New-York tribune., 1920-10-24
Man o. War
Not Eligible
For the 400
Americas Greatest Horse
Cannot Be Registered in
the English Stud Book

come to the conclusion that Man o.
War is capable of taking the measure
of any thoroughbred in the world, and
who are sanguine. that the son of Fair
Play Xill found family endowed with
manyAf the characteristics which have
made him superior to anything hither-
to known in the annals of the turf,
will be surprised to learn that despite
his splendid career, he nor any of his
prospective children will be eligible
for registration in the English Stud
Book.
1t is this fact which has made those
acquainted with the situation so keen
to see the horse sent abroad in order
pcrlorlty in such contest as the Ascot
Gold Cup. Mr. Riddles recent an
nouncement that the colt will never be
permitted to leave the land of his birth
is final, however, and no matter how
great this country's pride may be in
the threeyear-old and his accomplish
ments, there will always be the re-
membrance that the British authorities
would not give him a place in their
91fnclal turf registry. because Of the
Lexington cross in his pedigree
In speaking of this fact few days
ago Major August Belmont. the breeder
of Man O. War, who deplored that Mr..
Riddle had determined to retire the
great colt before he had shown his
class abroad in such races as the Ascot
Gold Cup, remarked with mischievous
twinkle:
United States Average High
ut is most unfortunate that Man O.
War isn't going over to add another
laurel to our discredited breed. If you
take the Derbies and estimate the num-
Der of times American bred horses or
those with large amount of American
blood in their makeup have scored in
this classic it will be found that our
average is high. lroquois, bred in the
United States, won it, and while Orby
and Durbar were both foaed abroad.
they inherited through their dams a
liberal allowance Of the blood of our
old-fashioned families. When YOU con-
slder the small number of horses we
have sent abroad and take into con-
slderation the successes scored by them
the average speaks we'll for our thor
oughbreds"
The entire question is purely aca-
demlc and had its origin in the fact
clding that families giving proof of
their excellence through their per
tolmances would be accepted, later
came to the conclusion that only those
showing a clear title from the English
to the American Stud Book would be
deemed worthy of a place in their rec
ords
Orby was admitted under the first
named condition, and it is we'll for the
Engnsh authorities that he was as the
get of this Derby winner, whose dam.
Rhoda B, was by Hanover, have shown
great prowcss, Orpheus and Diadem
fnishlng first and third respectively
In the Champion Stakes only week
ago.
The Inconsistency of the ruling, how
ever. IS shown by the fact that full
brother Of Orby would not be accepted
Tor registration at the present time.
1t is this peculiar ruling which has
been the target of the shafts Of sar-
casm levelled by the best of the British
turf critics.
1t was thus that the entire Lexing-
ton family, one Of the best and most
prollic of all the early American thor
cughbreds, became taboo. The blood
OF Lexington, mighty race horse and
record holder, is found in the pedigree
or many of our best present day per-
formers. Because it is impossible to
trace grandsire's female line from
/ the American to the English Stud Book.
Man o War, and scores of others whose
deeds proclaim them Thoroughbred fail
OF recognition at the hands of the
English authorities.
Spcndthrift, the great rrandsiro Of
Man O. War, WAS out of Lexington. dam
Aerolite. Durbar, which won the DERBY
Tor the late II. B. Duryea, acquired the
bar sinister through the Lexington
mare Minnie Minor which three Wanda
his great granddam.
Records Not Well Comn;lad
The early records Of many American
thoroughbreds were not as carefully
compiled as they should have been. it
was TINS which was responsible for the
lollo"lng announcement by Sanders
~ bruce, the original compiler of the
American Stud Book, who in an in
PRODUCTION to volume said:
There are number of animals in
TINS volume, which cannot be authen-
tlcally traced the requisite FIVE crosses.
but by virtue of their great racine
excellence, and producing capacity
1nelr retention in the work is justified
1ney are doubtless thoroughbred, but
owing to the death of their breeders
and loss of records their pedigrees can-
not be traced. We have been en-
deavorlng for some years to establish
,he pedlgrees OF several families which
nave SHOWN great excellence, not only
as performers, but as producers Of
great race-horses, both in the male and
female lines, notably the Duke of Ma.
genta, Spendthrift. and Picayune fami.
iieS. Ihe Spendthrift, or Melody. fam
Ily, undoubtedly traces to imported
Kitty Fisher. through Kitty Medlev
sister of Melzar Vol. T.. pages 598 and
o92. Kitty Medley, Vol. l, pare So
was the Medley mare brought to Ken.
tucky." 1Ne'''
W. H. Rowe, the registrar of +be
Jockey Club, when seen at the OFFICE
OF the Jockey Club few days aro
There is no doubt in the world
about Spendthrift being thorourh.
pred. The hardest part of this English
Stud Book regulation is that il ;s 's1. ac.
cep'eo by our own Department of Agri-
culture when it comes to the importa.
ton OF blood stock from abroad. II
lhey cannot show q certificate of repis.
sration they cannot be imported duty
Tree. 1t works hardship on the Amer.
can breeder who may wish to patronize
foreign sire. Take the case of the
MY Afternoon, by Prince Palatine ont
OF Matinee. Mr.. Whitney sent the
mare abroad number of years ago
When he wanted to bring her daughte,
AFTERNOON home he had to paw dut,
on her" 0N''
1t was in 1901 that Messrs. Weather
by 4 Son. the official compilers o.
the English Stud Book, said in tn,
preface to Vol. NIX: