view raw text
JAMES K. KEENES TRIUMPHS VICTORIOUS CAREER BEGAN MANY YEARS AGO WITH THE GREAT SPENDTHRIFT. Has Not Won All New York Stako Races, but Still Has an Unrivaled Record in Stake Winning:. James R. Keeno is the leading turfman of tlie world as a matter of record. He attained that position of lire-eminence through the remarkable speed and stamina of horses bred at his own Castleton Stud. so. in1 respect to quality at any rate, it would not be going far amiss to say that he is also the leading breeder of thoroughbreds of the world. The present generation of admirers of racing are familiar with the performances of Sysonby. Colin. Commando. Peter Pan. Ballot. Maskette. Suffra. gette. Delhi. Wild Mint. Superman. Mclisande. Helmet, Court Dress and the many other brilliant racers that have established his present proud position and tho fame of Castleton in the turf world, but thev are not so familiar "with some other phases of his career in the way of an owner. In a way. he has been associated witli the turf at home and abroad for thirty years, but there have been periods In which he has been comparatively inactive In racing". Mr. Keenes first year of prominence in racing-was In 1S79. Previously ho had been known as a daring and successful speculator in mines, stocks and grain. His advent on the turf was attended with a display of the sagacious understanding of its requirements that he had shown in other fields of activity. He had acquired possession of a magnificent three-year-old in the chestnut colt; Spendthrift, by Australian Aerolite, and witli him won that year the Belmont Stakes, Lorillard Stakes. Jersey Derby and Champion Stakes, and ran second in theWithers Stakes. Trav-ers Stakes. Rentier Stakes and Jerome Stakes. It was a year of grand race horses, and at the outset it was the general opinion that George Lorillards Leamington colt. Harold, would prove the champion of tlie year. He was. Indeed, a fine specimen of tho high-class thoroughbred, but Spendthrift soon proved himself incontestahly his master. Spendthrifts first race was attended with scandal that did not disappear for a long time afterwards. This was in the Withers Stakes, at Jerome Park. Harold was a hot favorite, at 2 to 5. Spendthrift was at 3 to 1. and his stablemate, Dan Sparling, was at a to 1. The betting, and It was heavy betting in those old days, was mainly on Harold and Spendthrift. Har old was left at the post in a bad start and at the finish Spendthrift was pulled up to let Dan Snarling win. The howl was something fearful. It was alleged -that the Keeno connections had quletlv backed Dan Sparling and won a huge sum. and there were not lacking those who were ready to allege that Harolds being left at the post was only a part of a deep-laid plot to despoil the public. Some davs later Spendthrift disposed of a part of tlie foolish talk that followed the Withers mischances by defeating George Lorillards great pair. Monitor and Harold, so decisively in the Belmont Stakes that his superiority became at once a matter not to be questioned. But later on In the. season a colt came out of the west fully able to vanquish even tlie mighty Spendthrift. This was J. W. Hunt Reynolds great Enquirer colt. Falsetto. Ills first meeting with Spendthrift was in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Mr. Keenes supposed Invincible was an odds-on favorite, but. with Isaac Murphy in the saddle. Falsetto defeated him by two lengths in a scene of indescribable excitement. Later on at the same meeting Falsetto jigain defeated Spendthrift with as significant ease in tlie Kenner Stakes, at two miles, and Pierre Lorillard gave 0,000 for, him and took him to England. There he broke down before being raced, but not before being tried out to be twenty-eight pounds better than Parole. He was returned to this country to become one of its most successful sires. Spendthrift also was afterwards so successful in the stud as to have two sons, Kingston and Hastings, that have headed our winning sire list when in their turn sent to the stud; It was near this time that Keene did his first racing abroad. He sent two 3-earIings over to England. Foxhall and Don Fulano, and In 1SS1. when Foxhall was a three-year-old, won with him the Grand Duke Michael Stakes. Cesarewitch. Select Stakes and Cambridgeshire in England, and the Grand Prix do Paris in France. With Iroquois winning the Newmarket Stakes. Burwcll Stakes, Epsom Derby, Irince of Wales Stakes at Ascot, St. James Palace Stakes, Doncaster St. Leger and Newmarket Derby for Pierre Lorillard that same year, it was an American invasion that