The Washington times., 1906-11-25
VANDERBILT HAS HAD LUCK
ON THE FRENCH COURSES
American HorSeman Has Carried Off Practically All the
Prizes of France With Prestige and Mantenon-Rumor
That Rainey viii Invade Next Season.
By ]. S. A. MACDONALD.

/ facility the success of the colt being
truly marvellous, inasmuch as he is an
unsound horse.
Maintenon Good Investment.
His ability to win so many races and
run so frequently in his two-year-oId
and three-year-old seasons speaks well
for the skill of his trainer. Duke.
Maintenon cost his owner $500 as a
ycantng and, of course. he has won
himself out twenty times over. He IS
not particularly fast colt. but he can
/ stick" winning most Of his races when
they are laid over a long route. In
the Derby and the Grand Prix he was
ridden by Percy Woodlands. who trains
and rides his own raeeHorses. When J.
Ransch, the regular Vanderbilt jockey,
was taken III before the French Derby
MaintenOn's owner showed his high re-
gard for Woodlands by asking him to
take the mount on Maintenon In both
events. He rode the colt successfully in
The Derby, as already mentioned, and
then failed to cut any figure In the
Grand PriX, where Major LOder
cashed a winning wager Of 49, 600 on
Spearmint in the French muuels. book
making being prohibited in Frnace.
Trainer Billy Duke has presided over
the Vanderbilt training quarters for five
years His first venture abroad was as
n horse owner on his own account in
England and France, but he gave this
up and within a year from the time he
took hold of the Vanderbilt horses he
made the stable a leader in France The
Vanderbilt stud is al the Haras de Vile
bon, about twelve miles from Paris. and
the training ground is at St Louis De
BGEEE
about six miles from the great race
course of MaisOns Laffitte.
At the training. ground are two tracks
IN q private inclOsuTe. one a prepared
earth course in the style Of those in this
country. and the other a turf course, a
mile and a quarter in circumference.
The stables ale the most modern In the
world, every comfort and convenience
being Afforded the attendants and the
horses.
Different Proposition in France.
Racing in France is vastly different
from the sport as IT Is conducted here
at Benning or elsewhere in America, and
though the big prizes there attract the
best horses in the world the running
of the two-year-olds Is so restricted that
horses Of that age do not get a chance
until August, and then they compete for
prizes that are not big enough 20 tempt
the cupidity OF the owners.
With the restriction on young horses.
selling events for older horses have an
important part in French racing and
the greatest turfmen in France patron
izc them. Horses OF an extremely high
/ class run in selling races and the Van
derbnt stable has lost several through
their having claimed them away.
The Vanderbilt stables are construct
ed in unique eiipticaI shape. so that
the horses might trot around under the
sheds in inclement weather. As the
training grounds are situated quite q
distance from the race courses and as
there is no railway transportation 10
and fro. Mr.. Vanderbilt has two inn
mense vans in which to carry his race
horses 10 the scenes OF their contests.
These vans are heavily padded and par
toned on so that four horses can ride
In each. The vans are hauled TO the track
by four gray horses The grays carry
white and black plumes at their heads
and make fine show. Americans visit
ing Paris are always welcome out at
the Vanderbilt quarters.
Special Drew Poor Field.
The Benning Special did not develop
anything Of extraordinary quality IN the
winner. The real good horses cannot be
induced to leave their winter quarters on
Long Island for the reason that their
owners do not care 70 take the risk of a
railroad trip. Nowadays there are so
many rich stakes through the midsum-
nIer season that q man with a fair class
horse Is justified in foregoing the chance
of winning a S2,00O stake in order 10
avoid hazarding the weLbeing Of his
bTeadWinner by a two or three hundred
mile rail trip. That is why Benning has
drawn such poor class OF horses this
autumn
Next year an owner or breeder who
may happen 10 fall into the possession of
even middle class colt can count on
making "A comparative fortune
ABOUT the best horse now here is Tou-
renne, a slashing big son of Oddfellow
Ihls youngster has the markings of a
nice three-year-old. He will be taken
10 Canada after the close of the cur
rent meeting ana pointed for the North
ern three-year-Old events of 1907 The
Mackenzie Brothers. OF Toronto on
taTlo: and winnipeg. Manitoba. paid SO
900 for him. w.