The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-29
HOW COMMANDO WAS
BEATEN BY PARADER.

Before Commando was beaten by The Pa
raider it was often said that this particular
3-year-old of Mr.. keene's was the greatest
horse which had appeared in a decade. and
that it was only about once in ten years
that really great thoroughbred was pro-
Guced. Great thoicGshpre0s have had a
decade, and the probabilities are that the
habit will continue. In 1910 there Were
three. Kingfsher and Enquirer divided the
honors in the S-year-o!d division and Helm
bold was probably the best OF the all-agerS.
Longfeliow was 3-year-oid in 1910, but he
did not reveal his real quality until the fol-
lowing year. Then Harry Bassett and Sa-
lima were 3-year-ods. and who shall say
that these were not great race horses?
Harry Bassett and Longfellow. the latter
Bassett's senior by one year, met and raced
ances made the year famous on the Ameri-
can turf. In 1872 there were the memoir
orable contests between Woodbine and
Eolus; and Fellowcraft and Ruckden and
Alarm fought 1t out for Championship honors
in the 3-yeas-old division. In 1873 there wsre
Catesby and SIyboots and Tom Bowling, all
horses that left their impress on the Ameri-
can turf, and they followed each other in
quick succession.
Coming down the years. Duke of Magenta
and Himyar, the sire of Domino. and Bram-
BILE and PiQue were 3-year-oids that fought
for the championship in 1878. Duke of Ma
genta won the title. because he suffered
but one defeat and won the most money.
Himyar was a close second. and Brambe
was not far behind. In 1879 Harold and
Ferida. that wonderful mare of George l..
Lorillards that never found a journey too
long, and Uncas and Monitor and Spend
thrift We're the 3-year-olds that lent luster
to their year. In 1880 Luke Blackburn, per-
haps the greatest of the get of Bonnie Scot
ion. ever owned by the brothers Dwyer, APP
peared. and 1t did not take him long to
prove that he was. without the shadow OF
doubt, the best of his year.
LUKE BLACKBURN AS 4
THREE-YEAR-OLD.
A different story might have been told
had Piel-s Lori:laids Sensation of the same
age as Luke Blackburn, continued, as 3
year-old, his whirlwind record of the year
there was nothing on four legs of equal
years that he could not beat. The record
shows that great horses followed imme
diately after Luke Blackburn and Sensation
for in 1851 HindCo and Thora were winning
the races for S-year-olds. And then fol-
lowed Runnymede and Barnes and Drake
Carter and Bootjack and Pearl Jennings
and Salvador and Tenny. straight down to
the days Of Hanover and fremont. Hand
spring and Requital. The Butterflies, Hast
ines. Domino. Dobbins and Hamburg.
This is the recent record of the blue book
of the American turf. 1t shows that the
great thoroughbreds have not been so far
apart. The record also shows that the
horses entitled to be called truly great were
the horses that asked and took no particu-
lar odds from any of the runners of their
time. BY this standard the champion of
this year must be chosen. II Conroy can
perform again as he did in the Brooklyn
Handicap. II he can win races in any kind
near having clean title to the champion
shin of 1901.