Evening star., 1905-10-22

he lives ike a KING. NO monarch IN history,
with chamberlains, and seneschals. and
gentlemen in waiting, and men at arms, and
testers, and nimble pages waiting upon his
nod, ever existed in more royal fashion, had
a greater retinue of reta:ners was greet
ed by more thunderous applause when he
showed himself in public.
From the time that Sysonby was born
on the Keene breeding farm at Castleton,
Ky, down to the minute you are reading
this paragraph this sovereign son of Mel
ton has had all the care and attention that
are given to royal princes.
Many of his playmates on the Kentucky
blue grass, regally descended as him
self. came away to New York and were
sold as yearlings. but the shrewd eye of his
veteran owner, which had read Alright the
signs of promise in such colts as Foxhall,
Kingston and Commando. foresaw bril-
liant future for Sysonby. Jimmy Rowe,
than whom there is no better trainer. sec
onded Mr.. Keenes judgment, and from the
day they passed their verdict to each other
nothing that a kind providence vouch-
safe horse was lacking to Sysonby.
There was the softest of straw for him to
sleep on, the pastures were searched to find
him the tenderest grass. There was
small regiment of darky boys to rub and
clip him. and his feed was mixed and ad-
ministered with a care that would have
done credit to nursery goyerneSs. His
temper was coddled and his idiosyncracies
humored. No shouting. nor sudden alarms
nothing that could fray his nerves or de-
velop flighty tricks in him was ever per-
mitted The gentlest and most skillfui and
most patient hands accustomed him by
slow degrees to saddle and bride. And
when, in the spring Of 1901. he tourneyed
north with long string of the Keene
hors"e 10 begin his turf career. the hopes
Of that venerable financier and sportsman,
ms owner. were centered in him.
How they were realized makes one of the
most luminous pages in American turf his
tory. All through the spring of 1904 the
little army of men who draw pay in the
Keene stables at Westbury L. l.. schooled
and cared for Sysonby 1t was work for
him now, long, easy gallops in the crisp
mornings, with blankets to start the sweat
from him. Slow coolings out, walking up
and down in the sheltered paddock, muf-
fed in fresh. dry blankets currying and
brushing and hand-rubbing to keep his
skin in order; cold sponges to his feet and
ankles, drying with fiannels and polishing
with chamois skin until he shone like sat-
in. There was a carefully devised sched-
ule of feed and water on the card beside
his stall door; there was inspection several
times a day and a daily visit from the
farrier to care for the four small hoofs on
which so much depended.
There were small gallops for appetite
and after while short bursts of speed,
1engthening his strength and endurance
grew And by and by there were brushes
for furlong or two with his stable mates
to bring out the racing spirit that was in
him. And continually the hearts of owner
and trained warmed to him. He was COM
ing on. but they said nothing. They knew |
that after all there was only one test for
race horse. and that was far away yet.
When July came the stable knew that
Brighton Beach they turned him loose in
the Sweepstakes and he came home with
$3.50 That was the beginning, and still
Mr.. Keene said nothing.
The following Saturday he won the
Brighton junior. with $4,000, and then the |
turf world woke up Sysonby was In |
great black letters across the head OF the !
racing columns. In his first two appear |
ances he had paid the feed bill which had |
been running up ever since he was born.
Rowe was wise enough not to kill this |
layer of golden eggs with overwork. Sy- |
sonby ran no more races at that meeting. |
but booted and bandaged and blanketed |
was turned into palace car" and with |
three attendants constantly within reach |
made the Journey to Saratoga. Here was |
where the men VINO IolioW the horseS, VINO |
know form and breeding and stable gos-
sip, first really discovered Sysonby. On /
the 1st of August. the first time out. he |
captured the fash stakes in rather easy |
fashion. and added $1,000 more to the good |
side of his page in the stables ledger; five |
days later he picked up $4,000 In the Sar-
atoga special, one OF the great things at |
the Spa.
James r. Keene, whom most people con- !
slider q hard proposition. had a tender spot |
in his heart now and Sysonby filled II. At |
the close Of the Saratoga meeting. when |
quarters. w. B. Leeds took Mr.. Keene |
aside and offered him $i00.D0O for syson- |
by He said no. He probably would have
said no to five times that sum. for Mr.
Keene has always had an ambition. not to !,
get money-that Is easy-but to breed ana
own the G{eatest race horse In the. World /