came close to ruling the roost in England and dwarfs the "Invasion" of the present time. Don Fulano and Foxhall were both by King Alfonso, and as the former was from tlie dam of Harry Bassett, he was expected to prove best iu racing, but it turned out the other way. Don Fulano was only fairly useful, won tlie New Nursery Stakes at the Newmarket Houghton meeting when a two-year-old. was third to Peregrine and Iroquois in tlie Two Thousand Guineas, unplaced In the Derby and ran second to Foxhall in the Grand Duke Michael Stakes, and that was all. On the other hand. Foxhall was a grand race horse and his feat of winning tlie Cesarewitch with 110 pounds up and then taking up 12G and taking the Cambridgeshire in a field of thirty-two starters made him out to lie about the greatest handicap horse of all turf history. Unluckily his success in the stud was not commensurate witli his fame as a racer. This first" period in Mr. Keenes experience as a turfman was interrupted by Wall street reverses that made it necessary for him to devote his time and talents for some years to financial fence mending. But ho had developed a fondness for racing that was not to be quenched and. when ready, returned to active participation again. His second period might be appropriately termed the period of Domino. With this magnificent two-year-old he swept tlie boards in 1893 and won with him that year the surpassing total of 70.S90. This son of Himyar was tlie keystone of Mr. Keenes subsequent phenomenal success as a turfman. Sent to tlie stud early, he died when still a quite young horse, hut not until he had begotten a number of splendid racers for his owner, with one of which. Cap and Bells, Mr. Keeno won the Epsom Oaks in 1901 and with another. Disguise, ran third in the Epsom Derliv of 1900 and with the same good colt won the 0,000 Jockey Club Stakes of the same year at Newmarket. About the same time another great son of Domino. Commando, was supremo in this country. It .was while Domino was still on the turf that Mr. Keeno won his first Brooklyn Handicap, his horse Hornpipe, by Mr. Pickwick Round Dance, defeating Lazzarone, Sir Walter, Counter Tenor, Roy el Santa Anita, Dr. Rice and other cracks quite unexpectedly to all but a select coterie. Hornpipe was bred by Charles Reed at Falrvlcw . Stud in Tennessee. Mr. Keenes next triumph in tlie Brooklyn Handicap was achieved six years later witli a colt of his own breeding when Conroy won it for him and upset the tradition -hat a three-vear-old could not win a Brooklyn or Suburban. Conroy was a son of his stallion St. Leonards, which horse ran second to Boundless in the .O.O00 Worlds Fair Derby at Washington Park in 18!i.l. At some time Mr. Keeno developed the theory that the road to success in breeding was through mating select English-bred mares with native American stallions and It is on these lines that the marvelous results attained at Castleton have been based. His purchases of mares in England were regardless of cost and when the dispersal sale of Marcus Daly broodmares took place, subsequent to the death of that Montana breeder and turfuiaii. Mr. Keene paid high prices for several. Among those then bought was Uptime and Mr. Keenes reward iu this case was the grand colt. Sysonby. It Continued on second page. s v c e n JAMES R. KEENES TRIUMPHS. Continued from first page. is now reported that when Colin comes home to j take his destined place in the Castleton Stud, he V will be accompanied by a reinforcement of a dozen or more fashionably-bred English mares, to which j he will have been mated prior to shipment to his ! native land. ., While it Is but natural that Sir. Kcene should be partial to the Domino Commando line, he has not i failed to give other lines a share in his breeding 7. enterprise, and with Kingston." Voter. Ben Brush and other sires lias reaped a return leaving no room i for regret. Of these Kingston is now far advanced In veais. as the age of a horse goes, but Ben Brush 1 and Voter are younger and have time in plenty in which to send others like Sweep and Ballot to the bloodless warfare of the race tracks. So long established, so triumphant, so sagacious and so widespread have been Mr. Keenes adventures on the turf that when at the recent Saratoga meeting his Hilarious captured the Travers Stakes, it was written as a matter of surprise that it was his first success in that important event. But that is not the only big stake that has escaped him. He . several times essayed our own American Derby with- 1 out success, even the mighty Domino going down to defeat in that great race of the past. Other