New-York tribune., 1907-04-24
RACING IN AMERICA.
Breeding the Thoroughbred in the
Rlne Grass.

mace the race nasco, but the interest was as keen
/ as 1t had ever been in of the oldtime match
races The Eastern racing men object to match
races because they are sure to engender quarrels
and bad blood, and racing men have enough to
contend with from the outside without splitting up
in internal dissensons
The racecourse at Saratoga was laid out in 1868.
william Travers being the leading spirit. In 1880
Jerome Park gave way to Sheepshead Bay and
Brighton Beach, and the new era Of metropolitan
racing was born. In 1884 the first Suburban at
! sheepshead Bay was captured by General Monroe,
ana IN 1888 the first Futurty wen by Proctor
Knott, with Salvador second The Suburban IS the
only great event OF the New York racecOUrses
which has remained unchanged from the first,
alterations IN distance conditions having been
made.
The effect of the American love for horse racing
upon the horses of the country has been marvel
Ious. The racing thOroughbreds and the standard
pred harness horses have been improved from year
10 year. and with their Improvement and develop
ment the domestic horse has been brought to
state OF perfection not dreamed of in the days
ey IN the civil War the superiority of the cavalry
from Virginia. Kentucky and Tennessee, response
pie for the fame Of Forest and Stuart and Morgan.
equipped. Even the Kentucky and Missouri mule
dams from whence he sprang.
While breeding farms that produce great horses
are 10 be found in many parts of the Union, par
ticularly in New York, Pennsylvania. California
leads the world in the number of breeding estab-
lshments and in the high class of their product
In Kentucky Woodford County leads all the
others Indeed the history of the horse cannot
be written if Woodford County be left out. with
its great names of Alexander, Harper, Buford
Blackburn Swigert and Kinkead. In neighborinS
counties there the mighty seats of the families
Of blooded horses known by the of NIcCirath.
Haggin, Whitney Belmont. Keene and others OF
their kind Lexington, in Fayette County, is the
nletFODOliS of the buegVaSS an q
realm OF the thoroughbred The bluegrass country
comprises about eleven hundred square miles Of
territory rolling country. covered with the very
king of grasses.
OF its stock farms WOODBURY. in Woodford Coun-
ty, is perhaps most famous. For more than
tury the Alexander family bred the finest horses
to be found In the land. The original Alexander
was friend and protege of Benjamin Franklin.
The farm was bought from General Hugh Mercer.
OF Revolutionary fame. in 1880 The place orlgt-
naly included 200 acres. but It has been increased
now TO 300 acres. all of which is brought to the
perfection of Italian garden by Intelligent care
and Improvement From here came the mighty
FoXhall, winner Of two Of the English classic races
also the Partisan Grand Prlx. Woodburn was also
the home of the mighty Lexington, who held the
four-mile record for nineteen years. and whose de-
scendans stood at the head of the list of winners
for seven consecutive years record never before
since touched. From Woodburn came also tho
great trotting marc Maud s., whose record was tho
unattainabe goal of all Jrotters for many years.
and which would have doubtless remained the top
notch except for the improved conditions in sulkies
and racetracks.
Adjoining Woodburn is the Harper place. found
ed by three bVothers-John. Jacob and Adam Har-
per- From them II came to Frank r. Harper.
who died recently at an advanced age. Adam Har-
per was killed by guerras during tho Civil War
and Jacob and an aged sister were murdered in
their beds night In the '7es. John away
from home end escaped. Frank Harper like his
uncles, never married and lived for years alone
in the old house about which many tragic mem
ories clung. The Harper farm the home OF
the mighty Ten Brock and the invncibe Long
fellow-two heroes OF the turf whose VIII |
not perish long the love Of the sport lives IN
the breasts OF Americans over the grave Of long
fellow is handsome stone. bearing the legend |
Here lies the King Of the Turf-Seyenteen Starts |
grave Of Ten Broeck arc i'm frant og tb ,d % c9
per residence Inside the house the walls are
hung with oil portraits OF the Harper horses
the declining years OF Ills fe Thesa are only two |
Of the three hundred-odd stock farms which have |
made the name of Kentucky famous.
In passing f IS interesting to note that the |
blue grass region of Kentucky and Tennessee was |
the first national park and game and forest re- |
serve in America. It set apart before the |
white man had come with prOfaning foot and 6on- |
quering hrearm by the great IroquoIs tribes of /
Indians-the Six Nations. They forbade any set |
tlement or agriculture IN all that great region and
it became known as the hunting grounds" The |
lroquois the north. the Cherokecs on the east |
and the Chickasaws the west bound by |
treaty to keep these hunting grounds neutral ter
Iltory. There was a perpetual truce that the ar |
row might be sped only when aimed at the game /
and fowl OF the wilderness The stone monuments |
tbs up rs Py ss l9quois to mark the boundaries Of
a few OF them are stilI standing.
The Pacific Coast has contributed much to the |
American turf Racing began in California almost /
as soon as gold digging. and has been kept up ever
since. There the oh fashioned long con-
tnued years after they were abandoned in the East
About thirty years ago the famous Lucky Bald |
win started the Santa Anita ranch Leland stan
ford founded Palo Alto at the same time Then |
came the names OF Haggin and Kcene, stil in
separable from the story of the turf
James r. Keene went to California as a poor hov |
and set up in life with Foxhall Daingerfed a poor
boy from Virginia, as his partner. DaingerGeld |
had d rich brother, judge of the court and in |
time pretty Miss Dangerfed, from Virginia, came |
to California TO visit. Her rich ana powerful !
brother soon that Keene was paying court to /
ms sister lie was made furious by the presump- |
ton of the iInpecunous youth and forbade Keene |
10 come to the house. But the younger danger
field was ON keenes side. and he actually helped |
This is the story they tell in the West and every
Cody knows that Keene's son is FoxhaI Keene. and
ever made by an American horse abroad FnTbaT
Daingerfeld afterward became major in the Con
iederate army, ana great IacehoTse has been |
called MAJOR Daingerfeid.
In Tennessee The Belle Meade Stock Farm near
Nashville was one of the greatest horse breeding,
esta abshments for many years. II under the
ownership Of General ". @. Harding and General
w. II. Jackson. In The Belle Meade stud died the
mighty IroQuols winner OF the English Derby and
second only TO Foxhall in mis- performances abroad
Enquirer. a prince of the turf. which q hand
some marble monument erected by John r.
of THE Cincinnati Enquirer" also lived
at Belle Meade. The jackson place by reason of
death. became the property Of little baby and