toss would get first foal pick of the foals produced in 1969
6.
Colt (horse)
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A colt is a male horse, usually below the age of four years. The term colt only describes young male horses and is not to be confused with foal, similarly, a yearling is a horse of either sex between the ages of one and two. A young female horse is called a filly, and a mare once she is an adult animal. In horse racing, particularly for Thoroughbreds in the United Kingdom, an adult male horse if left intact is called either a stallion or a horse, if castrated, it is called a gelding. In some cases, particularly informal nomenclature, a gelding under four years is called a colt. A rig or ridgling is a male equine with a testicle or one which has been incompletely castrated. In the wild, colts are driven from their herds by the herd stallion somewhere between the age of one and two and this may be in part an instinct to prevent inbreeding. When driven out, they join with other young stallions in a bachelor herd. They stay with this band until they are enough to form their own herd of mares. The terms rag or rake have been used to refer to a group of colts
7.
Gelding
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A gelding is a castrated horse or other equine, such as a donkey or a mule. The gerund and participle gelding and the infinitive to geld refer to the procedure itself. The verb geld comes from the Old Norse gelda, from the adjective geldr, the noun gelding is from the Old Norse geldingr. The Scythians are thought to have been the first people to geld their horses, a male horse is often gelded to make him better-behaved and easier to control. Gelding can also remove lower-quality animals from the gene pool, ideally, horse breeders choose to leave only their best animals as stallions, lesser specimens are gelded, to improve the overall quality of the breed. To allow only the finest animals to breed on, while preserving adequate genetic diversity, mainstream sources place the percentage of stallions that should be kept as breeding stock at about 10%, while an extreme view states that only 0. 5% of all males should be bred. Geldings are preferred over stallions for working purposes because they are calmer, easier to handle, geldings are therefore a favorite for many equestrians. Geldings are often preferred over mares, because some mares become temperamental when in heat, also, the use of mares may be limited during the later months of pregnancy and while caring for a young foal. While this means the horse loses any breeding value, a track career can often be a boost to the value of the stallion that sired the gelding. Castration may allow a stallion to live peacefully with other horses, allowing a more social, under British National Hunt racing rules, to minimize the health and safety risk for horses, riders, and spectators, nearly all participating horses are geldings. On the other hand, in parts of Europe, geldings are excluded from many of the most prestigious flat races including the Classics. In North American Thoroughbred racing, geldings, if otherwise qualified by age, winnings, to perpetuate any given breed, some male horses must remain capable of reproduction. Thus, animals considered to be the finest representatives are kept as stallions, some cultures historically did not and still seldom geld male horses, most notably the Arabs. These people usually used mares for everyday work and for war, in these cultures, most stallions are still not used for breeding, only those of the best quality. When used as riding animals, they are kept only with or near other male horses in a bachelor setting. Sometimes cultural reasons for these practices exist, for example, castration of animals and humans was categorically forbidden in the Hebrew Bible and is prohibited in Jewish law. However, a number of horse owners are concerned that the process may cause pain for the animal or somehow lessen their vitality or spirit. While modern surgical procedures cause far less discomfort to the animal than more primitive methods, although castrations generally have few complications, there are risks
8.
Filly
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A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two definitions in use, In most cases, a filly is a female horse under four years old. In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, fillies are sexually mature by two and are sometimes bred at that age, but generally, they should not be bred until they themselves have stopped growing, usually by four or five. Some fillies may exhibit estrus as yearlings, the equivalent term for a male is a colt. When horses of either sex are less than one year, they are referred to as foals, horses of either sex between one and two years old may be called yearlings
9.
Thoroughbred horse racing
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Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies, there are two forms of the sport, Flat racing and jump racing, called National Hunt racing in the UK and steeplechasing in the US. Jump racing can be divided into hurdling and steeplechasing. Traditionally racehorses have been owned by wealthy individuals. It has become common in the last few decades for horses to be owned by syndicates or partnerships. 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, owned by IEAH stables, historically, most race horses were bred and raced by their owners. Additionally, owners may acquire Thoroughbreds by claiming them out of a race, a horse runs in the unique colours of its owner. These colours must be registered under the governing bodies and no two owners may have the same colours. The rights to certain colour arrangements are valuable in the way that distinctive car registration numbers are of value. It is said that Sue Magnier paid £50,000 for her dark blue colours. If an owner has more than one running in the same race then some slight variant in colours is often used or the race club colours may be used. The typical cost of owning a horse in training for one year is in the order of £15,000 in the United Kingdom. The facilities available to trainers vary enormously, some trainers have only a few horses in the yard and pay to use other trainers gallops. Other trainers have every conceivable training asset and it is a feature of racing that a modest establishment often holds its own against the bigger players even in a top race. This is particularly true of national hunt racing, Racing is governed on an All-Ireland basis, with two bodies sharing organising responsibility. The Turf Club is the rulemaking and enforcement body, whilst Horse Racing Ireland governs, in 2013, Ireland exported more than 4,800 Thoroughbreds to 37 countries worldwide with a total value in excess of €205 million. This is double the amount of horses exported annually from the U. S, the Jockey Club in the UK has been released from its regulatory function but still performs various supporting roles. A significant part of the BHAs work relates to the disciplining of trainers and jockeys, disciplinary enquiries usually relate to the running of a horse, for example, failure to run a horse on its merits, interference with other runners, excessive use of the whip
10.
Furlong
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A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U. S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet,220 yards,40 rods, or 10 chains. Using the international definition of the inch as exactly 25.4 millimetres, however, the United States does not uniformly use this conversion ratio. Older ratios are in use for surveying purposes in some states and this variation is too small to have many practical consequences. Five furlongs are about 1.0 kilometre, the name furlong derives from the Old English words furh and lang. Dating back at least to early Anglo-Saxon times, it referred to the length of the furrow in one acre of a ploughed open field. The system of long furrows arose because turning a team of oxen pulling a heavy plough was difficult and this offset the drainage advantages of short furrows and meant furrows were made as long as possible. An acre is an area that is one long and one chain wide. For this reason, the furlong was once called an acres length. The term furlong, or shot, was used to describe a grouping of adjacent strips within an open field. Among the early Anglo-Saxons, the rod was the unit of land measurement. A furlong was forty rods, a four by 40 rods, or four rods by one furlong. At the time, the Saxons used the North German foot, when England changed to the shorter foot in the late 13th century, rods and furlongs remained unchanged, since property boundaries were already defined in rods and furlongs. The only thing changed was the number of feet and yards in a rod or a furlong. The definition of the rod went from 15 old feet to 16 1⁄2 new feet, the furlong went from 600 old feet to 660 new feet, or from 200 old yards to 220 new yards. The acre went from 36,000 old square feet to 43,560 new square feet, the furlong was historically viewed as being equivalent to the Roman stade, which in turn derived from the Greek system. In the Roman system, there were 625 feet to the stadium, eight stadia to the mile, a league was considered to be the distance a man could walk in one hour, and the mile consisted of 1,000 passus. After the fall of the Roman Empire, medieval Europe continued with the Roman system, around the year 1300, by royal decree England standardized a long list of measures. Among the important units of distance and length at the time were the foot, yard, rod, furlong, and the mile
11.
