Evening star., 1951-01-08

horses, Mr
Samuel Riddle Riddle owned a
number of other champions,
among them War Admiral, Cru
sader. American Flag and Maid
at Aims.
All of these were sired by Man
O War, whom Mr.. Riddle pur-
chased as yearling from August
Belmont in 1918. The purchase
price was only 5000. Man O. War,
in two years of racing under the
Riddle colors, won 20 of 81 starts,
set five American and world S
records and earned $249,465 in a
day of much smaller purses. The
great horse died on November !,
1947 at the age of 30.
Famous As Breeder.
Mr. Riddle, who was born in
Glen Riddle, Pa. on July !. 1861,
was known as a horseman long
before the advent of Man O. War
as he grew up in the atmosphere
of the fox-hunting country of
Delaware and Chester counties in
Pennsylvania.
Always known as a fine judge
OF horses, Mr.. Riddle also was
famous for his breeding and train
ing methods. He maintained rae
ing establishments in Kentucky
and Maryland. as well as in Penn
sylvania, much of the training be-
ing done at his place near Berlin,
on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
His birthplace was named for
his father, Samuel Riddle, who in
1912 established there the Glen
Riddle Mills, manufacturing tex
tiles. After finishing his schooling
at Pennsylvania Military College,
Mr.. Riddle at 81 entered the fam
lily mill business and later became
president of the Riddle company,
a commission house selling South
ern cotton yarns.
Wife Died in 1912.
Mr.. Riddle had lived most of
his life on the family estate at
nearby Glen Riddle. There are
no immediate survivors. His wife,
the former Elizabeth Dobson, died
in 1912. Recently he had been
cared for by Miss Edith Mills, a
nurse who had been closely asso-
ciated with the family for years.
Mr. Riddle once was reported
to have turned down an offer for
81 million for Man O. War.
you'll hear SO persons tell
how they influenced me to buy
Big Red" he once confided. "but
don't believe them. I'll tell you.
When August Belmont - the
grandest man of the American
turf-was selling his yearlings, I
went down the stalls for a look.
Red was last in the line and I
noticed he wasn't brushed and
made ready like the others.
II said to the groom, Mr.. Bel
mont must have set this fellow
aside?' and when Red poked his
big head through the door my
heart skipped a little. You
see, I rode once. and I've trained.
know them, if I do say it,
Harry Payne Whitney's Upset
handed Big Red his only defeat in
a race that saw Man O'War off
to a bad start and, as Riddle
described it. ''boxed three times"
But Man O. War defeated Upset
on seven other occasions.
Phenomenal Success as Sire.
Man O. War retired to the stud
after running away from Sir Bar
ton in their match race for SIS. 900
and a $4,000 gold cup at the Ken
llworth track near Windsor, On
tarlo. His success as a sire was
phenomenal.
In 1925 one of his first crop.
American Flag. was 3-year-old
champion and another of his sons,
Crusader, repeated in 1926. Cru
sader generally was considered
Big Reds best son until War Ad-
miral came along II years later
/. and won the Triple Crown. In
1887 many experts were ranking
/. War Admiral along with his sire
( but Mr.. Riddle did not agree with
l this, even before War AdmiraIs
). defeat in 1888 by Seabiscuit, a
! grandson of Man o. War.
Other famous progeny of the
|, wonder horse included War Glory
e Scapa Flow, War Hero, Boatswain
S Flagpole. Edith Cavell, Clyde Var
}. Dusen. Florence Nightingale, Mars
S and Battleship, winner of the 1895
e Grand National Steeplechase al
e Aintree.
D Clyde Van Dusen, whose name
sake and trainer died only yester.
+ day in California, won the 1872.
9 Kentucky Derby, but not in the
y Riddle colors. Only War Admira
4 in 1887 carried the stables blacl
. and primrose yellow to victory Ii
% the Kentucky classic. Man o. Wa
5 did not start in the Derby, ant
n neither did American Flag ant