The Washington times., 1901-10-06
NAMING RACE HORSES.
How Cognomens Are Devised to
Cause BookmaLers worry.


Cause BOOkmakers Worry.
What shall We name the yearlings?"
! This is a question that annually perplex-
es the breeders of thoroughbreds, and
which has given rise TO much discussion
among turfmen. The problem becomes
each year more and more difficult of So
luton as the yearlings increase in num-
bers. When nothing else suggests itself
4 the breeder resorts to some sort of com
bination of the names of the sire and
dam of the colt or filly. The filly Mon
arka for example, is by Prince of Mon
AGO, out of Narka, and her name is COM
posed of the name of her dam preceded
by the first syllable of the last name of
her sire
/ Not always does this process result in
so euphonious a combination. An -awk-
ward instance of this sytem is seen in the
name of Charakeen, by Charaxus-Lizzie
Keene.
But the individual tastes and leanings
of the breeder and the trend of history,
| fiction, politics-indeed. OF every depart
ment-are also reflected in the names of
thoroughbreds. Almost every statesman,
author, and politician of prominence is
honored by some breeder, and has name
sake now running on the American turf
while many a historic parsonage or place
| is commemorated in this fashion.
Fiction is never-failing refuge Of the
turfman in time of doubt He has seized
upon Edgar A Poe, Elsie Venner. and
Izaak Walton. Dayick Garrick is an
American horse now running on English
( tracks.
Historical events and places furnish nu-
merous names for the flyers. Valley
Forge is thus employed, and so are Ban
nockburn. Wagram, the Bosphorus, KIM
berley, the Bastile. Ladysmith, and Cri-
mean. Historical personages both an
cient ard modern, are likewise far from
| escaping the breeder Admiral Dewey Is
double victim, and John Bright, Hen
gist, and Horsa. the invaders; Humboldt,
Xerxes. Dom Paul, Lord Roberts, both in
that style and as "Bobs;" Mthridates,
Telasquez, Barbara Frietchie, Maxine
Gomez, Lord Chesterfield, the Duke of
Connaught, and many more are in the
list Thomas p Keating. Colonel Roose-
welt ScanneIl, and Senator Beveridge are
among the politicians who do duty for
the turfmen.
OF course, nearly every saint in the cal
endar is forced to lend 4 name to a thor
oughbred, and when there were no more
saints left for this purpose one man called
his fiIly All Saints
Zeus, Laodice. Euterpe, Pluto, and
Achilles are all on the list. and among the
ancients whose names may be seen on the
booknakers' states are Andronicus, An
drocius, Arbaces, and Croesus. who surely
should be a good bet Nor do the Egyp-
tians go free, for Ranieses, Pharaoh, and
Memnon are all sent out occasionally to
hustle for the small end of a purse
There is a large humber OF thorough
breds whose names, while not actually
composed OF syllables OF their progenitOrs'
names. are nevertheless so obviously the
complement OF the cognomens of sire and
dam, or both, as to be exquisitely ap-
propriate.
Grand Opera, for example is by Veg
ner, out of Bonnie Bird; Dancealong is
by Long Dance. Donator is out of a
mare called Miss Gift. Distaff is the dam
OF Flax Spinner. Juvenal is the sire OF
Satrist. The Lost Chord is by Trouba-
dour, while Wedding March is another
of Wagner's get. Ten Candles, Tower of
Candies and Wax Taper are all by Can
dlemas. Computes dam is Reckon. Sat
urdays is appropriately Vacation and
Fakes is Necromancy; Hardly is out of
Perhaps, Bridge is out of Brooklet, Wait
Not out Of Wait-a-While, DUN Dunn out
OF Bullet Handcun out Of Black Maria,
Port Wine out of Claret, Contempt out
Of Ridicule. Anxious out OF Suspense, La
Dor out Of The Task. Gingham out of Cali
CO. Occident out of Sundown, April
Shower out of Raindrop, Resignation out
Of Patience. Found out of Pickup,
Draughtsman out of Sneeze, Gulfstream
out Of Trade Wind. Gotobed out of Ter
magant, and 30 forth.
II you should ask the average bookmak-
ct who Hengist was what Velasquez
used to Go for living before he became
a race horse, he would probably reply
somewhat in this wise:
"Aw, say; what are you givin' us? Do
you wanter put bet on him or not?
Hey:'
Indeed, the average layer of odds has
his troubles with the mere pronunciation
Of a good many OF the names. Cae bet
tor endeavored to back John L. Madden's
tilly Laodice. pronouncing the name as
he has been taught TO do it
"Hey?' said the layer The bettor saw
the point and then pointed out the name.
"Hey?' said the layer. ''Lay-oh-dice.
80 to 8" Others made 1t Lo-a-dice and
finally the filly became plain Loaded
dice"
Nasturtium, William c. Whitney's $780,
900 colt. is Cor some strange reason, an
other hard nut for the layers to crack.
Nastitorum has plenty of followers, too.
But when the ''bookies" tackle Huitzilo-
pochtil they all go down and out "Hoot-
zlepookle' Is about the best they can do
with II. August Beimont's fast filiy Ami
cita is known TO tho layers as Amaceeta.
But the layers are not there to give les
sons in history or pronunciation. They
are there to set the money, and for the
most part they succeed in doing it.-New
York Tribune