Kentucky Derby
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The Kentucky Derby /ˈdɜːrbi/ is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one, colts and geldings carry 126 pounds and fillies 121 pounds. It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown and is followed by the Preakness Stakes, unlike the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, which took hiatuses in 1891–1893 and 1911–1912, respectively, the Kentucky Derby has been run every consecutive year since 1875. A horse must win all three races to win the Triple Crown, the attendance at the Kentucky Derby ranks first in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races including the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and the Breeders Cup. The 2017 Kentucky Derby will be the 143rd running, and is set for Saturday, May 6,2017 with a $2 million guaranteed purse. In 1872, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, traveled to England, visiting the Derby, a famous race that had been running annually since 1780. Returning home to Kentucky, Clark organized the Louisville Jockey Club for the purpose of raising money to build quality racing facilities just outside the city, the track would soon become known as Churchill Downs, named for John and Henry Churchill, who provided the land for the racetrack. Officially, the racetrack was incorporated as Churchill Downs in 1937, the Kentucky Derby was first run at 1 1⁄2 miles, the same distance as the Epsom Derby. The distance was changed in 1896 to its current 1 1⁄4 miles, on May 17,1875, in front of an estimated crowd of 10,000 people, a field of 15 three-year-old horses contested the first Derby. Under jockey Oliver Lewis, a colt named Aristides, who was trained by future Hall of Famer Ansel Williamson, won the inaugural Derby, later that year, Lewis rode Aristides to a second-place finish in the Belmont Stakes. Despite this, the business foundered until 1902 when Col. Matt Winn of Louisville put together a syndicate of businessmen to acquire the facility, under Winn, Churchill Downs prospered and the Kentucky Derby then became the preeminent stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses in North America. Derby participants are limited to three-year-old horses, no horse since Apollo in 1882 has won the Derby without having raced at age two. The three races offered the largest purse and in 1919 Sir Barton became the first horse to win all three races, however, the term Triple Crown didnt come into use for another eleven years. In 1930, when Gallant Fox became the horse to win all three races, sportswriter Charles Hatton brought the phrase into American usage. Fueled by the media, public interest in the possibility of a superhorse that could win the Triple Crown began in the leading up to the derby. Two years after the term was coined, the race, which had run in mid-May since inception, was changed to the first Saturday in May to allow for a specific schedule for the Triple Crown races. Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes, prior to 1931, eleven times the Preakness was run before the Derby. On May 12,1917 and again on May 13,1922, the Preakness, on eleven occasions the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes
12.
Belmont Stakes
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The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1. 5-mile-long horse race, open to three-year-old Thoroughbreds, colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds, fillies carry 121 pounds. The 1973 Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown winner Secretariat holds the mile, the attendance at the Belmont Stakes is among the American thoroughbred racing top attended events. The 2004 Belmont Stakes drew an audience of 21.9 million viewers. The 149th Running of the Belmont Stakes will take place on Saturday, the first Belmont Stakes was held at Jerome Park Racetrack in The Bronx, built in 1866 by stock market speculator Leonard Jerome and financed by August Belmont, Sr. for whom the race was named. The first race in 1867 saw the filly Ruthless win, while the year was won by General Duke. The race continued to be held at Jerome Park until 1890, the 1895 race was almost not held because of new laws that banned bookmaking in New York, it was eventually rescheduled for November 2. When anti-gambling legislation was passed in New York State, Belmont Racetrack was closed, the first winner of the Triple Crown was Sir Barton, in 1919, before the series was recognized as such. In 1920, the Belmont was won by the great Man o War, starting in 1926, the winner of the Belmont Stakes has been presented with August Belmont Trophy. The owner may keep the trophy for one year, and also receives a miniature for permanent use. The term Triple Crown was first used when Gallant Fox won the three races in 1930, but the term did not enter widespread use until 1935 when his son Omaha repeated the feat, Sir Barton was then honored retroactively. Since 1931, the order of Triple Crown races has been the Kentucky Derby first, followed by the Preakness Stakes, prior to 1931, the Preakness was run before the Derby eleven times. On May 12,1917 and again on May 13,1922, the Preakness, on eleven occasions, the Belmont Stakes was run before the Preakness Stakes. The date of each event is now set by the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes is currently held two weeks later, and the Belmont Stakes is held three weeks after the Preakness. The earliest possible date for the Derby is May 1, and the latest is May 7, the earliest possible date for the Belmont is thus June 5, and the latest is June 11. In 1937, War Admiral became the fourth Triple Crown winner after winning the Belmont in a new record time of 2,28 3/5. In the 1940s, four Triple Crown winners followed, Whirlaway in 1941, Count Fleet in 1943, Assault in 1946, Count Fleet won the race by a then-record margin of twenty-five lengths. He also set a record of 2,28 1/5
13.
Blanket
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A blanket is a type of bedding. It is, generally speaking, a piece of woven cloth, intended to keep the user warm. A blanket traps the radiant heat from the body, and instead of dissipating into the air. It also protects against heat being lost by convection, Blankets are distinguished from bed sheets because of their thickness and purpose. Blankets are thicker, even the thinnest blanket is thicker than the heaviest sheet, Blankets are generally used for warmth and comfort, while sheets are for hygiene, comfort and aesthetics. Nowadays, synthetic fibers are used for both. Earlier usage of the term is possible through its derivation from the French word for white, many types of blanket material, such as wool, are used because they are thicker and have more substantial fabric to them, but cotton can also be used for light blankets. Wool blankets are warmer and also slow to burn compared to cotton. The most common types of blankets are woven acrylic, knitted polyester, mink, cotton, fleece, Blankets also come with exotic crafting and exotic material such as crocheted afghan or a silk covering. The term blanket is often interchanged with comforter, quilt, and duvet, Blankets have been used by the military for many centuries. Most militaries have blankets as compulsory for sleeping quarters in preference to duvets, militaries are some of the biggest single consumers of woolen blankets. Military blankets tend to be grey with a high level of microns. Suppliers include J. E. Ashworth & Sons and Faribault Woolen Mills who made half of all blankets in America at one time. Throw blankets are smaller blankets, often in decorative colors and patterns, Blankets are sometimes used as comfort objects by small children. Blankets may be spread on the ground for a picnic or where people want to sit in a grassy or muddy area without soiling their clothing, temporary blankets have been designed for this purpose. Media related to Blankets at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of blanket at Wiktionary
14.
