The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-16
Tammany G hieftain's CoIors Will
Be Seen Over Here.
Croker's Race Farm in ireland
Is a Model Affair.
MAKES MOUTH WATER
Four Footed Denizens Have
Been Carefully Cared For.
A Statue of His Famous Dobbins
AdOrns Stable Yard.

New York. JAN 16.-Since the an
nounceTnent that Richard Croker in
tended to return to the American turf
there has been much speculation as TO
what the Tammany chieftain has been
doing since he took up his residence
abroad. He has one of the greatest
stock farms that money can buy or
build, about eight miles from Dublin.
and here it is that he has been rear
ing horses that might make the Crok-
er colors famous all over the world.
He was not so successful the past
season as he has been in former
years. and this led to an estrangement
between himself and his American
trainer, ]. ]. Parkinson, and the latter
is no longer training the Irish kings
horses.
1t is said that the farm is enough to
make ones mouth water to learn how
the Tammany chief has provided Tor
the four-footed denizens of his prop
erty. There is one colt in particular
that Croker Is very proud of. He is
1873 hands high and is built like car
rage horse.
It is a fact that ireland is making
rapid Roadway as a nursery of young
race horses, q large number of very
able English turfmen having recently
established studs there. The climate
is particularly favorable to the rearing
of thoroughbreds. At least three of
the best colts of 1906 on the English
turf were bred in Ireland. Mr.. Crok-
er himself has a Derby candidate this
year in the colt Orby by Orme.
At the Croker farm the fields are
all Enclosed by stone walls, built of
granite cut in square blocks, quarried
from the Dublin mountains, adjoining
the farm. On the training grounds the
turf Is so thick that the youngsters
revel on it. There is straight course
one and a half miles long. The stables.
~
are forty box stalls adjoining each
other. forming a circle, with rough
cemented floors, perfectly drained and
ventilated, and so arranged that the
horses are absolutely safe from in
Jury.
All the buildings connected with the
farm and stables are of square cut
granite, finished in the very best of
style. In short, it is the most COM
pIete racing establishment that many
men of large experience have ever
seen. All the improvements have
been made to the Croker farm in less
than two years Every building on
the place is lighted by electricity. sup
piled by a dynamo on the grounds.
That sentiment plays no small part
in the character of Richard Croker Is
shown by the fact that a statue of his
famous American bred horse Dobbins.
now dead. adorns the stable yard. 1t is
the work of an Italian sculptor. Mr..
Croker should highly esteem Dobbins.
performer, and only narrowly escaped
landing the Futurity in 1898, won by
Domino for James r. Keene. Three
horses finished heads apart in the race
Domino, Galilee and Dobbins. Gal
flee, owned by Doc Street, was so
hemmed in by the other two that his
rider. Harry Griffin. could not do full
Justice to his mount. and that is the
chief reason, Street says why he is not
today one of the turf immortals."
The race led to a match for $4,000
side between Domino and Dobbins,
which resulted in dead heat.
In the following year Dobbins won
the Realization stakes for Mr.. Croker,
besides other good stakes. Next year
1s95-the combined stables of Messrs.
Croker and Dwyer were racing in Eng
land. with disastrous results. That was
the year that really helped the late NJ.
r. Dwyer to his financial downfall.
Dobbins went to the stud and begat
some winners for Mr.. Croker. The lat
ter maintained his English stable.
though Mike" Dwyer came back
with the remnants of his once power
full string, and with his fortune i'm
paired.
He "pottered" along until his son
Charley, one day while in California,