The Washington times., 1901-12-29
CHOICE OF NAMES
FOR RACE HORSES
Reform Advisable in the Interest
of Turf Patrons.
SUGGESTIONS FOR OWNERS.
Animals Should Hear Names 1ndicnt-
ing Their Anccstry-How some
of the Famous Courscrs Were

ply WIN any SlSnlnCdnCe WITH lhe NAM
ing of thoroughbred race horses is con-
sidered. The comforting O. titles upon
racing animals has come to be 4 very i'm
portant matter
1t is probable. however, that many
habitues of the turf who visit the race
courses season after season do not in
many cases appreciate the great import
ance of proper names for the animals
upon which they wager their money day
after day. Many a knotty racing prob
lem might be solved and possibly many
dollars saved if some racing enthusiasts
would stop TO consider the meaning Of
horses names.
A few years ago the Jockey Club, that
organization which has been of so much
help to the turf in recent years, adopted
a rule that made 1t obligatory upon own
ers and breeders not to give to any OF
their horses names already bestowed upon
other animals. The result was that
breeders and owners were put to much
trouble to select good names for their
colts that had not already been given 10
other horses.
1t resulted very benefcially, however,
by obviating the conflict of names which
had previously often resulted disastrous
ly. IL also stimulated an interest in the
selection of appropriate names.
owners More Careful.
Since the adoption Of that rule it has
been noticeable that many breeders and
owners of race horses have given more
attention to the naming of their animals.
and If a general reform in this direction
we're instituted, it would doubtless result
in much more good Often a race gocr
will ponder long and deeply in an effort
TO recall the breeding Of a certain horse.
Perhaps if no were to study the name he
could easily recall the names OF the
parents.
Breeding Is, Of course. of much i'm
portance TO the turf follower. Horses
transmit their likes and disliles to their
progeny. 1t is quite common for trainer
to be asked whether his charge can run
in the mud. HE ought to; his father
could or Cant run a lick: his dam
could not" often answers the interro-
eatory.
in this manner the names given to race
horses affect in an important degree the
spoculatlons or the turf patron, and fer
this reason a rule requiring that horses
shall have names whicn will serve to re-
call the sire or dam would prove OF much
benefit II it were Practicable.
49, e
utility Of aptly naming their horses. but
the percentage OF horses with appropriate
names is very small. Messrs. A. H. &
D. II. Morris. who nearly always race
their horses at Bcnning. have been the
most progressive in this respect Many
Of their animals have names that would
cause ones tongue to go into commissions
when their pronunciation is attempted,
but in nearly every case the names given
are peculiarly apt.
A Hard cne for the Tongue.
Two or three years ago Benning race
goers were confronted with the polysyl-
Liable profundity. Prestidigitatrice. Very
few attempted the pronunciation. and
fewer ssll stopped to enquire into the
meaning; yet If they had looked at their
programmes they would have discovered
that the dam of the horse was Active,
one of the essential requirements in the
art OF 7restidlgitator.
At last springs meeting one of the
Morris two year -olds delighted in the
name Dolce Far Niente. He was the son
OF Hanoyer-Vacation, and as Dolce Far
Niente is the Italian for sweet idlencss,
pYl Co -.
the name was suitably given the horse.
One Of the Morris horses, a few seasons
ago. and & good one. was called Ambu-
lZnce, she being by Onondaga-Black Ma
ria; mother was called Reckon FLY by
Jiza p. Perhaps. The horse Brisk. a Nor
ris cast-cif which won at the recent meet
ms l. also : son Of Active. The Hoy
Je'. dam was The Maid; Plenty was a
sol. vi Abundance. one OF their last years
good Ties was named -Anecdote because
Tom ''iltree was her father. and still
auot - by the same sire was called Pre-
yarica or.
Recently the Messrs. Keene have to
some extent followed the Morris family's
policy in giving fit names 20 their young
horses Sons Of the dead Domino owned
by Mr. Keene we're called Unmasked. a
horse that won last month at Renning;
Disguised. Pink Domino. and Doublet.
Probably the best-namcd horse that
ever ran on the American turf was Song
and Dance. He was the property Of Au-
gust Belmont and his parents were The
Bard and Heel and Toe. Their sons name
instantly recalled recollections Of the two
famous horses.
Always II Sure Thing.
A number Of horses that ran al Benning
during the last meeting possessed very
GOOD names. The Rhymer was by The
Bard: Give and Take was daughter Of
Pbilopena: Moor is a son Of Morocco, and
scorpio. in the same stable. is by choris-
ter-zodlac Big Guns father was Artil-
lery. and False Alarms dam was The
Alarm Bell. The latter mare was also
the lam Of Deaih, horse that was al
ways knocking at the door at the last
meeting. Surely Death was well named.
though not pleasantly. Some wag said
that he had the best name ever given TO
a rncehorse, for it was always sure
t1lTng.
No one need be told twice that Warm
Time and Midsummer were sons of July
nor that Equity was out OF Equipoise. Ami
mostly was given a name antlthetical with
that of her dam, which was Harmony
Roysterer is by Badge-Reel Dance, and
Decanter is by DeGeiver-Maudlin.
Old timers viii remember the famous
family OF ST. Blaiee-Susquehanna colts,
which included Potomac, the best two and
three year old of his years; Chesapeake,
a more than useful horse. and Schuylkill
a good breadwinner.> The horse David
Garrick that was one of the best on the
turf two years ago. and is now winning
races in England. got his name from his
dam, who was Peg Wofnngton, the name