Rudbeckia hirta
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It has now been found in all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 48 of the states in the contiguous United States. Rudbeckia hirta is one of a number of plants with the common name black-eyed Susan, other common names for this plant include, brown-eyed Susan, brown betty, gloriosa daisy, golden Jerusalem, English bulls eye, poor-land daisy, yellow daisy, and yellow ox-eye daisy. Rudbeckia hirta is the flower of Maryland. Rudbeckia hirta is an annual growing 30–100 cm tall by 30–45 cm wide. It has alternate, mostly basal leaves 10–18 cm long, covered by hair, with stout branching stems and daisy-like, composite flower heads appearing in late summer. In the species, the flowers are up to 10 cm in diameter, with ray florets circling conspicuous brown or black. However, extensive breeding has produced a range of sizes and colours, including oranges, reds, the genus name honors Olaus Rudbeck, who was a professor of botany at the University of Uppsala in Sweden and was one of Linnaeuss teachers. The specific epithet refers to the trichomes occurring on leaves and stems, there are four varieties Rudbeckia hirta var. angustifolia - southeastern + south-central United States Rudbeckia hirta var. floridana - Florida Rudbeckia hirta var. hirta - Eastern United States. Widespread in most of North America, Rudbeckia hirta is widely cultivated in parks and gardens, for summer bedding schemes, borders, containers, wildflower gardens, prairie-style plantings and cut flowers. Numerous cultivars have been developed, of which Indian Summer and Toto have gained the Royal Horticultural Societys Award of Garden Merit, other popular cultivars include Double Gold and Marmalade. Gloriosa daisies are tetraploid cultivars having much larger flower heads than the wild species, gloriosa daisies are generally treated as annuals or short-lived perennials and are typically grown from seed, though there are some named cultivars. The black-eyed Susan was designated the state flower of Maryland in 1918, in this capacity it is used in gardens and ceremonies to celebrate, memorialize and show affection for the state of Maryland and its people. The black-eyed Susan which also traditionally symbolizes “Justice” makes a very nice cut-flower with a life up to 10 days. In 1912, the black-eyed Susan became the inspiration for the University of Southern Mississippi school colors, suggested by Florence Burrow Pope, according to Pope, “On a trip home, I saw great masses of Black-Eyed Susans in the pine forests. I decided to encourage my senior class to gather Black-Eyed Susans to spell out the name of the class on sheets to be displayed during exercises on Class Day, I then suggested black and gold as class colors, and my suggestion was adopted. Butterflies are attracted to Rudbeckia hirta when planted in large color-masses, the roots but not the seedheads of Rudbeckia hirta can be used much like the related Echinacea purpurea to boost immunity and fight colds, flu and infections. It is also an astringent when used in an infusion as a wash for sores. The Ojibwa people used it as a poultice for snake bites and to make an infusion for treating colds, the plant is also diuretic and was used by the Menominee and Potawatomi peoples
15.
Glossary of North American horse racing
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ADW is often conducted online or by phone. Allowance race A race for which entries are restricted to meeting certain earnings or other race criteria. Allowances Reductions in weights to be carried, allowed because of the conditions of the race or because an apprentice jockey is on a horse, Also, a weight reduction female horses are entitled to when racing against males, or that three-year-olds receive against older horses. Allowance optional claiming See Optional claiming Apprentice A young jockey, sometimes called a Bug, an apprentice is required to ride a certain number of winners in a specified period of time before completing his or her apprenticeship. Backside Also sometimes called the backstretch, an area with restricted access, usually behind the track, backstretch The straightway on the farther side of an elliptical or oval racecourse. It typically runs parallel to the grandstand and the homestretch where the the finish line is located, Also refers to the stabling area adjacent to the racetrack. Bearing In Deviating from a straight course, may be due to weariness, infirmity, reaction to being whipped or the riders inability to control the horse. Black type In a sales catalogue, Black type is boldface print and indicates a winner if the name is in all caps. Blanket finish A finish so close that a blanket would cover all the contestants involved, bled When a horse bleeds from the nostrils either during the running of a race, or when returning to be unsaddled. May explain a poor effort See also Furosemide, blinkers A cup-shaped device to limit a horses vision to prevent him from swerving from objects or other horses on either side of it. Blinker cups come in a variety of sizes and shapes to allow as little or as much vision as the trainer feels is necessary, bloodstock agent People who specialize in buying and selling horses on behalf of clients and offer advice on purchasing horses. Blue hen A mare who produces many high quality offspring who also have a significant impact on the breed, book 1) The group of mares being bred to a stallion in a given year. If a stallion attracts the maximum number of mares allowed by the farm manager, 2) A term used to describe a jockeys riding commitments with his agent, An agent handles a jockeys book. Bounce A poor race run directly following a career-best or near-best performance, break or Broke To leave the starting gate in the initial strides of a race. Break maiden Horse winning for the first time in its career, breather Restraining or easing off on a horse for a short distance in a race to permit him to conserve or renew his strength. Bullet or Bullet work The best workout time for a distance on a given day at a track. Called a black-letter work in parts of the country. Chute An extension to a straightaway on either the homestretch or the used for establishing a distance to eliminate the need to begin the race on a turn
16.
Governor of Maryland
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The Governor of Maryland heads the executive branch of the government of the State of Maryland, and is the commander-in-chief of the states National Guard units. The Governor is the official in the state and has a broad range of appointive powers in both the State and local governments, as specified by the Maryland Constitution. Because of the extent of constitutional powers, the Governor of Maryland has been ranked as being among the most powerful Governors in the United States. The current Governor is Larry Hogan, a Republican who defeated Lt, Governor Anthony Brown on November 4,2014. Like most state chief executives in the United States, the Governor is elected by the citizens of Maryland to serve a four-year term, under the Constitution of Maryland, the Governor can run any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. This makes it possible for a governor to run for the office again after remaining out of office for at least one term. An eligible candidate for Governor must be at least 30 years old, and also a resident of, the Governor, like all statewide officials in Maryland, is elected in the even-numbered years in which the election for President of the United States does not occur. The main constitutional responsibility of the Governor of Maryland, and any other States chief executive, is to out the business of the state. The Governor also has some say in these laws, since the Governor has the ability to any bill sent to his or her desk by the Maryland General Assembly. Every year, the Governor must present a budget to the Maryland General Assembly. The Assembly may, however, increase funds for the Legislative, the Governor has the power to veto any law that is passed by the General Assembly, including a line item veto, which can be used to strike certain portions of appropriations bills. The Legislature then has the power to override a Governors veto by vote of three-fifths of the number of members in each house, the Governor also sits on the Board of Public Works, whose other two members are the Comptroller and the Treasurer. This Board has broad powers in overseeing and approving the spending of state funds and they must approve state expenditures of all general funds and capital improvement funds, excluding expenditures for the construction of state roads, bridges, and highways. The Governor appoints almost all military and civil officers of the State government, subject to advice, any officer appointed by the Governor, except a member of the General Assembly, is removable by him or her, if there is a legitimate cause for removal. Among the most prominent of the Governors appointees are the 24 secretaries and heads of departments that make up the Governors Cabinet. The Governor of Maryland is the Chairman of the Governors Executive Council which coordinates all state government functions, hunter-Cevera Adjutant General - Gen. Linda Singh Other members of the Governors Staff may be invited to Cabinet meetings as attendees. The Governor also oversees several sub-cabinets that coordinate the activities of a function of state government that involves several state departments or agencies. In times of emergency, the Governor may exercise emergency powers
17.
