Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-03-15
AT THE HORSE SALE
Famous TrOtters and Thorough
breds Under the Hammer.
Excitement Of a Big Sale and Its
Incidents.
New York the Great Popular Market
Some Prices Paid.

For the last quarter of a century the
high-ciass trctting stock of the coun-
try has been sold under the hammer,
and certainly in the last twenty years
New York has been the great mart OF
the continent. In the early days OF the
trade the old American institute
buildings had many notable sales, put
for the last decade Madison square
Garden has been the recognized tro'-
tjne-horse exchange to Wnlcn the
breeders of all sections make their an
nual consignments. The Garden pre-
sents a UNIQUE and interesting specta-
cle on the evening of a big sale, when
some champion of the turf is going un-
der the hammer. Opposite the auction
eer's stand all the boxes and seats on
the south side are filed with we'll
dressed people, who number close 10
1000, behind the auction stand ana
along the ringside in the vicinity are
hundreds of well-known horsemen
and breeders; while scores of others,
anxious for closer inspection, line up
in the speed ring itself.
The greatest of the early public sales
was that of the Glen View Stud in Ken
tucky, on October II to IA, 1884 One
hundred and siXety-eight head went
under the hammer for 1924 $50, at an
average Of 1892 each. The two bright
stare of the collection were the stall
lions Nutwood and Pancoast. The for
mer vas bought by Frank ID. Stout o.
Dubuque Ia, for $22,O0 who later in
the day was offered 100000 for him.
Nutwood was a marvellous success in
the stud, and his services and his colts
netted his owners over $50O,oOO. Fan
coast wa; bought by John II. SHUTS
| for $2S, 1000, and he could have sold hlm
the same day at an advance of $1,000
HI did not prove success here. AT
this sale twelve brood mares by George
| Wilkes averaged S2S06 each.
Great as the average was. it was far
exceeded in the most notable sale ever
| held in the American Institute on
March and 6, 1890, when eighty-seven
| head of trotting stock consigned by l..
j. Ross of California, went under the
/ hammer for total of 1926, ,995, or an
average of $2,712.50. Yet the highest
price of the sale was s25,S00, paid for
Alcazar, by Sultan, while the two-year-
old colt VoodOo, by Stamboul, went for
| S24 100. There was an interesting Incl
dent at the sale when the two-year- old
| filly Reverie by AlcaZar, was put up.
| Robert Bonner began the bidding with
an offer of $4,000. The auctioneer was
| about to call for the next bid. when l..
J. Rose. the consignOr, stopped him.
saying such a grand bid deserved
recognition, and down went the ham
mer with cheers. The last great horse
sold at the old Institute was the hand
4 some champion Stamboul, 2.O71a. who
was bought for Sal 900. by E. II. Harri-
man. and was the premier stallion at
his Arden Farms till his death, which
occurred last autumn.
The highest price ever paid for a
| trotter at auction was $55,000. for An
teeo, by Electioneer. Bell Boy
brought $1,000 Sultan SAC, 900, and Sid
ney $4,000.
| Whether by accident or design, there
is always one equine star of the first
magnitude at the winter Madison
Square Garden sales. In 1900 The Abb
bot, 2.034, was the main attraction,
and fully 1000 spectators were present
when at $26,500 he was knocked down
to ]. J. Scannell This is a big figure
| for a gelding, yet in spite of being off
in the early part of last season, and be-
ing beaten by Cresceus. he earned over
100000 and should easily duplicate
| that amount this year. In 1899 Tommy
! Britton, 2.061a, was sold at the Garden
for the excellent price of $4,000,
| though it was known that his racing
days We're over. John r. Gentry 2.O1 Y,
| though PAGER, went for $4,000, the
highest price ever paid for a pure
member of that gait. and it is on
record that he won himself out the fol-
lowing season. He was afterwards
bought by +. III. Hartman, and is in
his beautiful new stables near the
Speedway. The famous Star Pointer
has been sold twice at the Garden, first
| for sl5.G00, to James Murphy of Chi
cago, who raced him till he was the
| worlds champion, with n record of
| 1.59A, and then sent him again to the
! block, when he was bought for $4,000
| by Congressman White of Cleveland
The purchase was an appropriate one.
as Mr. White had previously named
| his breeding establishment the Two
| Minute Stock Farm, and he now has
| the only horse who ever has gone in
200 or better.
| The greatest sale of the year is the
one which follows the National Horse
| Show. and the last one. on the high
| average of quality and the number and
variety of the horses, was probably
| the most representative sale ever held
in the Garden. The consignments came
from all sections of the continent, Cali
fornia and Nevada in the far West,
New England in the far East, the
great Middle States being also liberal
contributors. 1t was also q note
worthy fact that the leading buyers
came from all parts of the Union. with
buyers also from across the Atlantic.
showing that New York is not only the
great national market for the trotter
but is also the international market.
The sale was limited to 1000 head and
1895 were catalogued. but through with
drawals and accidents the actual num-
Der sold was 932, bringing a total of
$495,440, or an average of $530.50.
When it is considered that in a man.
moth combination sale there are many
undesirable, blemished, and Outclassed
individuals. it is questionable whether
any other breed could sustain such an
average for close to 1000 head in a
10. 40 tHa