The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-14
Last Seasons Two Year Old
Premiership in Doubt.
Interesting Story of a Star by
Young Clark.
TOLD OF CHAMPION.
Montana Man Buys Bon Voyage
But is Trifle Misled.
Trainer Would Not Tell How to
Rig the Colt.

Lexington, KY, Feb. 14.-Though
Jack Axworthy. by defeating Bon Voy-
age in the Lexington stakes, after the
latter had won both the Kentucky Flu
turity and Horse Review, has since
been claimed as the champion 2-year-
old of 1904, in the light of an interest
ing story which has just come to the
surface here it is now a matter of ex-
treme doubt as to which of the two
youngsters is entitled to supremacy. 1t
appears that after Bon Voyage had won
the Kentucky Futurity and w. A.
Clark, Jr., son Of the Montana senator,
had opened negotiations for the pur-
chase of the son of Expedition, he also
desired to buy from Charles Marvin
the sucking half sister to Bon Voyage,
a FLY by Virgins, sire of the Futurity
winner, Katherine A, 2:11H.s Marvin
had about decided to let the young west
ern millionaire have Bon Voyage for
$4,000 and the baby racer for $1,000,
Clark to leave the Futurity winner in
the veteran trainers hands until after
the colt had filled his engagement in
the Lexington stakes. Marvin and
Clark parted that afternoon with the
understanding to meet at the track the
next day to close the deal. After. part
ing with Clark q Weil-knOWn local
price he was getting for the colt was
all right, but that he was selling the
hlly too cheap
The result of this conversation was
that when Clark called at Marvin's sta
bic the following day to hand him a
check for the two youngsters the driver
told him that he would let him have
Bon Voyage. but not the FLY. Clark
accepted the terms of the trade without
a mrmur and passed Marvin a check
for the $4,000 for Bon Voyage, but at
the same time left orders with Marvin
to send the colt over to the barn of his
=
belonging to young Clark. Marvin's
usual good temper was rufled by
Clark's orders, as he much desired to
keep the colt until after his engagement
in the Lexington stakes had been filled, |
as he was confident he could add that
event to the colts other brilliant vic
tories and send him into winter retire
ment with an unbeaten record
The story goes that when the Lexing-
ton stake came on Marvin would give
Hayes no information as to how to rig |
Bon Voyage for his best efforts Hayes |
did the best he could in the way of har-
Messing and booting the colt, but |
throughout the race the son of Expedi- |
ton acted unsteady and as result |
Jack AxWorthy defeated him in clever I
fashion. Local trainers, while admit /
ting Hayes did we'll with the colt under |
the circumstances. say that had Marvin |
driven the colt in the Lexington stake |
he would have today an unbeaten rec
ord and the question of the best 2-year- |
old of 1904 would not now be matter
of doubt
Bon Voyages record of 2:15 is a mark |
that is a quarter of a second faster |
than that to the credit of Jack AK |
worthy. so there is little to choose be
tween the two crack youngsters in the /
matter of public speed shown. The |
meeting next year between the pair will |
be one of the features of the seasons |
and the rivalry for 3-year-old /
between them bids fair to be |
as strong as WAS that between Grace /
Bond and Alta Axworthy last year.
Bon Mot the dam of Bon Voyage, |
and the most remarkable broodmare of
the age as a producer of youngsters,
being also the dam of Endow, holder of
the worlds 2-year-old trotting record |
for geldings, 2:147z, and Bequeath, 2
year-old record 2:23 and 3-year-oId rec
ord 2:2015, is believed, to be again with
foal this season and the colt or FLY she
drops will be by The Bondsman. sire of
Grace Bond. Charles Marvin does not
own Bon Mot. as was generally sup
posed. Last spring after she dropped
her last fOal, now a yearling, by Wig
gins, Marvin sold the mare to J. H.
Thayer, the owner of The Bondsman
and the famous stud matron is still the
property of that breeder and turfman
The ten high-bred trotting horses sold
oy L. V. Hardness at the recent mid
winter sale in Chicaso. INCLUDING in the
1unn Der 3-year-Old CaStine, own brother !
% Fereno. 2:O515, brought rather disap-
pointing prices. The total realized for
he lot was SO, $40, an average of 1884.
The 4-year-old bay colt Altaoma, a half
brother to Bumps, 2:03sz, Baron D. and
he great stallion Moko sold for $3.50,
he highest price. While of royal pedi-
gree, the horse sold lacked in early
speed the. Walnut Hall farm require
nents, and this fact being known by
lorsemen caused them to fall short of