Oden Bowie
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Oden Bowie, a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 34th Governor of the State of Maryland in the United States from 1869 to 1872. He was born in 1826 at Fairview Plantation in Collington, Prince Georges County, Maryland and he spent the bulk of his childhood at Fairview where he was educated by a private tutor until his mother died when he was nine years old. After his mothers death, he was sent to the department of St. Johns College in Annapolis. At age twelve, he enrolled in St. Marys Seminary and University, in 1846 Bowie enlisted in the U. S. Army as a private at the outbreak of the Mexican-American war. At the time he was the youngest Captain in the army, in 1849, he was elected to his first political office, as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, followed by the Maryland Senate from 1867 to 1869. Bowies term of Governor ended on January 10,1872 ending his career in politics, Walter Bowie was a major advocate of expanding the railroad system into southern Maryland, and wrote articles lobbying for this under the pen name Patuxent Planter. After significant lobbying together with Thomas Fielder Bowie, William Duckett Bowie, and Oden Bowie, two of the charter members were Walter Bowie and Thomas F Bowie. Directors included William Duckett Bowie and Oden, Oden became the first president of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad around 1853 and also president of the Baltimore City Passenger Railway in 1873. Oden Bowie was a horseman who served for nineteen years as President of the Pimlico Jockey Club. At Fairview Plantation he bred Thoroughbred racehorses, among his successful runners, Crickmore was voted the retrospective American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1880. In 1868, at a party in Saratoga, New York, Bowie. A wager was placed and the winner of the race would host the losers for dinner, both Saratoga and the American Jockey Club made bids for the event, but Bowie pledged to build a grand racetrack in his home state if the race were to be run in Baltimore. The Dixie Stakes, and Pimlico Race Course were the results, before the Civil War, Fairview had many slaves. Charles Branch Clark wrote in 1946 in the Maryland Historical Magazine that seventy of Oden Bowies slaves enlisted in the Union Army, Bowie spent most of his life at Fairview Plantation. He married Alice Carter on December 3,1851 and she was the daughter of Charles H. Carter and Rosalie Eugenia Calvert Carter of Goodwood, Prince Georges County. Alices mother was a descendant of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore the first colonial proprietor of the Province of Maryland, Bowie died after a brief illness on December 4,1894 and was buried at Fairview. The city of Bowie, Maryland was founded as Huntington in 1870 at a junction of the Baltimore, the town was renamed Bowie in the 1880s after Governor Oden Bowie. Odenton, Maryland began as a junction of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, a 1, 800-home subdivision, Fairwood, was built on the land of Oden Bowies thousand acre plantation, Fairview, in Prince Georges County, Maryland
18.
Wayne, New Jersey
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Wayne is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States less than 20 miles from Midtown Manhattan. Wayne was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 12,1847, Totowa was formed from portions of Wayne and Manchester Township on March 15,1898. The township is home to Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve, Schuyler found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a rich fertile valley where the Lenni-Lenape grew a variety of crops. The seven chose Schuyler to be the negotiator with the Lenape for the rights to the area, bayard purchased 5,000 acres from the East Jersey Company on November 11,1695, in what was then known as New Barbadoes Township in Bergen County. In 1710 the area part of Saddle River Township in Bergen County. By 1837 the residents of Wayne found themselves in Manchester Township in newly formed Passaic County, finally, on April 12,1847, the first Wayne Township organization meeting was held at the Henry Casey House on the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. The citizens voted to name the town after American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne, the first mayor, called the Chairman of the Township Committee until 1962, was William S. Hogencamp. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries Wayne remained a farming community, the Morris Canal ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to market and coal from Pennsylvania. The canal was replaced by the railroad at the end of the 19th century, in the early 20th century Wayne grew as a vacation retreat for wealthy New Yorkers. In the summer came from Manhattan and Brooklyn to live in the summer bungalows. After World War II many summer bungalows were converted to residences to accommodate factory workers. As Wayne grew it adopted its current form of government in 1962, modern highways, including New Jersey Route 23, U. S. Route 46 and Interstate 80, made Wayne easily accessible, and several national firms have located here. Dey Mansion, located on Totowa Road, is a historic Georgian style mansion that was constructed between the 1740s and 1750s. According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had an area of 25.174 square miles. Wayne shares its borders with 11 neighboring municipalities, Wayne has a number of lakes, with distinct communities and neighborhoods located around them. These include Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Lions Head Lake, Toms Lake, the Passaic River also flows through a portion of Wayne and often floods near Willowbrook Mall and riverside neighborhoods. As of the census of 2010, there were 54,717 people,19,127 households, the population density was 2,306.0 per square mile. There were 19,768 housing units at a density of 833.1 per square mile
19.
New Jersey
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New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania, New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state but the 11th-most populous and the most densely populated of the 50 United States. New Jersey lies entirely within the statistical areas of New York City. New Jersey was inhabited by Native Americans for more than 2,800 years, in the early 17th century, the Dutch and the Swedes made the first European settlements. New Jersey was the site of decisive battles during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century. In the 19th century, factories in cities such as Camden, Paterson, Newark, Trenton, around 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, New Jersey bordered North Africa. The pressure of the collision between North America and Africa gave rise to the Appalachian Mountains, around 18,000 years ago, the Ice Age resulted in glaciers that reached New Jersey. As the glaciers retreated, they left behind Lake Passaic, as well as rivers, swamps. New Jersey was originally settled by Native Americans, with the Lenni-Lenape being dominant at the time of contact, scheyichbi is the Lenape name for the land that is now New Jersey. The Lenape society was divided into clans that were based upon common female ancestors. These clans were organized into three distinct phratries identified by their animal sign, Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf and they first encountered the Dutch in the early 17th century, and their primary relationship with the Europeans was through fur trade. The Dutch became the first Europeans to lay claim to lands in New Jersey, the Dutch colony of New Netherland consisted of parts of modern Middle Atlantic states. Although the European principle of ownership was not recognized by the Lenape. The first to do so was Michiel Pauw who established a patronship called Pavonia in 1630 along the North River which eventually became the Bergen, peter Minuits purchase of lands along the Delaware River established the colony of New Sweden. During the English Civil War, the Channel Island of Jersey remained loyal to the British Crown and it was from the Royal Square in St. Helier that Charles II of England was proclaimed King in 1649, following the execution of his father, Charles I. The North American lands were divided by Charles II, who gave his brother, the Duke of York, the region between New England and Maryland as a proprietary colony. James then granted the land between the Hudson River and the Delaware River to two friends who had remained loyal through the English Civil War, Sir George Carteret and Lord Berkeley of Stratton, the area was named the Province of New Jersey. Since the states inception, New Jersey has been characterized by ethnic, New England Congregationalists settled alongside Scots Presbyterians and Dutch Reformed migrants
20.
