Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-10-11
Ugly DuckIing
Of Sales Rinq
Rules The Turf
AIsab May Be the Best
Since Man o War
BY DAMON RUNYON

~ N
" rector is planning a pic
ture ON Seabiscuit, the race
horse that was retired a few
years back after hanging up a
new record for money won in
races, but If the director wants
a real Cinderella horse story he
should consider the life and
works OF a Steed called Alsab.
This is a 2-year-old hide that
may be the greatest American
race horse since Man o War.
lie has all the other race horse
owners wondering If there is
any use bothering to plan en-
tries in the Kentucky Derby,
the PreakneSS. or any OF the
other 3-year-old stakes of 194l
10 which he is eligible. save on
the remote possibility that Alsab
may break down between now
and then.
He cost his owners 500 in
the yearling sales at Saratoga
Springs and his purchase was
pretty much Of an accident,
though after a lucky buy of this
nature you are usually given to
understand that il was made on
the basis of shrewd calculation
by the purchaser and that it
proved that he was just natur-
ally smarter than any one else.
4 LBERT SABBATH. a WELL
"A known Chicago lawyer.
who is related to Congressman
SABBATH of Illinois. and with
bad heart that had him in a
hospital while Alsab was run
ming some OF his best races last
Summer. arrived in the Sara
toga sales ring the final night OF
the annual vendee OF young
horses from the Kentucky
breeding farms a year ago last
August.
The last of the offerings were
being displayed and they i'm
cluded a number of yearlings by
Good Goods, a stallion owned by
Thomas Piatt, famous Ken
lucky breeder.
SABBATH haS-been racing
small stable for some time and
his trainer. Sergeant SWenke
one of the old school, wanted
some new young stock so SABBATH
bid in several of the Good Goods
offerings because there was
nothing lent TO buy.
SABBATH is not a rich man,
otherwise with his enthusiasm
for race horses he would most
likely have passed up the bar
gain counter and been there
earlier TO 90 after the high
priced parcels.
LIE invested total OF about
IL $1,000 in the yearlings he
bought that night, of which AL
sab was one. His wife is re-
Sponsible for the name. A COM
bination of the Al by which the
lawyer is known TO his friends
in Chicago and his surname.
The colt races in the charming
Mrs. Sabath's colors. SABBATH did
not even have seat in the re-
served section of the sales ring
the night he bought Alsab. bid
ding from the fringe of the
crowd.
The Good Goods yearlings
went cheap because they were
what the trade calls of 'unfaSh-
ionable' breeding. Good Goods
was nothing phenomenal as a
race horse himself and this was
his first crop, so he had had
no chance TO show anything as
a sire.
The dam OF AlSab, a mare
called Winds Chant, was by
Wildair. and Wildair has set no
bonfireS as a producer.
No one expected the Good
Goods yearling 10 bring big
prices. and breeder Tom Piatt
was doubtless well satisfied with
the 500 for the Winds Chant
bay colt
TT Is improbable that SABBATH
Il looked into the future and
saw Alsab as the tremendous
race horse ne has turned out TO
be. The colt was not entered
i'm any of the richer two-year-
old stakes. When a man thinks
he has a great prospect he en-
tiers him IN everything he can.
But barring accidents, AlSab
will win a fortune before he is
through and make plenty Of
racing history. He has already
won 100000 as a two-year-old
and viii probably 60 TO Cali
fornia with the rich Santa Anita
Derby and Santa Anita Handi-
cap at his mercy
He can run all day He has
an amazing faculty for getting
himself out Of trouble. as he
demonstrated last week when
he set a new record for a mile
for horses nlhis -aEee ana made
show Of the Eastern cracks
after being in plenty Of diff
Guilty at various stages OF the
running
He carried 10 pounds and
came close 10 the track record
set by Jack High as a four-year-
old, and right now he could
probably beat the three-year-old
champion. WhirlaWaV. at even