well-known prizes of the turf never won by him are the Brighton Cup. Coney Island Jockey Club Stakes. Daisj- Stakes, Excelsior Handicap. Carter Handicap. Foam Stakes, Hindoo Stakes. Jerome Handicap, Manhattan Handicap, Merchants and Citizens Handicap. Municipal Handicap. Nursery Handicap. Occidental Handicap, Oriental Handicap. Omnium Handicap. Pansv Stakes, Partridge Stakes. Saratoga Cup. Saratoga Handicap, Swift Stakes, Parkway Handicap and quite a number besides the fixtures annually contested over the eastern tracks. It is a fact of important bearing that for one reason and another he never had a starter in a number of these events. On the other hand, bis triumphs in American stake races are simply unrivaled, and if some were not credited to his stable it was largely through his own choice or neglect to make nominations. Even an Incomplete narration contains matter for astonishment. To give an exact account of all his successes in stake races would require too much research to be profitable, but the following partial statement of stake races won by his horses is a wonderful thing to contemplate: Advance Stakes Peter Pan ami Ballot. Alabama Stakes Maskette. Annual Champion Stakes Sysonby. Aqueduct Handicap Israelite. Autumn Stakes Knight Errant. Bay view Handicap Israelite. I.illes Stakes Noonday and Irish Reel. Belmont Stakes Spendthrift. Commando. Delhi. Peter Pan and Colin. Brighton Derby Sysonby. Brighton Handicap Peter -Pan. Brighton Junior Stakes Commando, Sysonby and Colin. Brooklyn Derby Peter Pan. Brooklyn Handicap Hornpipe, Conroy, Delhi, : Superman and Celt. lirookdale Handicap Gretna Green. Carltqn Stakes Hornpipe, Commando and Hilarious. Century Stakes Sysonby and Ballot twice. Castleton Stakes Mellsande. Champagne Stakes Colin and Helmet. Champion Stakes Spendthrift. Commonwealth Handicap Sysonby. Clover Stakes Mellsande. Coney Island Handicap Domino and Voter thrice. Criterion Stakes Virginia Earle. Cap and Bells, Court Dress. Culver Handicap Domino and Peter Quince. Dash Stakes Wild Mint. Demoiselle Stakes Mellsande. Dolphin Stakes St. Leonards. Double Event first part Hornpipe and Ballot. Double Event second part Hornpipe, White-chapel and Veto. Eclipse Stakes Domino. Edgeniero Handicap Ballot. Expectation Stakes Superman. Election Day Handicap Philander and Ballot. Fleetwood Stakes Chorister. Equality Stakes Ballot. First Special Ballot. Flash Stakes Sysonby and Peter Pan. Flatbush Stakes Colin. Flight Stakes Voter. Flying Handicap Domino. Freeixirt Stakes Restigouche. Futurity Stakes Domino. Chacornac. Colin. Maskette and Sweep. Gazelle Stakes Court Dress and Maskette. Golden Rod Stakes Easter Gift. Grand Union Hotel Stakes Colin. Great American Stakes Domino and Dalesman. Great Eastern Handicap Dutch Roller. Great Filly Stakes Maskette. Great Republic Stakes Delhi. Sysonby and Ballot. Great Trial Stakes Domino. Commando and Colin. I loll v Handicap Conroy. Hopeful Stakes Peter Pan and Helmet. Hudson Stakes Gretna Green. i Hunter Handicap Veil. Hvde Park Stakes Domino. Jersey Derby Spendthrift. Junior Champion Stakes Commando. Sysonby. Celt and Suffragette. Juvenile Stakes Tommy Atkins. Jockey Club Weight-for-Age Itacc Celt. Ladies Stakes Maskette. Laureate Stakes Mellsande. Lawrence Realization Stakes Mellsande. Lorillard Stakes Spendthrift. Manhanset Stakes Injunction. Augur. Gretna Green and Transvaal. Matron Stakes Domino, Ballot. Colin, nelmet and Maskette. Mermaid Stakes Maskette. Metropolitan Handicap Voter and Sysonby. National Stallion Race Colin and Sweep. Neptune Stakes Tommy -Atkins. New Rochelle Stakes Restigouche. Ocean Handicap Domino and Voter. Pierrepont Handicap Gretna Green. Produce Stakes Court Dress, Kurokl and Colin. Preakness Stakes Assignee. Sapphire Stakes Conroy and Clarion. Saratoga Special Sysonby and Colin. Sea and Sound Stakes Chorister. Second Special Ballot. September Stakes Von Tromp. Sliecpshead Bay Handicap Domino. Soutuohl Handicap Israelite. Spinawav Stakes Court Dress and Maskette. Spindrift Handicap Injunction. Kuroki and Cabo-chDn. . ,, Spinster Stakes Cap and Bells. Spring Stakes Hurst Park. Standard Stakes Ballot and Peter Pan. Suburban Handicap Ballot. Surf Stakes Peter Pan and Suffragette. Tidal Stakes Peter Pan. Colin and Hilarious. Travers Stakes Hilarious. Tremont Stakes Bohemian, Twin City Handicap Wild Mint, United States Hotel Stakes Restigouche, Ilila-s rious and Grasmere. Venial Stakes Meggs Hill and Melisando. White Plains Handicap Voter and Conroy. Willow Handicap Suffragette. Withers Stakes Dan Sparling. Domino. Delhi, Colin and Hilarious, Zephyr Stakes Commando.