Dixie Stakes
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The Dixie Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid-May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Frequently referred to as the Dixie Handicap, it is the eighth-oldest graded stakes race in the United States, the race is open to horses age three and up and is run one and one-eighth miles on the turf. Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $250,000, the inaugural event was won by Preakness, for whom the Preakness Stakes was named. In 1871, it was called the Reunion Stakes and was won in a walkover by Harry Bassett, suspended in 1888, in 1924, the race was revived by William P. Riggs, Maryland Jockey Club secretary. Champions of many eras are among the Dixies winners, ten winners or runners-up have won the Eclipse Award or Champion, the latest being Paradise Creek in 1994. Other Dixie Stakes Champions include Sky Classic, Bowl Game, Fort Marcy, Turbo Jet II, Assault, Armed, Whirlaway, Sarazen and Tom Ochiltree. That replica, The Dungannon Bowl, is a trophy given annually to the winner of the Dixie Stakes, the oldest stakes race run in Maryland. Run for many years as the Dixie Handicap, in 1965 it was raced in two divisions at a mile and a half, or et Argent won the first division in a course record time of 2,30.20. A few minutes later, Flag won the division, beating Or et Argents record with a clocking of 2,29.00. Most wins by a trainer,4 - Ben A. Jones 4 - Max Hirsch 4 - Wyndham Walden 3 - William I. Mott A # designates that the race was run in two divisions in 1965. ** In 1971 Fort Marcy finished first but was disqualified and placed fourth, a @ indicates that this race was run at Laurel Park Racecourse from 1915 to 1919 as the Dixie Handicap
21.
Quail
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Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New World quail are placed in the family Odontophoridae, the species of buttonquail are named for their superficial resemblance to quail, and form the family Turnicidae in the order Charadriiformes. The king quail, an Old World quail, often is sold in the pet trade, in 2007,40 million quail were produced in the U. S. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey or bevy
22.
Woodland
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Woodland /ˈwʊdlənd/ is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses, woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of primary or secondary succession. Higher density areas of trees with a closed canopy that provides extensive. Conservationists have worked hard to preserve woodlands, because people are destroying animals habitats when building homes, for example, the woodlands in Northwest Indiana have been preserved as part of the Indiana Dunes. The term ancient woodland is used in British nature conservation to refer to any wooded land that has existed since 1600, woodlot is a closely related American term, which refers to a stand of trees generally used for firewood. While woodlots often technically have closed canopies, they are so small that light penetration from the edge makes them ecologically closer to woodland than forest, in Australia, a woodland is defined as an area with sparse cover of trees, and an open woodland has very sparse cover. Woodlands are also subdivided into tall woodlands, or low woodlands and this contrasts with forests, which have greater than 30% cover by trees
23.
Sir Barton
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Sir Barton was a chestnut Thoroughbred race horse who in 1919 became the first winner of what would come to be known as the American Triple Crown. He was sired by the stallion Star Shoot out of the mare Lady Sterling, Sir Bartons paternal grandsire was the 1893 English Triple Crown champion, Isinglass. His half-brother was 1908 juvenile champion Sir Martin, Sir Barton was bred in Kentucky by John E. Madden in partnership with Vivian A. Gooch at Hamburg Place Farm near Lexington. Gooch served as the agent who purchased Sir Barton from Madden for Louis Winans, Madden purchased Goochs share of Sir Barton when he decided to keep the colt and race him under his own colors. Madden raced the colt in his first four starts of his two-year-old season, in late August 1918, Madden sold the horse for a reported $10,000 to Canadian businessman and naval commander J. K. L. Ross. After some early success, Ross was growing his stable as part of an effort to more fully to racing. He owned farms in Vercheres, Quebec, where he established an operation for his Canadian horses. Ross placed Sir Barton in the hands of trainer H. Guy Bedwell, the colt made two more starts that year, finishing second in his last start, the 1918 Belmont Futurity. He contracted blood poisoning after another horse kicked him, opening a significant cut on his hind leg. Bedwell personally nursed him through the illness, which sidelined Sir Barton for the rest of the year, at three, Sir Barton made his season debut as a maiden in the Kentucky Derby, ridden by jockey Johnny Loftus. He was supposed to be the rabbit for his highly regarded stablemate, however, Sir Barton led the field of 12 horses from start to finish, winning the race by five lengths. Just four days later, the horse was in Baltimore and won the Preakness Stakes, again he led all the way. Sir Bartons four wins were accomplished in a space of just 32 days and he has been retroactively honored as the 1919 Horse of the Year. As a four-year-old, Sir Barton won five of the 12 races he entered during the 1920 season, in one of these races, the Saratoga Handicap, he beat Exterminator. While carrying 133 pounds, Sir Barton set a record for 1 3⁄16 miles on dirt in winning the August 28,1920 edition of the Merchants. His match race on October 12 that year against Man o War at Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario, Sir Barton, who suffered from hoof problems throughout his career, was unsuited for Kenilworths hard surface, and was beaten by seven lengths. McDaniel tried to get Sir Barton ready to race as a five-year-old, in December 2008, a statue of Sir Barton was unveiled in front of Audley Farms stallion barn. The statue, by American sculptor Jan Woods, was a gift from Erich von Baumbach, despite being considered a failure at stud, Sir Barton sired the 1928 Kentucky Oaks winner and 1928 Champion Three Year Old Filly, Easter Stockings
24.
Smarty Jones
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Smarty Jones is a thoroughbred race horse and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He finished second in the Belmont Stakes on June 5,2004 and he is a third-generation descendant of Mr. Prospector, and as such Smarty Jones is related to many recent Triple Crown hopefuls including Funny Cide, Afleet Alex, and Fusaichi Pegasus. S. His dam was multiple stakes winner Ill Get Along, only twelve horses have won the Triple Crown. The previous winner was Affirmed in 1978, on June 6,2015, American Pharoah became the new Triple Crown winner after winning the Belmont Stakes. Born at Fairthorne Farm in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the horse was named after Milly Smarty Jones McNair, the two shared a birthday, and Mrs. Chapman wanted to honor her late mother. She said the horse was an actor from birth and her mother too was a bit of a smart aleck as a child who had gotten the nickname Smarty. It was a shock, numbing, Roy Chapman said. We didnt know what to do next and this tragedy, combined with Roy Chapmans failing health, resulted in the Chapmans decision to disband their small breeding operation, retaining only two of their horses. One was Smarty Jones, the product of a breeding between their winningest horse, the mare Ill Get Along, and the stallion Elusive Quality, despite these influences, his Dosage Index of 3.40 suggested that he was capable of competing in the classics. In 2002, Smarty Jones was sent to Bridlewood Farm in Ocala, Florida, in 2003, the Chapmans gave Smarty Jones to John Servis for training. They sold the Someday Farm property and moved into a smaller home, on July 27,2003, Servis was schooling Smarty Jones at the starting gate when the colt spooked, reared, and smashed his head on the top of the gate. He fell to the unconscious, blood pouring from his nostrils. Servis thought the horse was dead, but Smarty Jones regained consciousness and was treated by Dr. Dan Hanf, after the bleeding stopped, the colts head began to swell from the middle of his forehead over to his left eye. Dr. Hanf and assistant trainer Maureen Donnelly kept watch on the horse, Hanf had seen the eye before the swelling and was confident the eye itself was not damaged but knew the horse must have sustained a fracture due to the excessive swelling. The colt was sent the day, July 28,2003. There he was diagnosed with a fractured skull, the bones around his left eye were so badly damaged that the veterinarians thought they might have to remove the eye. Smarty Jones overcame his injuries after three weeks in the hospital and spent more than a month recuperating on the farm, two of the other entrants in the 2004 Kentucky Derby lacked sight in one eye, and Smarty Jones could have been the third. Canadian-born jockey Stewart Elliott was hired to ride Smarty Jones initially for the Bensalem race, elliot had won 3,300 races and was the son of jockey Dennis Elliott, Smarty Jones won the six-furlong.75 miles race by 7¾ lengths
25.
