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Charles Edward Whittingham was an American thoroughbred race horse trainer who is one of the most acclaimed trainers in U.S. racing history.
Born in Chula Vista, California, Whittingham began working around race horses at a young age and was eventually taken on as an assistant by Hall of Fame trainer Horatio Luro. During World War II, his career was interrupted by service with the United States Marine Corps. At war's end, he returned as an assistant trainer until 1950 when he set up his own stable to take on the training of horses for various owners. He got his big break when Liz Whitney Tippett hired him to condition her Llangollen Farm racing stable. In 1953, Whittingham trained his first Champion when Llangollen's Porterhouse earned U.S. Two-Year-Old colt honors.
Over his forty-nine years as a head trainer, Whittingham had 252 stakes wins and became the all-time leading trainer at both Hollywood Park Racetrack and Santa Anita Park. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in the U.S. in 1971, 1982 and 1989 and U.S. Champion Trainer by earnings seven times: 1970 to 1973, 1975, 1981, and 1982.
Whittingham trained several champions including American Horse of the Year honorees Ack Ack, Ferdinand and Sunday Silence. Amongst others, he trained Daryl's Joy, champion New Zealand two year old, winner in Australia wfa championship W S Cox Plate, Victoria Derby, Oak Tree International, Cougar II, the 1972 U.S. Champion Turf Horse, Kennedy Road, the 1983 Canadian Horse of the Year and for a time, Exceller. He also trained the champion daughter of Affirmed, Flawlessly. His horses were named Champion Female Turf Horse on four occasions. In 1986, at the age of seventy-three, he became the oldest trainer to win the Kentucky Derby then won the prestigious race again three years later. Both Derby-winning horses went on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic.
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