The New York herald., 1922-06-18
Expatriated American Horse
man the Man of the Hour
Among British Breeders.
ra2TGES IN TURF CLASSIC
Seven Three Year-Olds Placed
II Times Since 1917 in Eng
lands Greatest Contests.
by GURNEY c. CUE.


liant wife III the world of politics. as
shown on their recent visit TO this
country. he is preeminently the dis
tinguished member of the family in the
racing world across the sea. The expa-
triated American turfman's achieve
ments as a breeder and owner of race
horses In England in the last few years
have been remarkable. not to say un-
precedented and the performances of his
crack three-year-olds Pogrom and Ia
mar in this years Oaks and Derby have
made him the man of the hour on the
British turf.
Ambition to win one of the five classic
races-Two Thousand Guineas, One
Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks and ST
Leger, to name them in the order OF
their running-has for almost a century
led England's wealthy sportsmen to-
gether with many others throughout the
world to pour out money in golden
flood in breeding. buying and training
colts and fillies for the annual contests
but few indeed have accomplished in
lifetime as much as Major Astor has
done in a little more than decade. and
he has done ii all with horses of his own
breeding, which adds vastly to the i'm
portance of his achievements in the eyes
of the racing world.
S22,5OO for Broodmare.
1t was at the dispersal sale OF Sir
William Basss stud in 1911 that the
husband of Lady Astor, NJ. p, caused
stir by bidding $22,500 for the young
mare Maid of the Mist, by the great
Cyllene (sire OF four Derby winners),
cut of the renowned Sceptre, winner OF
all the classic races except the DERBY
in her year. By the side of the Maid
and too young to be sold separately was
a filly foal by the obscure horse Tor
point, whose stud fee was less than 500,
and the filly was thrown in with the
mare. Lord Astor named her Hamoaze,
and three years later had the pleasure
of seeing her finish second in the
Hockey Club Stakes ,2OO) over
course of mile and three-quarters at
Newmarket. which is accounted one OF
the great distance races of the British
turf.
Major Astor the next year bred
TIamoaze to the Derby winner Sunstar
and she promptly gave him the bay colt
Buchan that was beaten a neck in the
Two Thousand Guineas and half
<ength in the Derby and that ran third
IN the sc. Leger and first in the rich
Sandown Eclipse Stakes two years in
succession, once with 1876 pounds on
his back. Mated with the American
bred horse Tracery in 1918. Hamoaze
produced tidl HtlSllcu SSNOiAA ~
Captain Cutie in field OF thirty
atarters for the Derby Stakes of 1922.
Maid OF the Mist herself gave to Major
Astor the crack filly Sunny Jane, by
Gunstar, in 1914. She ran second to
Diadem In the One Thousand Guineas
and then turned the tables on the win
ner by defeating her over the longer
course in the Oaks. In 1918 Maid OF
the Mist produced full brother to
Craiev N Thic
colt was close to the best IL he was not
the best three-year- in England last
season, winning the. Two Thousand
Guneas for his owner at last, and also
the Sandown Eclipse Stakes for the
third year In succession and running
second In the Derby and fourth in the
st. Leger.
PopinJay Another Prize.
Maid of the Mist is now sixteen years
old. Few If any other mares of her
age ever sent to the turf in so short a
time such a quintet of descendants that
were winners or factors in all the classic
races. Sceptre, her dam, having been
daughter of the Derby winner Persim-
mon. by the unbeaten st. Simon, and out
of full sister to the unbeaten Ormonde.
Maid of the Mist has strong claims to be
called the best bred mare In the world.
and largely because of her rare inheri-
tance and remarkable offspring, her
grandson Buchan has gone to the stud
with his book full three years In ad-
vance at a fee of $4,000.
About the time Major Astor acquired
the great daughter OF Cyllene and Scep-
ire he purchased of Lord Rosebery the
brown, mare Popinjay, by st. Frusquin,
winner of the Two Thousand Guineas,
out OF Chelandry, winner Of the One
Thousand Guineas and runner-up In
both the Oaks and the st. Leger. Che
landry produced Neil Cow, winner Of the
Two Thousand. and her daughter Sam
phire, by Isinglass. Is the dam of the
rising young imported sire Wrack, whose
two-year-olds won more money than
those of any other family racing in
America last season.
Popinjay proved 10 be another capital
prize in the lottery of breeding race
horses. To Dark Ronald she produced
Magpie. the contending runner when
Gay Crusader won the Two Thousand
Guineas by head in 1917. To Bayardo
she gave her owner last seasons good
three-year-old Pompadour. that was
placed In both the One Thousand GUM
cas- and the Sandown Eclipse Stakes,
the latter race hAviA1 been won by her
stabl. ----te <raig an Fran. This year
Popinjay Is again In the lImelight
through her nine-year-old daughter Pop
ingaol. the sister to Magpie and the dam
of Pogrom, Major Astor's winner Of the
Oaks
Who Has EquaIed Him.
Here, then, are seven three-year-oIds
foaled within six years by two brood
mares and their daughters In the Give
den Stud. and these colts and fillics have
been placed among the first three at the
finish In eleven OF Englands classic
races since 1917. Twice they have won
the historic oaks and once the Two
Thousand Guineas. while In the last
four years they have also run second
for the Derby no less than three times,
third for the st. Leger. second for the
Two Thousand Guineas on two occa-
sions and second and third for the One
Thousand Guineas
This amazing record takes no ac-
count of their three consecutive vic
tories and one third place in the San
down Eclipse Stakes since 1919 nor OF
Bamoazos second I'm the Jockey Club
Stakes. But II any breeder has ever
owned two mares from which came I'm
so short time In the direct female
line so uc--- paced horses In the Ave
,,as-ic races II would be interesting to
know the names OF the horses and the
horseman.
No record OF Major Astor's success
in tho races which annually bring to
t-po post the fnwer OF Ensland'- three