The Bronx
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The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, within the U. S. state of New York. Since 1914, the Bronx has had the boundaries as Bronx County, a county of New York. The Bronx is divided by the Bronx River into a section in the west, closer to Manhattan. East and west street addresses are divided by Jerome Avenue—the continuation of Manhattans Fifth Avenue, the West Bronx was annexed to New York City in 1874, and the areas east of the Bronx River in 1895. Bronx County was separated from New York County in 1914, about a quarter of the Bronxs area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo in the boroughs north and center. These open spaces are situated primarily on land reserved in the late 19th century as urban development progressed north. The name Bronx originated with Jonas Bronck, who established the first settlement in the area as part of the New Netherland colony in 1639, the native Lenape were displaced after 1643 by settlers. This cultural mix has made the Bronx a wellspring of both Latin music and hip hop. The Bronx, particularly the South Bronx, saw a decline in population, livable housing, and the quality of life in the late 1960s. Since then the communities have shown significant redevelopment starting in the late 1980s before picking up pace from the 1990s until today, the Bronx was called Rananchqua by the native Siwanoy band of Lenape, while other Native Americans knew the Bronx as Keskeskeck. It was divided by the Aquahung River, the origin of Jonas Bronck is contested. Some sources claim he was a Swedish born emigrant from Komstad, Norra Ljunga parish in Småland, Sweden, who arrived in New Netherland during the spring of 1639. Bronck became the first recorded European settler in the now known as the Bronx and built a farm named Emmanus close to what today is the corner of Willis Avenue. He leased land from the Dutch West India Company on the neck of the mainland north of the Dutch settlement in Harlem. He eventually accumulated 500 acres between the Harlem River and the Aquahung, which known as Broncks River or the Bronx. Dutch and English settlers referred to the area as Broncks Land, the American poet William Bronk was a descendant of Pieter Bronck, either Jonas Broncks son or his younger brother. More recent research indicates that Pieter was probably Jonas nephew or cousin, the Bronx is referred to with the definite article as The Bronx, both legally and colloquially. The region was named after the Bronx River and first appeared in the Annexed District of The Bronx created in 1874 out of part of Westchester County
26.
Gravesend Race Track
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Philip J. Dwyer was the controlling shareholder of the Brooklyn Jockey Club, and served as its president. This land had previously occupied by the Prospect Park Fair Grounds. The facility was enclosed by a wooden fence and boasted an ornate two-story double decker grand stand of yellow Georgia pine with a bar. At the southern end of the facility stood the offices of the Brooklyn Jockey Club, the northern end was occupied by the betting pavilion and carriage sheds. The eastern side, which ran along the boulevard of Ocean Parkway, was occupied by the clubhouse. During its time, the racetrack executive included superintendent Ben Brush in whose honor the future U. S, racing Hall of Fame horse Ben Brush was named. Among the major graded stakes races launched at the track were the Astoria Stakes, Brooklyn Handicap, Brooklyn Derby, Tremont Stakes, for the fifteen years from 1894 through 1908, Gravesend Race Track hosted one of the American Classic Races, the Preakness Stakes. In 1908, the administration of Governor Charles Evans Hughes signed into law the Hart-Agnew bill that banned all racetrack betting in New York State. A1910 amendment to the legislation added further restrictions that meant by 1911 all racetracks in the state ceased operations. Although the ban was lifted for the 1913 racing season, by then it was too late for the Sheepshead Bay Race Track, which was sold to the Sheepshead Bay Speedway Corporation. Although the law was repealed in time to racing in 1913, the Gravesend Race Track never reopened. Today, the annual Gravesend Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack honors the former racing facility
27.
Coney Island
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The site was formerly an outer barrier island but became partially connected to the rest of Long Island by land fill. Coney Island is well known as the site of amusement parks, the attractions reached a historical peak during the first half of the 20th century, declining in popularity after World War II and years of neglect. Coney Island is the westernmost part of the islands of Long Island. At its highest it is 7 feet above sea level, the perimeter of Coney Island features man made structures designed to maintain its current shape. The beaches are not a natural feature with replenishing sand being cut off by the jetty at Breezy Point. Sand has been redeposited on the beaches via beach nourishment since 1922-1923, the first such project ever, Sheepshead Bay on the east side is, for the most part, enclosed in bulkheads. The original Native American inhabitants of the region, the Lenape and this name has been attributed the meaning of land without shadows or always in light describing how its south facing beaches always remained in sunlight. A second meaning attributed to Narrioch is point or corner of land, the Dutch established the colony of Nieuw Amsterdam in that area in the early 17th century. The western most island was Coney Island, a 1.25 mile shifting sandspit with an island at its western end extending into Lower New York Bay. East of Coney was originally a peninsula called Coney Hook but in 1750 a canal was dug through the Coney Hook salt-marsh from Brown’s creek east to Hubbard’s creek. This connection to the waterways behind the islands allowed shipping traffic to travel from Jamaica Bay to New York Harbor without having to venture out into the ocean, the canal turned Coney Hook into a detached half mile long island called Pine Island, due to the woods on it. East of Pine was the largest section of island called Gysberts or Guisberts Island, containing most of the land and extending east through todays Brighton Beach. Each island was separated by an inlet that could only be crossed at low tide, Development of the island was slow over the period of the Dutch occupation up through the early 1800s due to land disputes and the intervening Revolutionary War and War of 1812. By the early 1800s there were only a handful of farms across the entire island. There is no historical consensus on how the island got the name Coney Island, a name, in the form of Conyne Eylandt. Development on Coney Island has always been controversial, when the first structures were built around the 1830s, there was an outcry to prevent any development on the island and preserve it as a natural park. Starting in the early 1900s, the City of New York made efforts to all buildings. It was an effort to reclaim the beach which by then had almost completely built over with bath houses, clam bars, amusements
28.
New York (state)
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New York is a state in the northeastern United States, and is the 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated U. S. state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015, New York City is the most populous city in the United States, the New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State, two-thirds of the states population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% lives on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York, the next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany. New York has a diverse geography and these more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys—the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley, which forms the core of the Erie Canal. Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario, between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls. The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes, New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York. The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade, the British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664. The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were similar to those of the present-day state, New York is home to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. On April 17,1524 Verrazanno entered New York Bay, by way of the now called the Narrows into the northern bay which he named Santa Margherita. Verrazzano described it as a vast coastline with a delta in which every kind of ship could pass and he adds. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats and he landed on the tip of Manhattan and possibly on the furthest point of Long Island. Verrazannos stay was interrupted by a storm which pushed him north towards Marthas Vineyard, in 1540 French traders from New France built a chateau on Castle Island, within present-day Albany, due to flooding, it was abandoned the next year. In 1614, the Dutch under the command of Hendrick Corstiaensen, rebuilt the French chateau, Fort Nassau was the first Dutch settlement in North America, and was located along the Hudson River, also within present-day Albany. The small fort served as a trading post and warehouse, located on the Hudson River flood plain, the rudimentary fort was washed away by flooding in 1617, and abandoned for good after Fort Orange was built nearby in 1623. Henry Hudsons 1609 voyage marked the beginning of European involvement with the area, sailing for the Dutch East India Company and looking for a passage to Asia, he entered the Upper New York Bay on September 11 of that year
29.
