New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-26
Death of Rock Sand
Big Loss to Turf

vice at the remount farm at Fror /
Royal, Va, while Trap Rock is 4. che
nursery stud.
Rock View, one of the best two
ycar-olds of the season of 1912,
ranked with Cock o. the Walk among
the three ear-plds last season; and,
although he slightly bowed a tendon
at Saratoga Springs, he has won the
Toboggan Handicap this season. and
is top weight in the coming Saratoga
Handicap.
Tracery, after being placed in ne
Derby of 1912 in Great Britain, de-
veloped last season into the creates
, cup horse Of the year, winning among
other great races the Gold Vase at
Ascot.
Last fall, when Mr.. Belmon: an
nounced that he was to be retired 10
the stud, the English horse buyer, Mr.
Allison, offered 100000 for T-acery
on behalf of Lady Douglas. Mr.. Bel
mont declined the offer and refused 20
put price on the horse, although Mr.
Allison notified his British represent
tative that Lady Douglas was willing
to 20 higher. Tracery is now in ser
vice at stud Mr. Belmont has es-
tablished in Great Britain, and It y
the intention of his owner to bring
him back to this country if an in
provement in the condition Of racing
and breeding justifies such a venture.
In Tracery Mr.. Belmont unique st. on
ably owns the best of the sons of the
dead stallion, and Tracery is full
brother to Trap Rock. which. as al
ready related. is at the nursery stud.
Mr.. Belmont sold Rock Sand TO the
L - -
French breeders two years ago for
$4,000 because the closing OF most
or the great racetracks Of the country
had rendered it ruinous to keep a
/ horse of his value and prospects in
| this country. Rock Sani was one IF
hity-odd stollions of solerdid British
and American blood and upward of
two thousand broodmares sent out Of
the country for the same reason.
The racing career of Rock Sand be-
gan in England in 1902. during which
season he won the Bedford. Woodcote.
Coventry, Chesterfield and Champagne
stakes. Bat he did not 20 into winter
quarters az the finish of his two-year-
old season with IL. reputation of be-
ing the sr&rtes. wO-year-old of his
time. In the same stable which shei-
tered hum Major Eustace Loder had a
youngste- called Flotsam. which had
won the Middle Park Plate and the
Imperial Produce Stakes, and il was
thought likely that he was the better
thiee-year-old prospect. But Rock
Sand improved so greatly over winter
that George Blackwell. the trainer of
the horses of the thoroughbred strings
Of Major LoIcr, Sir James Miller and
SIR Daniel Cooper. thought there was
little to choose between him and Flot-
sam IL the spring of 1903.
Accord nGiy, on the day of the run
nlng OF the Two Thousand Guineas.
the hrSt three-yetr-old classic of the
year. he did not know on which horse
to put young Danny Maher. the ALleri.
can rider, who was at that time climb
ing INTO prominence as British
jockey Maher was under contract TO
Sir Daniel Cooper. and, inssmuch as
Sir Daniel had nothing for. the Two
Thousand. Major Loder and Sir James
Miller dipped a guinea for his services.
Major Loder. winning Maher, took the
mount on Flotsam. while Skcets Mar
tin, another American, was selected to
pilot Rock Sand.
Rock Sand won the Two Thousand
Guineas, and that unlucky flip Of Major
Loder's guinea prevented Maher
from winning the Triple Crown. the
ambition of every jockey who rides in
ENGLAND. Such an opportunity rarely
comes twice 20 a jockey.
After the Two Thousand, Maher rode
Rock Sand to victory in the Derby and
st. Leger and the ST. James Palace
Stakes and piloted him in the Jockey
Club Stakes. in which he was defeated
by Sceptre, and in the Eclipse. in which
he was beaten by both Ard Patrick.
the Derby winner OF 1902, and by
Sceptre. Ii was because Rock Sand lost
these weightfor-age races when he
was ut his best that the English critics
refused to acclaim him the greatest
horse Of his time, although they con-
coded that ne was king among the
three year-olds of 1908.
After suffering defeat by Zinfandel.
greatest Of the sons of the brilliant
Persimmon. for the Coronation Cup. in
the spring of 1904, Rock Sand won the
Hardwicke Stakes. the Lingfeld Park
Plate. the First Foal and the Jockey
Club Stakes. finishing his career with
Il record OF sixteen victories. one sec
ond and three thirds in twenty starts
He was never out of the money. and he
packed 1873 pounds, at one mile and