Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-10-31
TALES OF THE DERBY
Some of the Winners That were
Not Liked as Youngsters.
BOUGHT FOR A MERE TRIFLE.
Little Wonder, Who Carried Oh the
Blue Ribbon In 1910, Cost His Own
er Only SS25-The Successes OF Vol
tleeur and Thormanby.

tiCeur and normandy
Stories Of Derby winners having
been sold as youngsters for exceed
ingly small sums are fairly numerous
and without going too far back into
the recesses Of the past at least TWO
Instances can be cited OF animals deS-
tined ultimately to win the blue RIB
bon of the turf which as yearlings
no one thought good enough to buy.
Voltigeur was one Of these, and the
other was Thormanby.
Voltigeur was bred by Robert Ste
phenson in 1917 and as yearling was
sent I'D to be sold ut the Doncaster
sales. a reserve price Of S1,IoO beng
placed on him. Not man was found
TO bid that much for him; consequently
he was withdrawn.
In all probability he would have re-
NAMED unsold had not Williamson a
relative by marriage Of Lord Zetland'
seen him and, having taken a fancy to
him. finally persuaded his lordship 10
buy him.
His Judgment was triumphantly vim
dictated. for not only did NOltigeur win
the Derby and st. Leger, but he sue
ceeded in establishing line Of thor
oughbreds which Is at present domi-
nant on the English turf and likely TO
remain so for some time to come.
Thormanby, too, was sent up to be
disposed at the DOncaster ana, Ike
Voltigeur, did not reach nominal re-
serve. DESTROYS Of getting rid OF him,
however. Plummer, his breeder. re-
ouested his famous trainer, Matt Daw-
son. to come and have thorough look
at him.
This Dawson did and, perceiving at
q glance good points about him, whlch
no one else apparently had noticed
bought him for Merry, his patron.
Strange enough, Dawson gave the
same figure for Thormanby as that
paid for Voltigeur.
AS a two-year-old Thormanby ran
fourteen times and out Of this number
scored nine wins, and in the Derby OF
the following year he beat held OF
thirty. 1t was said that the race net
ted Merry the nice sum of 100000.
The cheapest horse that ever won
the Derby was Little Wonder, which
was successful in 1910, for he cost his
owner. Robertson, the meager sum Of
only 1925.
Spaniel. too. winner Of the race III
1881. was picked up for a very small
sum, Lord Egerton. his breeder, letting
him go for $3.50.
Pyrrhus j., which won In 1916, was
purchased by John Day, the noted
trainer. as a yearling at DOncaster
Gully, the pugilist, taking half IN
terest In him.
As a two-year-old the horse never
ran, and seemingly his abilities were
then of an unknown quantity, for al
the end of the season Day agreed tC
sell his half share in him to Gully FOL
$500. Days chagrin at his subsequent
victory in the Derby was very great.
Teddington. the winner Of 1851, was
bred by a blacksmith, who sold hin
as a foal, together with his dam, t(
Sir Joseph Hawley for $3.50 and
further $4,000 If he won the Derby.
Sir Joseph and his confederate, Mas
sey Stanhope, to whom the horse real
" belonged. profted largely over thu
success. and the jockey, Marson, wh'
rode the horse. received $4,000 as
token Of victory. which in those day
was unprecedented.
Sainfoin. which carried the colors 0
Sir James Miller to the front, was a.
exceptionally fortunate purchase b
John Porter, the trainer. he bough
the colt out Of the Hampton Court 10
of yearlings in 1888 for the very rea
sonable price of 50. 72O, Sir Robert Dar
dine taking q half interest in him.
AS a two-year-old he was seen onl.
once in public, and he won his rae
with the greatest ease The year foI
lowing he won the Esher stakes in
canter after which he was sold I
Sir James Miller for 100000 and q col
tingency Of half the stakes If he wo
the Derby. 1t was indeed a prohtabl
deal for Porter and Sir Robert.
Another instance of Porters shrewt
ness as a horse dealer was his Pun
chase of the great horse IsOnOmy fo
the bagatelle figure. cOmparativel
speaking. Of $500. The real ownf
was Fred GrettOn.
Isonomy gave no real promise OF n
worth as q tvo-year-Old, his only VII
tory being a nursery stake In the Ia
ter part Of the season. As a thre
year-old he was not seen in public III
til the Cambridgeshire, which he VIC
easily by two lengths and incidental
earned no less than 100000 in be
for his owner.
Had he been in the classic races
would in all probability have cleant
the board.
AS q four-year-old he won the go
cup at Ascot and the Goodwood al
Brighton cups and crowned these Tea
by literally running away with Il
Great Ebor handicap. carrying L
crushing weight of 1856 pounds.
The following year Isonomy Prov
himself a better horse than ever d
only winning the Ascot gold cup agai
but also the Manchester cup with t
almost impossible burden, one wou
think, of 1873 pounds.
It has been calculated that altoget
or Isonomy won for his owner I
ward of 100000 in stakes and be
which for an 81 800 Investment was
colossal profit.-Brooklyn Eagle.