David D. Withers

Who was David D. Withers?

David Dunham Withers was an American businessman and a Thoroughbred horse racing track owner and an owner/breeder. His 800-acre Brookdale Farm in the Lincroft section of Middletown Township, New Jersey was the home of some of the finest bloodstock in the world.

Heavily involved in the horse racing industry, David Withers served as the first president of the Board of Control which became The Jockey Club. In 1878, he partnered with Gordon Bennett, Jr., George L. Lorillard and George P. Wetmore, to purchase Monmouth Park Racetrack near Red Bank, N.J.

Withers died in 1892 and was buried in the Marble Cemetery in New York City. According to his obituary in the February 27, 1892 edition of the Live Stock Record Withers "was the best racing authority in America."

The Withers Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, Queens, New York is named in his honor.