The New York herald., 1922-12-25
ny HENRY v. KING.


ny HENRY ". KING.
For the average racegoer to say
which race was the best he ever saw
is no easy task. There are hundreds
OF hair raising. pulse quickening thor
oughbred contests every year. Almost
every day That's the best race l
ever saw is heard from hundreds OF
persons at the different tracks.
To most followers of the sport the
best race means the one which fur
nishes the most thrills. Many race
goers see the best race OF their tuff
career a dozen times a week. They
are the nervous, excitable. enthusi-
astic ones whose judgment and vision
are warped by their enthusiasm over
wager won on their favorfte horse.
Others. more conservative and keener
students of the sport. proclaim race
the best they ever saw every time truly
great horses participate in stirring
contest. There are still others who see
"best race" probably once year.
But there are some veteran followers
Of the sport who have a picture OF some
good race imprinted In their minds that
will never fade and to them that race
only Is the best they ever saw.
James Rowe, the dean of all horse
trainers in America. the man who has
saddled nearly 1000 winners and whose
horses have won more than S2.OOO,OOO
had quite a job deciding which was the
best race he ever saw. This veteran,
who Is almost septugenarian and has
had in his charge the greatest thorough
breds this country has known. knows a
good race when he sees one just as he
knows great horse when he sees one.
Proclaims Sysonby Best.
without hesitation ne told US the best
horse he ever saw. 1t wasn't Man o
War either. 1t was the imported
Sysonby. which he trained for the late
James r. Keene and whose skeleton is
now in the Museum of Natural History
In this city.
But when we asked him about the
best race he ever saw he was nom
plussed. In the vernacular Of the turf
he was up tree.
How can i answer that question? ?"
he replied. Il saw hundreds Of great
races
And there is good reason why he
should be perplexed over such a queS-
ton. Mr.. Rowe has been a prominent
figure on the American turf for about
fifty years and as there have been six
races a day and $50 racing days year,
he has seen close to $1,000 races.
When we interviewed him his horses
had worked we'll for him and he was in
good humor. One must find Mr.. Rowe
In good spirits to get him to discuss any
subject Mr.. Whitney says that when
his horses are ailing. Jimmy Rowe is
ailing And all horsemen know that
when Jimmy Rowe Is not well he Is the
most reticent man on the turf Hc is
always polite and gentlemanly. but he
answers all questions In monosylables
when his horses are not going along
as he wants them to.
''The race in which Omar Khayyam
beat Hourless by a head at Belmont
Park in 1917 was a great race" he
said. 80 was the Man O. War-John r..
Grier race at Aqueduct two years ago.
John p. Grier should have won that
race. you know. Eddie threw that race
away" The Eddie Mr.. Rowe referred
70 was Jockey Ambrose, who rode John
p. Grier
''The first Brooklyn handicap when
Dry Monopole, Blue Wing and Hildalgo
finished noses apart was great race,
continued Mr. Rowe. And you saw
great race last summer when Extermin-
ator beat Grey Lag head in the
Brooklyn Handicap"
Hts First winner Best Race.
Then Mr.. Rowe heeitated and blurted
out what he had said at the beginning
of our conversation: II saw hundreds
of great races" He was emphatic this
time and It seemed as IL we were not
going to get the best race he ever
saw" He started to walk away. lie
walked about ten feet and then came to
a sudden stop.
IT know the best race ever saw" he
almost shouted. and his eyes sparkled
with enthusiasm over the memory OF IL.
"It was the first winner I ever rode. 1t
was at Long Branch. N. j.. soon after
the Centennial. II was my first mount,
too. ] weighed about 60 pounds and got
the mount on Idaho, belonging to the
late Col. David Mcdaniel. father or
VIII Mcdaniel. who had J. III. Rosseter's
horses this spring. and Henry. who Is
with Commander J. X. l.. Ross. Puddfn
Mcdaniel is his grandson.
Idaho carried 73 pounds and ! got
him home a head In front of Nellie
James belonging 70 the hate August
Belmont. father OF the present chairman
of the Jockey Club.
at was a great race all the way. II
was at a mile and a quarter idaho
and Nellie James raced stride for stride
all the way. Nearly $4,000 pesN,ns saw
the race--a record crowd for tixope days.
The crowd went wild over IdAto's VIC
tory and showered me with pra.se. The
cheers excited me and ] was fSs hap
piest kid In the world. 1t wac q great
race---the best ! ever saw"
Asked II he received a watch or pin
or Some other valuable present for the
fine ride he had given Idaho he laughed
for what seemed like several minutes