New-York tribune., 1918-02-10
Madden Tells
Horse Breeders
To Get BUSY
End of War Will Mean Big
Demand for All Thorough
breds, He Says
By Frank S. Cooke

tion problem far from solution, it
would seem that the bottom might drop
out Of the horse racing sport-but that
is just what is not happening.
A few days ago John +. Madden, who
| is just as keen for standard brcds as
he is for thoroughbreds, and knows
just as much about the sport, which
was his first fancy, sent word to breed
crs that now is the time to send their
mares to the court of worth while STALL
ions. He pointed out that at the con-
clusion Of the war there will be a very
strong demand from the old country
and that 2:1O trotters will be selling
like hot waffles. SO that preparedness
on the part Of the breeders will be
good business.
Madden has sold some horses to the
foreigners for big figures, including
| Tenara, 2:05M, for S15,000; Soprano,
1903 u, for $15,000; Mcgowan, three
year old, 2:10A, for $40 900, and Vice
Commodore, 2:11, for $4,000.
Sales of Trotters
While there have not been as many
sales of trotters for big figures in the
last year as in some seasons, Peter the
Great brought s50,00O The Harvester
$4,000 and offers of $4,000 we're
made and refused for some Of the most
! likely racing material.
At the recent dispersal Of the Wick
life stud, at Lexington, the stallion
Ultimus brought $4,000, one mare
$4,000 and two-year-old $4,000, the
total footing $227,O0O and the average
being $1,670. Ordinarily the thorough
breds bring more sensational figures
than the trotters, but they arc about
on even footing now, and the fact that
shrewd business men are paying up
ward of $40, 900 for good horses is en-
couraging to the small breeder.
Starting about the middle of this
month and continuing into March, a
number Of notable auction sales are
held at Lexington, New York, Chicago
and other places which have become
established markets The Madison
Square Garden sale is of greatest i'm
portance. and February 26 to % will see
the gathering of the clans in the
metropolis.
The big consignment to New York is
from Walnut Hill Farm, the property
of the estate of the late l.. " Harkness,
and just now seventy colts and fillies
are being put through their PAGES.
{,
game years ago, but for considerable
period all Of the foals have been sold
when yearlings or two-year-o olds, with
out further development than being led
or driven in front Of a pony.
There is saying on the turf that
each year champion comes from Wal
nut Hail. and looking over the winning
lists will be found the names of The
Harvester, Native Belle, Mary Putney,
The Real Lady and others that are by
stations of that establishment.
Sixty-Six Yearlings
The consignment this year is made
up of sixty-six yearlings and four two
year-olds. Twenty-three Of the year
lings are by San Francisco, one of the
most popular sires Of his age; nine
teen are by Native King, that has be-
come established as a sire; sixteen are
by Manrico, winner of the hardest
fought Futurity; four are by Moko and
as many by Walnut Hall, the veterans
Of the stud.
Trainers and breeders from all parts
make pilgrimage to Lexington in JAN
uary to see the colts work in the big
barn used for their training. Always
one of them is the topnotcher, and this
time it is bay colt by the venerable
Moko, out of Sibyl knight, sister to the
former champion two-year old trotting
tilly Helen Hale, 2:13A, therefore run
ming back into the famous Silk fam
lily, which MIR. Hardness favored in ma
ternal lines.
Outstanding among performances
which made the Mount Clemens meet
ing best in the realms of ice racing
was the victory of Hal B., jr., in the
for-all pace. Not only did he
step the fastest heat ever seen in a
contest on track on this side of the
border linc-2: 13 x but he came back
on the second day when the thermom-
eter registered below zero and romped
past the rest in 2:15A, giving him
first money and his hackers a lot Of
negotiable pasteboards.
Hal b., jr., is fourteen years old, vet
he is just as timber as when at what
was considered his prime and has a
much better disposition, being tracta-
BILE and scoring away in his place. For
about ten years this rugged stallion
has figured in the races on the Cana
dian and other half-mile tracks. with
now and then a raid on the grand cir
cult.
1t was in 1913 that Dan McEwen
of The Eel fame. trimmed most of the
hlgh-class PAGERS with this steed and
gave him race record of 2:O21a at
AeNllStOI. mai Is q morse OF ideas
and after that he became sour on the
game and acted very badly, so that
his usefulness on the track appeared
to be about over.
Conquers Sulkiness
About three years ago Richardson
became his driver and he made Hal B.
jr, all over. winning the confidence OF
the horse and conquering his disposi-
ton to sulk. The result has been
that, turning back from the big rings
to the half mile tracks, he has become
one of the greatest Of PAGERS on the
twice -arounds. winning heat in
2:05A on an Eastern half-mile ring
in 1916. That year they started him
eleven times and he won ten tirsts, and
last year out of fifteen starts he won
ten.
Honor of being the best pacinc
stallion bred in Canada rests with the
brown horse. His sire. Hal B., 2:o4la
was great racehorse and has been
an illustrious sire. Hal B., jr., is out
Of Anna D., by Knick Wilkes, and was
bred by P. l.. Kastner, of Sebrings-
Vile, Ont.
A. S. Rodney. who was a member OF
the "big six" Of the Grand Circuit the
year he rode long miles behind Bader
and beat all of the high class trotters
IS forsaking the East for berth in the
Middle West this year He has taker
charge of the horses of Senator Dayit
!od, at Youngstown, and will train q