The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-09-19
Horse Madness

fine judgment to pick out great young
sters fromathe many hundreds that are
sold each season.
The average yearling that amounts
to anything as race horse is about
one in ten of those sold. To secure
a great one it is necessary to select
the right one out of every two hun
bred.
On one occasion, when John E. Mad
den was visiting stock farm where
he contemplated purchasing some
yearlings he had dozen of them
brought out for his inspection.
After looking them over he inspected
the dams and sires.
Again he had the dozen yearlings
paraded before him, this time hap
hazard fashion. AS soon as he saw
them he told what sire each one was
by and the name of the dam. He did
not make single mistake in this
wonderful exhibition, though up to
that morning he had never seen either
the yearlings, the sires or the dams.
He recognized them by the char
acteristics of their progenitors. This
shows the value of the trainers judy
ment to the millionaires who pay fancy
prices for the pleasure of racing hors-
eS.
Regarding the dependence of stable
owners upon their trainers, August
Belmont once said:
1T is far better to have a trainer
who will tell an owner plainly, without
any prOviso, that horse is worthless
as racer than to have a man who will
tell you that such horse is likely to
improve and win later in the season
simply because he does not like to tell
an owner that he paid high price
for very moderate animal that could
not earn his oats at one of the winter
tracks,"
NJ. Blanc paid $191 900 for Flying
Fox, racing him but one season on the
French turf and then retiring him to
the stud.
w. o. R. McDonough paid $3.50, 900
for Ormonde for his string qualities
alone. Mr.. Belmont paid 100000 for
st. Blaise, whose sons and daughters
have paid for his price twice over. Mr..
Whitney paid $4,000 for Meddler, al
SO great sire.
All these horses have been regarded
as fully worth the money expended
for them. NJ. Blanc would undoubted-
ly be most happy to pay $191 900 for
another Flying Fox, and Mr.. Belmont
another 100000 for a second St.
Blaise:
If you can afford to keep a good
racing stable and maintain it properly
with ffrst-class horses, a loss at the
end Of the season is a remote pos
sibility, unless you throw your bank
roll at the bookmakers.
In order to maintain properly such
a stable great expenditures are nee
essary in the way of horsefesh.
OF course. htere have been many
low-priced horses that have won great
sums of money for their owners, but
they are not to be found every day.
Many years ago Duke Bros, who,
were then interested in racing, paid
$4,000 for Ramapo. He won 1880
for them.
This, however, did not equal the
performance of Maxine Gomez. For
an humble admirer, who paid 81 for
him at sale, the old horse won 500
0OC.
In his purchase of Hastings Mr.
Belmont had an eye to the future
When he retired the horse he regarded
him as the future sire of great horses.
1t Is strange that, having this in
mind. Mr.. Belmont should have al
lowed one of the best colts ever bred
In Kentucky to. slip from his grasp.
This colt was the peerless Hamburg.
The colt was bought as yearling for
$1,000 by John r. Madden, one of the
best trainers and shrewdest Judges
of race horses in the country.
Two years afterward Marcus DAILY.
at that time getting together his ia
nous stable, paid Madden $4,000 for
the horse. Hamburg easily repaid
DAILY by winning out his purchase
When Marcus DAILY died, Maiden
was commissioned to purchase the
horse and secured him for 100000.
Again Hamburg won out his purchase
price for his new owner, under the
Whitney cOlors.
When the elder Whitney died James
R.keene offered 100000 for the horse,
but Harry Payne Whitney retained him
for $4,000.
Aside from the question of senti-
ment In the transaction, young Mr..
Whitney's business judgment was sus-
tanned by Hamburg in the stud, as
the sons and daughters of the great
morse have won pursese and stakes to
the amount of $16O,935.
The elder Whitney paid $4,000 for
Nasturtium, against the Judgment of
many horsemen, mostly because of
Nasturtium's future engagements.
Again Mr.. Whitney's judgment was
indicated, for Nasturtium won $40, 900
within two weeks and easily redeemed
himself by the end of the season.
John E. Madden paid $4,000 for
Yankee, against the advice of his
friends, but Yankee won $4,000 for
Madden before the end of the sea-
son.
AS general proposition, therefore.
1t may be said that reckless expendi-
lures for race horse by millionaires
are few and far between. 1t is true
That HenO did not prove much of a
horse for the Whitney stable or Fly
wheel for the colors of Clarence Mac
Key. but they are exceptions to the
general rule of purchased horses.
They earned their oats, II nothing more.
The greatest vindication of Judgment
horseman ever had was that ac-
corded to James r. Keene by the great
morse Sysonby, now dead. Mr.. Keene
bought the colt in England and
brought him to this country. In two
years OF racing he won over $4,000
In pursese and stakes for his owner.
1t must not be supposed that such
purchases are made on the judgment
OF the buyer alone. Mr.. Belmont, Mr.. |
ikeene, Mr.. Whitney, or any other
horseman who plays princely prices
for his horses.