San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-02

According to NJ. Pierre Werthei-
mer, owner of the European cham
pion, the horse has shown great dis
in selecting its ancestors,
but no discrimination at all in win
ming its races. Its record has been
practically unbroken since its first
appearance in the French Ascot, at
the race of 1000 meters for maiden
two-year-olds, when Epinard simply
made hacks of his opponents. win
ming by five lengths. At the end of
his second year, Epinard had won six
races for an aggregate amount of
Frs. 100000. At the end of 1923,
Epinard's aggregate winnings on the
turf amounted to Frs. 1920 and
l.. st. 1856.
Pierre Wertheimer. a young
sportsman Of the. highest type of
French sporting blood, is in addi-
tin to his breeding and racing ac-
tivities. head of the world-known firm
Of BOurjois and Company. per-
tuners, of Paris and New York. He
is also a builder of aeroplanes and
during the war got colors driving an
English King and a French presi-
dent TO the front.
Mr.. Wertheimer is bringing Epi-
nard to America in September to
race at Belmont Park, ait Aqueduct,
and at the Latonia race track in
Kentucky, with Americas finest. "Let
the best horse win," says Wertheimer,
and feels confident of the powers of
his American trained French horse.
Mr.. Wertheimer began his racing
career before Epinard was born; be-
fore even Epinard's immediate for
bears were born. He had been rae
ing as early as 1909 in partnership
with his brother, Paul. Just before
the war, he made up his mind to
start breeding horses of his own. At
the advice of the late eri-Halbronn,
great expert of horse breeding, he
took two shares in syndicate of
French breeders which had imported
into France from the United States
Rock Sand, the English stallion. win
ner of the EPSON Derby in 1903. I'm
fortunately, Rock Sand died two
years after his arrival in France. The
war practically put a stop to all rae
ing activities in France with the ex-
eeption of the so-called "Epreuves de
Selection" very poor substitute.
Had Difficult Position. \
Thus the breeders and race-horse
owners had to face q very difficult
position. Foodstuff for their ami
mails, when obtainable, was very ex-
pensive, and they had no return in
view for their outlay. On top of that
came the German advance of 1918,
which compelled many breeding and
racing establishments to remove their
horses to the south of France. Mr..
August Belmont, who for many years
had EXTENSIVELY raced and bred horses
in France, decided to remove the bulk
of his horses to the United States,
leaving the discarded animals to be
put up for sale in Paris.
1t is curious that Mr.. August Bel
mont should have been responsible
for the life of Epinard in the first
place, and that Epinard now comes
over under the auspices'of the Jockey
Club of which Mr.. Belmont is presi-
deAt.
The catalog of this sale happened
TO fall into the hands of Mr.. Pierre
who was then serving
with the French army near Paris.
As it was, Mr.. Wertheimer a breeder
lin the bud" had two particular
ideas about breeding, He believed in
the Rock Sand blood as shown above
and also in the rejuvenating of the
old French blood by a judicious ad-
junction of foreign blood. especially
American. having observed the Won
Ilerful run of successes met on the
French turf by the horses of both
Mr.. w. X. Vanderbilt and II. b.
Duryea. most of whom were bred on
these lines. 1t thus happened that
he instructed a friend TO bid for two
Of the Belmont cast-off mares. Biv-
Duac, an old American mare, by Ethel
bert and Hastings, the dam of very
successful horse of the Belmont
stable. Bavard III, and Epine
Blanche, daughter of Rock Sand out
Of an American mare. White Thorn,
by Nasturtium. Mr.. Wertheimer got
Bivouac for Frs. 7400 ($350 at the
present rate of exchanged, and Epine
Blanche for Frs. $500 ($400).
Epine Blanche was sent to Bada-
joz, which belonged to a relative of
Madame Wertheimer, Mr.. Michel
Lazard. The stallion Badajoz, by
Cost and Selected, was very fair
performer on the turf, but had proved
only a moderate success as a stallion.
Made Strong Bones.
Epine Blanche, in foal BY Bada-
joz, was sent to the Haras de Bessan,
the new stud farm bought by Mr..
Pierre Wertheimer in the southwest
of France, 30 miles from Bordeaux,
in part called ale Medoc," the finest
wine growing country in the world.
1t was rather a daring experiment
for the young breeder to start an
establishment far away from all the
fashionable" studs, nearly all of which
are either in Normandy or in the
Ile-de-France. Nevertheless, the Bes-
san pasture-grounds have already
proved to be priceless. for breeding
horses. Owing especially to an out
crop of calcareOus substances, it was
soon discovered that common fea-
ture in all animals fed on Bessan
grass was an abnormal strength of
bone. all the products of the farm
being distinguished by soundness of
limbs.
This of course was still hidden in
the future when Epinard was born
in March, 1920. AS Epine Blanche
as brood mare was still an un-
known quantity, it so happened that
Mr.. Wertheimer did not think it
worth while to enter his colt in the
classical races flor which entries have
to be made very early. with the eS-
ception of the Poule d'Essai.
At the end of 1921, Epinard had
grown into a big. fine yearling of a
rich chestnut colour, with a par
ticulariy intelligent head and big
white mark on the forehead. He was
then sent, together with another yearl-
ing, 10 be broken in a small training
establishment at the Pins France, near
+, Bordeaux. in charge of local train
err. G. Sibe, a very careful man.
Early in 1922, Mr.. Wertheimer got
the most encouraging reports about
Epinard. He went one day down Il