Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-23
PREAKNESS' GREAT
DEEDS ON THE TURF

The recent sale of the famous old Freak
ness stud farm by James Galway us
founder. to his trainer, Edward Flakes.
brings back to memory the important par.
which the time-honored old place has taken
i'm turf history. During the past forty
wears II has been the home and training
ground of many great race horses, giving 10
the American turf some of the best per-
formers that ever looked through bride.
When the late Milton II. Sanford at the
voodhurn yearling sale of 1868 purchased
the bay colt by xington-Bayleaf and
called the youngster Preakness, after the
Galway farm it was considered an omen
of good luck to christen the colt after this
noted home of great thoroughbreds. The
name seemed to sound the tocsin of success
for the Young racer as he developed into a
great race horse speedy and game level
headed and docie as honest as the gay was
long.
Coming from a celebrated family OF great
horses Preakness deeds on the turf out
shone those of any of his brothers and SIS
ters-Bayswater. Bay Final, Niagara, etc
\ big hOrse-sixteen and one-half hands
highland built in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
was always from his colthood days to those
Of maturity. able to handle any reasonable
weight. and could go any distance lie
and on the track, where bit OF boy
could place him without any trouble.
Naturally this tractability and level
headed disposition made Preakness great
favorite with owner, trainer and stable
help. as we'll as the general pubic wmch
fairy idolized the big son of Lexington
during career OF seven years racing ne
fore he was sent to England-a long sue
Cession of triumphs and a series of pubic
ovationS.
nictop PorfnrnarS
When eight years old. an age that finds
most race horses in the sere and yellow
leaf of turf retirement. Preakness was in
the very best form of his great career, in
that season $50 carrying the Sanford
dark blue" to the front against the best
horses in training.
That wear saw more first-class long-dis-
lance performers than the American turf
had ever been favored with up to that
time. The cup races and events over a
route showed the highest class fields OF
that day. furnishing contests that are stiil
referred TO by the few members of the
old guard of the turf still left with us.
In battle array against one another at
heats. cup courses three and four miles,
were such stars as spriugbok, Pennington,
Preakness. Balankeel, Wildidle, Grin
stead Mate. Rutherford. Shylock: Arr
IONA. Madge, Ten Brock. Aristides,
Tom Ochiltree. Niator, Sam Harper. Ella
Harper Tubman, Galway Nellie Norton,
Big Fellow. Fair Play. Stampede, Mon
mouth, Crockford. Vandalite Jack Frost,
Bessie Lee. Bob Wooley Egypt and Katie
Pearce-horses that made American turf
history.
This unprecedented collection of distance
performers lent unusual interest to races
over a route in the west as well as the
east. And by the time that the Saratoga
meeting of 1879 came round. that neutral
ground of sectional turf battles between
west and east, Canada and the states, the
country collected at the famous spa
more good stayers than had ever De1ore
stabbed at the course
Cup winners heat horses, four milers and
horses that had won al intermediate DIS
tances were preparing for the Saratoga
cup, TraVers and Kenner stakes, Summer
handicap and longer events. And the
many races over a route with which race
cards of that day abounded were we'll look
ed after by owners and trainers
The fame of this great collection of race
horses drew more people to Saratoga
Springs that summer than during any
previous season. The mammoth caravan
saries were turning away people by July
"a, the opening day of the race meeting,
while the entire town was temporarily
turned into vast camp for the benefit or
the overflow of visitors.
Saratoga cup day drew out 1900 people,
the crowd overflowing into the infield be-
tween races The field of horses carded for
the cup was the best that had ever been
started in an American cup race. And the
overnight pooling on the race had been OF
the hurricane order. Each owner thought
he had the best horse. and as they and
their friends backed their faith with their
dollars the auction selling on the race was
the heaviest on record.
Preakness and Springbok.
Never in the memory of the oldest turf
man on the ground had there been such
"a large amount of money wagered in the
auctions as on this race. The previous
heaviest coup on the Saratoga cup had
been by Milton Sanford in 1868, when his
horse Lancaster defeated Kentucky's pride,
the peerless Fanny Cheatham.
on that occasion Sanford's bookkeeper,
Young lad, bought every pool on Lancaster
sold over night and more at the track the
next day winning $4,000 for his employer
And now seven years later, this same
owner backed his horse Preakness to win
an even larger amount.
The seven starters posted for the cup In
cluded Springbok, ia (Clark); Preakness
ia Hayward; Grinstead, los (Barber)
Rutherford. 10S Donohue); Aaron Penning
ton los Swim; Wildidle, los OHeywood)
and Olitpa, SO (Sparling).
Pooling favored Springbok at $4,000; Pur'
years pair, Grinstead and Rutherford
1880; Preakness, 81 1900; Pennington, $500
the field Olitipa and Wildidle, $3.50. II
looked n task to ask a three-year-old flly
Olitipa, to go two miles and a quarter in
the early summer, but August Belmont in
sisted starting her.
AS the seven horses came out on the track
the pent-up enthusiasm of the spectators
broke loose in earnest. Each of the con
testants was applauded in turn during the
post parade, the contrast between the lord
" pair Preakness and Springbok, and the
trim. light-built Ally Olitipa being a great