St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-05
RANCHO DEL PASO.
A Flying Visit to j. B. Hagsin's
Great Breeding Farm.

Great Breeding Farm.
Special to the Globe.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 4.-"Talk about
breeding running horses" exclaimed a
devoted st. Paul horseman, whom | met
walking about the Golden Eagle hotel
this morning. ''Talk about running
horses! Say, you ought to go out to
Haggin's ranch, about three miles from
here" Then he gave me fairy story
about j. B. Haggin, how he made his
money. stories of his austere character,
his GOODNESS, his unimpresSlOnableneSS
(no charge for that, his wealth, and
finally his pet hobby the breeding OF
running horses. It's true, Haggin is
very wealthy man. Originally, it cur
rent reports are to be accepted, a Turk
he looks like one-he came to the Pacific
coast from Kentucky in early days. He
was a lawyer, and a dead c0ld'
one, as the Californians say. He
kept his weather eye opened for
financial opportunities. and you, may
depend upon it he never overlooked a
single trick. Years ago he took George
Hearst, now United States senator, UNI
der his wing. and after years of varying
fortunes, Hearst got on to two German
bows who had located the Ontario min
ing claim in Utah. He looked it over
and purchased it for $4,000, and this
was the basis of George Hearst's for
tune, sand the strength of Haggln'S, who
was already quite comfortable. Hearst
is a good-natured MiSSourian, likes his
whisky straight, and likes it thirty or
forty times day. Haggin doesn't drink,
in public, at least. He merely sits in
his web in the Nevada block, San Fran
cisco, and waits for needy flies with
good claims to entangle themselves.
Having gorged himself, he initiates his
lungs and flies away to Rancho del
PasO, and here / saw him this morning
going the rounds with John Mackey,
the veteran turfman, and super
intendent of this great breeding
establishment. Haggin is to-day the
most extensive breeder of horses in the
United States, and probably in the
world. He made his first purchase of
yearling thoroughbreds in 1882. Since
that time his name has been familiar to
all persons intereStedin thOrOughbreds.
Since 1854 his colOrS have been con-
spicuous from the bay district meetings
to those of st. Louis, Washington Park,
Monmouth Park, Jerome Park, Graves
end, Sheepshead Bay and Saratoga.
and public sales-particularly the
Lorillard sale-and the importation of
the Australian horses, Sir Madred and
Darebin, placed him foremost among
the country's breeders of thOroughbredS.
At the same time the racing cOlOrS of
Rancho del PasO were made conspicu-
Gus by the performance OF the colts and
fillieS that carried them. The New York
bOOkmakerS will be a long time for
getting Tyrant's victory for the
Withers stakes in 1885. Up to
that time they had fancied future
event booking was good thing.
The same season Tyrant secured the
Belmont stakes at Jerome Park, and the
Stockton at Monmouth. Hidalgo cap
tured the Emporium stakes and Sep
TENDER stakes at Coney Island; Ben
Ali the Hopeful at Monmouth; Preciosa
ran third in the champion stallion
stakes at Monmouth, and won the
Autumn at Coney Island: and Ban Fox
was purchased of Jack Chinn, of fra
grant st. Paul memories, for $4,000,
after having won the Stallion stakes at
Monmouth in August, 1855. The next
year Ben Ali won the Kentucky Derby
at Louisville, the st. Louis Derby and
Charles Green stakes at st. Louis; and
then, with his stable companion, Pre-
ciosa. ran unplaced in the American
derby, won by Silver Cloud. But these
are only some Of the more prominent
had and now has scores of
magnificent thoroughbreds, many of
which are destined to win
races now undreamed of. Some of
his two-year-olds will make their maiden
efforts on eastern tracks this summer,
and some will find their way to St. Paul.
1t is surprising how great an interest
the California horsemen take in the
Twin City Jockey club races. Crack
flyers were never sent so far north be-
fore, and the horsemen, whose horses
have been bred in this part Of the coun-
try, are anxious to see how they will
perform. When l told them the Mime
sofa summers were infinitely more
pleasant than a summer in the Sacra-
mento valley, they were inclined to jeer
at the suggestion. But | know. If you
were to experience plain, every day
roast i'll Sacramento some August day,
you would agree with me. | have seen
it 105 degrees in the shade here. and
that's nothing uncommon. should think
Haggin would want to get his horses
far away from this neighborhood in
summer. l know would. Mr.. Mackey,
superintendent of Haggin's Rancho del
Paso, tells me he will probably send
half a dozen colts to Hamline. He will
go himself, if possible. A number of
San Francisco brokers are going to
make the trip, having already secured
two special sleepers for the trip. They
leave San Francisco July Is, and will
reach st. Paul July 81. and scatter to
the various hotels. The Twin City
races are getting sin line," all over the
county, and they will be grand finan-
cial success, satisfying their patrons.
and bringing many a dollar to st.