Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-04-03
FAMOUS RACE HORSES
BRED IN OLD MADISON
Col. B. B. Million Writes Enter
tainingly Of Turf Stars, Whose
Names Will Never Die

COl. b. b. MILLION, perhaps the best
known turfman that Madison county
has produced in the past quarter or
half century, was talking about the
good ones that have gone to the races
from this historic section tie other
day, and lovingly recalled the names
and histories of many blue -bloods, or
as he said:
"Names that were not born to die".
Bend Or, Hattie D. H.. Anne Fife,
Kate Walker and Charlie Walker first
saw the light in Madison county to
say nothing of that double Derby Win
ncr, Bill Letcher, and the black whrl-
wind fremont. Bill Letcher roamed
the hills Of Madison county as a year
ling, drinking its pure limestone
water, and eating the best of blue
grass that grows in old Kentucky He
ar second to Riley, the Corrigan colt,
in the Louisville Derby. They met
and one-half miles at the Louisville
Derby mile and quarter. There
was different song to sing
fletcher first and Riley second.
T rom there he went to ST. Louis, Win
nirg the st. Louis Derby, and Char
les Green Stakes. His name will never
die
Ammo Fife, the dam of fremont,
was By Alarm dam of Kate Walker.
l can sec her now, as two year old,
a Zig strapping filly. They said: "Too
la:ge /" train" and | remember oac
Mr.. McCrary, Of Pennsylvania coming
to MIR. Taylor, who bred her, to buy.
His eilict was "too large" but before
leaving he c3fcred $500 for her which
was promptly refused. Soon aftei-
wards he sold her to Mr.. Dan Swigett
OF Leg irgton, owner of the great sire
Virgil. She. was seBt to his court; the
produce, Il beautiful back colt. | saw
him sold at Mr.. Swigert's annual sale
Us = yc;llllng, for $500 knocked down
by Phil Kidd, one of the best auction
t"rs t aS ;,ccn my Let tu hear. Dwyer
Bros. were the last bidder, and / heard
Mike DWycr say at Saratoga when
fremont was two years old (hc was
then winner of 13 successive raceS)
that he (DwyeD would bet 100000
that fremont could beat any hcrse
living at any even weight four miles,
and $4,000 on every quarter that IRE
mont would be in the lead. There were
no takers. t- pin.
Annr Fife was named for one of
Madison county's beautiful women
| "1 heir names will never. die" The
! great Bend Or and Hattie ID. H. we're
both by Imp. Buckdem; dam Kate
/ Walker They were reared from baby
hood in old Madison county and good
lockers from the start and | want to
say, | doubt very much if there has
ever been q horse could beat him after
going q mile. l heard Mn. Huggins
trainer for MI. Cassatt, say just after
Bend Or had hung up fine record fol
a mile and 500 yards, beating such
horses as General Monroe, Glidelia &c
"Thotc is no horse can live and keer
pace with him after going one mile"
! know there are plenty of people
who will remember his first race in the
early Sos. There were seven starters
ard Major Thomas had a colt he callet
i.cleX. which was warming up for the
race. Bend Or was being led from the
inner field when Lelex struck and came
near knocking him down and this cost
Bend Or the race. He was big fa
volite and would have won but for the
accident. He trained on after that ant
won in his three and four-year-o ole
form. He met and defeated all com
ers at any weight.
Hattie D. H. (Hattie Dickersol
Heathman is where she found he
name-a most charming and beautiful
young lady of Madison county wh
still resides here) l remember her s.
well that spring-like morning of May
1885. While seated at a table in tn
Garnet Hotel in Richmond, tele