Breeders' Cup
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The Breeders Cup World Championships is an annual series of Grade I Thoroughbred horse races, operated by Breeders Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was an event, starting in 2007. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, the attendance at the Breeders Cup varies, depending mainly on the capacity of the host track. Santa Anita Park set the highest two-day attendance figure of 118,484 in 2016, the lowest two-day attendance was 69,584 in 2007 at Monmouth Park. The attendance typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, with the addition of three races for 2008, a total of $25.5 million was awarded over the two days, up from $23 million in 2007. With the subsequent removal of two races, the purses for the thirteen races totaled $24.5 million in 2014, plus awards for foal. Prior to the 2016 running, the purses were raised from $26 million to $28 million. The purse of the Classic was raised from $5 million to $6 million, each Breeders Cup race presents four Breeders Cup trophies to the connections of the winner and a garland of flowers draped over the withers of the winning horse. Many Breeders Cup winners will go on to win the Eclipse Award in their respective division, for example, of the eleven flat racehorse categories, seven of the Eclipse winners in 2015 had also won a Breeders Cup race, while three others were in the money. In the 2015 listing of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, three Breeders Cup races are ranked among the top Grade 1 races in the world, the Classic, the Turf, the Distaff is ranked second among the top Grade 1 races for fillies and mares. The event was created as a championship for North American Thoroughbred racing. The races are operated by Breeders Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982, the first event was in 1984. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was an event, starting in 2007. All sites have been in the United States, except in 1996, in 2006 Greg Avioli began serving as interim President and CEO of the Breeders Cup, and he became the official CEO in April 2007. This is a time for the Breeders Cup, said Avioli. Before the Breeders Cup expanded to two days, it was considered to be the richest day in sports. Beginning in 2008, the day of the Breeders Cup became the second-richest. In 2008, a total of $17 million was awarded on that day, the richest single day in sports is now another Thoroughbred racing event, Dubai World Cup Night
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Kentucky Oaks
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The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1 1⁄8 miles at Churchill Downs, the horses carry 121 pounds, the Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets a $600,000 purse and a garland of lilies. A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner, the first running of the Kentucky Oaks was on May 19,1875 when Churchill Downs was known as the Louisville Jockey Club. The race was founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. along with the Kentucky Derby, the Clark Handicap, and the Falls City Handicap. The Oaks and the Derby are the oldest continuously contested sporting events in American history, the Kentucky Oaks was modeled after the British Epsom Oaks. In the first race, the horse Vinaigrette won the then 1 1⁄2 mile race in a time of 2, 39 3⁄4, since that race the Kentucky Oaks has been held each year. The Kentucky Oaks is considered by some to be among the most popular horse races in American horse-racing society due to its high attendance and it attracts about 100,000 people in attendance a year since 2001s 127th running of the Kentucky Oaks. In 1980 it was about 50,000 people and by 1989, the attendance at the Kentucky Oaks ranks third in the continent and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races including the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders Cup. The attendance of the Kentucky Oaks typically only trails the Kentucky Derby, the Filly Triple Crown, known as the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, is a series of three races at the Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association has considered changing the Triple Tiara series to the three counterparts of the Triple Crown. Despite the increasing number of visitors who came to the race every year. Most every school and quite a few businesses in the Kentuckiana region treat the Oaks as a holiday, speed record The fastest time to finish the 1 1⁄8 mile race is 1,48.64 set in 2003 by Bird Town. The fastest time for the 1 1⁄2 mile race is 2,39 by the horses Felicia set in 1877, tied by Belle of Nelson in 1878, the 1 1⁄4 mile race record is held by Selika set in 1894 at 2,15. The record for the 1 1⁄16 mile race is 1,43.6 set be Aris Mona in 1950, the Goose brothers are cousins of Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr. the founder of the Louisville Jockey Club. In 1924, Glide finished first but was disqualified for fouling, in 1959 the race was run in two divisions. com - Official website
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Laurel Park (race track)
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Laurel Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack located just outside Laurel, Maryland which opened in 1911. The track is 1 1⁄8 miles in circumference and its name was changed to Laurel Race Course for several decades until returning to the Laurel Park designation in 1994. Laurel Park Racecourse opened October 2,1911 under the direction of the Laurel Four County Fair, in 1914, New York businessmen and prominent horsemen, Philip J. Dwyer and James Butler purchased the track and appointed Matt Winn as the general manager. In 1918 the field was used by Army Engineers as a camp before deployment to France. In 1946, a fire broke out with 60 horses saved. In 1947, the Maryland Jockey Club, which owned Timonium and Pimlico, Laurel was sold to the Schapiros in 1950. From 1950 to 1984, Laurel Park underwent a period of great change, the track was renamed Laurel Race Course and the Washington, D. C. International was introduced at 1 1⁄2 miles on the turf, in 1953 Laurel opened a new clubhouse and turf club. In 1954,14 horses were saved from another stable fire, in 1957 the grandstand was remodeled. In 1964, an intentionally set stable fire destroyed 34 horses, in 1965, the trotting track was covered with an artificial 3M Tartan Turf. Laurel remodeled its clubhouse and grandstand to accommodate winter racing in 1966, in 1967, another fire was set on two stables which was mitigated by new sprinklers. When Laurel was awarded the summer racing dates in 1982, the track installed an air conditioning system in the grandstand, in 1984, the 34-year Schapiro era ended with the sale of the track. Laurel Park Racecourse was updated in 1985 with a creation of the Sports Palace. In August 1989, Frank DeFrancis died and his son, Joe DeFrancis, then served as president of Laurel, in 1994 the tracks name returned to Laurel Park. Yet more improvements included those to the entrance, Grandstand interior. Citizens and clergy launched an effort that killed the proposal. A lack of sufficient parking space was a significant factor in the decision, triple Crown winners Sir Barton, War Admiral, Whirlaway, Secretariat and Affirmed won races at Laurel Park during their Hall of Fame careers. Classic winners Omar Khayyam, Hourless, Exterminator, High Echelon, Riva Ridge, Spectacular Bid, Bet Twice, Go and Go, Seabiscuit prepped at Laurel Park for his famous match race with War Admiral
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Maryland, My Maryland
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Maryland, My Maryland is the official state song of the U. S. state of Maryland. The song is set to the tune of Lauriger Horatius — better known as the tune of O Tannenbaum, the lyrics are from a nine-stanza poem written by James Ryder Randall in 1861. The states general assembly adopted Maryland, My Maryland as the song on April 29,1939. The songs words refer to Marylands history and geography and specifically mentions several figures of importance to the state. The song calls for Maryland to fight the Union and was used across the South during the Civil War as a battle hymn and it has been called Americas most martial poem. For these reasons occasional attempts have been made to replace it as Marylands state song, the poem was a result of events at the beginning of the American Civil War. During the secession crisis, President Abraham Lincoln ordered Union troops to be brought to Washington, D. C. to protect the capital, many of these troops were brought through Baltimore City, a major transportation hub. There was considerable Confederate sympathy in Maryland at the time, as well as a number of residents who objected to waging a war against their southern neighbors. Riots ensued as Union troops came through Baltimore on their way south in April 1861 and were attacked by mobs, a number of Union troops and Baltimore residents were killed in the Baltimore riots. At this time the legislature seems to have wanted to avoid involvement in a war against its seceding neighbors, One of the reported victims of these troop transport riots was Francis X. Ward, a friend of James Ryder Randall. The poem was a plea to his state of Maryland to secede from the Union. Randall later claimed the poem was written almost involuntarily in the middle of the night on April 26,1861, being unable to sleep after hearing the news, he claimed some powerful spirit appeared to possess me. The whole poem was dashed off rapidly, what may be called a conflagration of the senses, if not an inspiration of the intellect. The poem contains references to the Revolutionary War as well as to the Mexican-American War. It was first published in the New Orleans Sunday Delta, the poem was quickly turned into a song — put to the tune of Lauriger Horatius — by Baltimore resident Jennie Cary, sister of Hetty Cary. It became instantly popular in Maryland, aided by a series of federal actions there. It was sometimes called the Marseillaise of the South, Confederate States Army bands played the song after they crossed into Maryland territory during the Maryland Campaign in 1862. By 1864, the Southern Punch noted the song was decidedly most popular among the claimants of a song for the Confederacy
