The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-22
Race rack and
Stable Gossip

Hamburg. the $4,000 colt the animal
of the year, is an outcast Nobody will
claim him. He was sold through a New
York agent in Louisville last week for
the above price. The agent refuses 70
tell who the real purchaser Of the colt
Is. Any number of names of prominent
turfmen and breeders have been sug-
gested as possible purchasers The
right one has yet to be made known.
The sale was sensational. one. Ham
burg was a great sensation himself last
year, and 1t is but fitting that his first
season Oh the turf should have such a
climax. In the meantime nobody will
claim Hamburg. 1t is entirely probable
the name of the man who made such a
daring investment Will not be known
before next spring.
John Il. Madden, one of the most con-
servatiye horsemen in the country,
owned the animal up to last Friday. On
that day at Louisville billy" Lake
land one of the best trainers in the
country, went to Louisville. With Mad
den he looked over the great colt, re-
garded by many as the horse of the
century. Expressing satisfaction, he
telgraphed eastern persons and the deal
was closed. The price was not made
public in an official or even authentic
manner, but Madden and Lakeland do
not deny il was 100000. This is the
highest price ever pand for 2-year-old
in the world, with one exception-St.
Blaise-who brought 100000. When 1t
came time to find out who was thesreal
purchaser of the colt, Lakeland refused
to tell. He said he was acting in the
sale for w l.. Powers of New York.
known as a turf accountant. 1t was
thought for some time Powers would
race the colt next season himself. A
little later it developed that Powers was
simply an agent and that Lakeland had
been engaged to pass an opinion as to
Hamburg's soundness. Powers has
steadfastly refused to divulge the name
of the real owner of the colt Of the year.
He gave as his reason that he was
pledged to secrecy.
Naturally the first name that sug-
gested itself to gueSSers was that OF
former Secretary of the Navy William
c. Whitney. Mr.. Whitney had made
large number of purchases in the blue
grass country. 1t was thought he
would race one of the largest and best
stables on the turf next season. After
the publication of the stories about MI
Whitney the latter came out IN a strong
card in which he stated that he had no
thought of purchasing the colt. What
horses | got this year will be used pr1-
yately," Mr.. Whitney said in reply to
all queries on the subject. Il am not
going into the racing business and have
had no idea of doing SO. / have several
times made this same statement ! pur-
struck my fancy"
After the name of Mr.. Whitney came
that of Marcus Daily, the copper king
of Montana. He 1t was thought would
be just the sort of enthusiastic sports
man who would invest a small fortune
in one animal. Then came denial from
him that he was the purchaser Next
on the list was the name of James k.
Keene. Then the name of Richard
Croker was suggested. The Fleiseh-
mann interests We're also suggested as
being mixed up in the deal. but little
attention was paid to that. as the horse
was taken East soon after the sale ana
i will spend the winter at the brighton
/ Beach track. That makes 1T almost
certainty that the real owner OF the colt
| is an Eastern man. At the close OF all
! the guessing il has been wisely sug-
/ gested that perhaps Lakeland owns the
colt himself and that he is using the
sensation of the sale for some hidden
/ purpose Lakeland is the kind OF man
] who would take secret delight in mys-
| tifying the public.
Local turfmen are of the opinion the
/ purchaser of the colt is an entirely new
man in racing. Some incline to the be-
/ lief the purchaser is a Western man,
since all of Hamburg's engagements Tor
next season are in this section of the
country. 1t is thought unlikely an
Eastern man would think of buying
i horse he would have to race in the
West. Hamburg is richly engaged, II is
true, but will have to win great ma
I jorty of the Derhies and stakes in
which his name appears to make his
new owner even on the purchase. Many
I turfmen who are able TO pay the price
for such horse would think ii over
+ long time before taking the risk. 1t is
/ decidedly questionable If such sale
would be a profitable one to the pur-
/ chaser
Hamburg is nothing short Of a phe-
nomenal horse. While Trainer Lake
| land reported him as being entirely
| sound now, it is known that Hamburg
/ showed an inclination to soreness last
fall, although not being raced very
/ hard. That would be another drawback
| to any man who wanted a useful stake
horse for all kinds of hard work From
| the first day of his career Hamburg
was a sensation. His first start was
at the Brooklyn track June g. 1t was a
five-furlung race for 2-year-olds Pre-
Vious had shown some good form and
was made the faVorite. The track. was
particularly bad and that was thought
to favor the Dwyer colt. White had
the mount. Madden was prepared as
were his friends. for one of those old
fashioned Kentucky killings They
made it, As good as Is to ! could he
had at the start of the betting a the
track. He was not played there for
about ten minutes. in order to let the
pOoroom agents all over the country
get on at the long price. Then plunge
was made at the track. and so strong
was the support that the price quickly
fell TO To l. Hamburg fairly EeNeled
in the going and romped home an easy
winner.
4 little later, in the Great Trial
stakes of $4,000, Hamburg again proved
his great worth by anneNing the rich
stake, Previous, with Tod" Sloan up
again finishing in second place. The
track was fast that day. Hamburg
also annexed the Double Event al
Coney Island in handy fashion, netting
his owner $4,000. Hamburg was then
taken 10 Saratoga. where he won the
Flash stakes on fast track. Handbal
finishing second. He also won the Con-
gress Hall stakes on a heavy track. but
in the Grand Union he was beaten by
Archduke on a fair track. At Brighton
Reach in August he won the Rising