Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-25
TOM RYAN STARTS
To FOLLOW RACING
Visit to Ireland Lured Him to
Enter Into the Costly
Sport.

LEXINGTON, Ky, December 23.-In the
private palace horse car of Carrot ID.
Wilson of this city. there has started
for Oak Ridge. i'm Virginia. a thorough
bred stallion and a band of dozen
brood mares that means the advent in
racing of man who will be the successor
in the turf world of the late William c.
Whitney. The man is Thomas f. Ryan,
the fraction insurance and tobacco mag
nate of New York. who has satiated him
self in the world of commerce and finance
and now seeks the wealth of recreation
to which his fortune entities him.
The story of the ownership of the
horses and of the mysterious biddings at
the recent sales of thoroughbreds from
Milton foungs McGrathiana farm, some
few miles from this city. was only dis
closed by the shipment made Surround
ing II is an interesting tale. About a
fortnight prior to the sale Mr.. Ryan was
guest of Richard Croker at Glencairn
near Dublin. Mr. Ryan has estates in
Virginia and in Rockland county. n. Y,
many times larger in acreage than the
fields amid which the oldtime Tammany
chiefrain lives. but there was something
about Glencairn that his farms somehow
d1d not have. He learned what it was
from the enthusiasm of Mr.. Croker. 1t
was the pleasure of breeding and racing
Resolved to Take Up Racing.
OF course, it took means unlimited so to
do. and an abundance of leisure. but Mr.
Ryan had the means and already had de-
termined to dissocate himself largely
from business. and there at Glencairn it
is said he decided to take up breeding and.
perhaps. later. racing as recreation. Orby
had won the Derby for Mr.. Croker. and
the latter spoke so much about his favor
lite horse and his blood lines that Mr..
Ryan began casting about to see where
he could get horse by Orme. the sire of
Orby, to place at the head of his stud.
He found the opportunity in the Nc
Grathiana sale Among the stations there
listed was Monsieur de LOrme. son of
Orme, and Mr.. Ryan at once cabled a
commission for the purchase of the horse
and with him. at least twelve brood
mares. that should be selected not merely
with reference to their individuality. but
well with view to their being mated
later with the handsome big horse in
whose veins courses the blood OF five of
England's great Derby winners.
This commission was executed. though,
with every secrecy as to the principal.
Monsieur de LOrme was bought. and so
were the twelve mares. Among these
mares are Anecdote. that raced in the all
scarlet of the Barbarity stable: Web of
Fate. Miranda. Ethelinda II. and Mayme
NJ. NJ. all of which are believed TO be in
foal. though none of them 10 Monsieur de
L'Orme. Mr.. Ryan being DESTROYS that the
horse, in far as he was concerned.
should begin his career on his own farm
in this particular. following out the ideas
of his old business partner. Mr.. Whitney.
Product Of Great Strain.
Monsieur de L'Orme comes from one of
the most potent male lines I'm the Eng
lish Stud Book. He is a direct descend
ant OF Doncaster. which first won the
Derby for the late Duke of Westminster.
Doncaster got Ben dor. which won the
Derby, and Ben dor got Ormonde, which
was the favorite for the Derby. but
failed to start through illness. Orme him
self got Flying Fox and Orby, both Derby
winners, and Flying Fox is the sire of
Adam. which recently sold in France
for $4,000 of Gouvernant, which was see
ond i'm his Derby, and of Jardy. the lat
ter horse thought well enough to be
named after the famous stud of Edmond
Blanc. 1t will thus be seen that Mr.. Ryan
has purchased for the head of his stud
not merely a superb individual as to con-
formation. but one that is regally bred.
Just what figure Mr.. Ryan proposes
to cut on the American turf is not known
here, but it is believed that he means
to go along lines parallel to those laid
down by Mr.. Whitney, which is to race
horses of his own breeding If they shall
establish their worth This Is the plan
which men of established wealth and
leisure pursue In England. and it is gen.
orally assumed that the traction mag
nate intends. should success crown his
venture. to race in England as we'll as in
this country. He annually spends some
three or four months in the season on
the other side, and a racing stable would
be for him a great recreation, as well as
an introduction into circles that men
of mere wealth may not enter This is
not that Mr.. Ryan is in any sense tuft
hunter, but entirely that being a whole
some man with wealth sufficient to JUS
tify any position he would not want to
be unable to go anywhere that he wtlled