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Baltimore's Marching Ravens
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Baltimores Marching Ravens are the official marching band of the Baltimore Ravens American football team. They were founded as the Baltimore Colts Marching Band on September 7,1947 and have continuously operated ever since, the band first supported the original Baltimore Colts from 1947 to 1950, but continued to operate even after the franchise disbanded in 1950. After a new Baltimore Colts franchise was installed in 1953, the band associated with the newly founded team. The band endured a second relocation when the Colts moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night in 1984, the band became attached to a third franchise when the Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1996 and became the Ravens. They are one of two marching bands in the NFL, the other being the Washington Redskins Marching Band. At the time of the move, the uniforms were being dry-cleaned. The band supported itself and remained an all-volunteer organization until the 2013 season when the Ravens organization was required to pay them, at one point, John Ziemann pawned his wifes wedding ring for the money to buy new equipment. After the 2012 season the Flagline and Honor guard sections were dropped from the band, one of the bands first gigs after the Colts left was an invitation from then-Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell to play during the halftime show of a Browns game. They were cheap, Modell said, somewhat jokingly, eventually, the legislature approved the funding. When the Cleveland Browns announced their move to Baltimore, the band wondered if the team had any plans for them. On an episode of a talk show hosted by Kwesi Mfume that featured David Modell and Johnny Unitas. Ziemann then asked Modell if the band could become the Ravens official band, to which Modell smiled, for the Ravens first two seasons, the band retained its name as The Baltimore Colts Marching Band. Before the game the band performs a field show and stays on the field for the playing of the national anthem. The band also marches a halftime show during most home games, the band also had a new fight song for the Ravens, which was drastically different from the old Colts fight song. In 2010, Ziemann announced that the band was considering using the Colts fight song with new lyrics for the Ravens, fans were allowed to vote online. Over 10,000 votes were cast, with an overwhelming 79% in favor of using the Colts fight song with new lyrics, Baltimore Ravens, lets go/And put that ball across the line So fly on with talons spread wide/Go in and strike with Ravens pride. Ravens dark wings, take to flight/Dive in and show them your might For Baltimore and Maryland, baltimores Marching Ravens website ESPN30 for 30 Series
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United States Naval Academy
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The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. The entire campus is a National Historic Landmark and home to historic sites, buildings. It replaced Philadelphia Naval Asylum, in Philadelphia, that served as the first United States Naval Academy from 1838 to 1845 when the Naval Academy formed in Annapolis. Candidates for admission generally must both apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a Member of Congress, students are officers-in-training and are referred to as midshipmen. Tuition for midshipmen is fully funded by the Navy in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation, approximately 1,200 plebes enter the Academy each summer for the rigorous Plebe Summer, but only about 1,000 midshipmen graduate. The United States Naval Academy has some of the highest paid graduates in the according to starting salary. Midshipmen are required to adhere to the academys Honor Concept, the United States Naval Academys campus is located in Annapolis, Maryland, at the confluence of the Severn River and the Chesapeake Bay. In its 2016 edition, U. S. News & World Report ranked the U. S. Naval Academy as the No.1 public liberal arts college and tied for the 9th best overall liberal arts college in the U. S. In the category of High School Counselor Rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges, Military Academy and the U. S. Air Force Academy, and is tied for the No.5 spot for Best Undergraduate Engineering program at schools where doctorates not offered. In 2016, Forbes ranked the U. S. Naval Academy as No.24 overall in its report Americas Top Colleges, nominations may be made by members of and delegates to Congress, the President or Vice-President, the Secretary of the Navy or certain other sources. Candidates must also pass a fitness test and a thorough medical exam as part of the application process. In the 21st century, there have been about 1,200 students in each new class of plebes, the U. S. government pays for tuition, room, and board. Midshipmen receive monthly pay of $1,017.00, as of 2015, from this amount, pay is automatically deducted for the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, services, and other miscellaneous expenses. Midshipmen only receive a portion of their pay in cash while the rest is released during firstie year. Midshipmen fourth-class to midshipmen second-class receive monthly stipends of $100, $200, $300, Midshipmen first-class receive the difference between pay and outstanding expenses. Students at the academy are addressed as Midshipman, an official military rank. The same term comprises both males and females, upon graduation, most naval academy midshipmen are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps and serve a minimum of five years after their commissioning. If they are selected to serve as a pilot, they will serve 8–11 years minimum from their date of winging, Foreign midshipmen are commissioned into the armed forces of their native countries
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Glee club
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A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it was popular in most schools and was made a tradition to have in American high schools from then on. The first named Glee Club was founded in Harrow School, in London, Glee clubs were very popular in the UK from then until the mid-1850s but by then they were gradually being superseded by choral societies. Glee in this context does not refer to the mood of the music or of its singers, but by the mid-20th century, proper glee clubs were no longer common. Glee List of collegiate glee clubs J Lloyd Winstead, when Colleges Sang, The Story of Singing in American College Life University of Alabama Press,2013
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Cupola
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In architecture, a cupola /ˈkjuːpələ/ is a small, most often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to light and air. The word derives, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula small cup indicating a vault resembling an upside down cup. The cupola is a development during the Renaissance of the oculus, an ancient device found in Roman architecture, the chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure. Cupolas often appear as small buildings in their own right and they often serve as a belfry, belvedere, or roof lantern above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a spire, tower, or turret, barns often have cupolas for ventilation. The square, dome-like segment of a North American railroad train caboose that contains the second-level or angel seats is called a cupola. Some armored fighting vehicles have cupolas, called commanders cupola, which is a dome or cylinder with armored glass to provide 360-degree vision around the vehicle
