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1 : ; A NAMES OF RACE HORSES APPROPRIATE AND OTHERWISE , J. W. S. Vosburgh, handicapper for the Jockey Club, recently contributed to the Thoroughbred Record an interesting article dealing with the. naming of . race horses. Readers of Daily Racing Form will undoubtedly appreciate the good points and pertinent suggestions made in the article, which is herewith reproduced: It was not until 1S94 that the rule proposed by the late Dr. Gideon L. Knapp was adopted by the Jockey Club rendering the naming of two-year-olds obligatory. The only objection that can be urged to the rule is that .many good names are wasted, owing to the fact that the rule calls for a name before the real qualities of the colt or filly are deer-mined. But that, after all, is a minor consideration compared with the benefits obtained in respect of identification. Previous to the adoption of the rule, two. and even three-year-olds, raced frequently without names their only identifications being their pedigrees and often with confusion. The late D. D. Withers was a frequent offender with his "Julietta colt," his Adage colt." his "Sweet Home lilly," etc. This was due to a desire not to waste a good name, for no one named his horses more .appropriately than Mr. Withers. He preferred waiting until a colt had shown himself worthy of a good name. HisMuli-etta colt" raced with distinction in 1SS1. Many names were suggested, but Mr. Walters hesitated. It gradually dawned upon us that he meditated naming him "Brookdale" after his estate should the colt win the Withers Stakes, named in bis honor, and which he had essayed in vain to win. Tlie day of the race, in 18S2, we mot him in the paddock at Jerome Park. "Have you named the colt?" we asked. "No. Theres no hurry about it," he answered. "But if he wins the Withers today will you name him Brookdale 7" "If he wins, I will name him Brookdale, yes; but not unless ho wins." But the colt did not win. Mr. Withers success in the race was postponed, qntil eight years after with King Eric. He never named the Julietta colt, selling him finally at the end of the year and someone named him Marsh Redon. We are often asked why race horses are so poorly named. We replv that it could not well he otherwise. Race hordes are owned by all sorts of people, and manv of them are either indifferent to the subject or are wanting in information, if iot in taster As to what constitutes taste. It would be hard to frame a rule. Every man is endowed with enough self-respect to believe His own taste is good, or If he has anv doubts, to keep them to -himself. Sometime since an owner asked u friend of ours to suggest names for some eight or ten colts in his stable. He presented some two hundred, names, few of which had over beeu claimed. But not one of them did the owner adopt. He preferred his own taste to that of others, and who shall say he was wrong. It has .been -said that a badly named horse never could win the Derby at Epsonrr Doncaster, the winner of 1S7:!. came near being an exception. His breeder. Sir Tatton Sykes, called him "All Heart and No Peel," but Mr. Merry, who purchased him, quicklv changed his name, whether from taste or fear of the tradition, we never heard. Taken as a whole, the Derby winners are a splendidly named lot Lemberg suggests his dam, Galicia; Minora is a Japanese word meaning success: Signorinetta Is a daughter of Signorina; Orhy is by Ormc; Cicero is from Gas which is a term with some people- for eloquence: Rock Sand is by Sainfoin, from Roquc-brune; Spearmint is a sou of .Maid of the Mint; Persimmon is a son of St. Simon and Perdita; Flying Fox is a son of Vampire. Among others what could have heen a more appropriate name for an American winner than Iroquois? Shotover for a daughter of Stray shot is excellent; Galopiu for a son of Vedette. George Frederick for Crcmorne for a son of a .son of Princess of Wales, Rigolboche, Favonius for a son of Zephyr, Pretender for a son of Adventurer, Hermit for a son of seclusion. C.ladiateur for a son of .Miss Gladiator. Macaroni for a son of Sweetmeat, Kettledrum for a son of Rataplan. Surplice for a son of Crucifix, Cossack for a son of Hetman Platoff, Orlando for a son of Touchstone all show evidence of taste, information and often of invention. . Some of the recent English winners, other than the Derhv. are well named., though hardly up to the standard of those of the "sixties" and "seventies. Bavardo is named for the steed of Rinaldo in Orlando Furioso." Sceptre from Ornament is appropriate, and so is William the First for a son of Gravity. Gallinule for a son of Moorhen, Eager for a son of Enthusiast and Wildfowler for a son of Gallinule and Tragedy. Swynford, the St. Leger winner of last season, is well named for a son of John oGaunt, for it will be recalled that John oGaunts third wife was Katherine .Swynford and Ilenrv Tudor, who became King Henry II. of England," was their great great grandson. The custom of giving a horse a name suggested by that of his sire or dam, or both, is ouo of the best, as. aside from other considerations, it assists the memory in recalling the identity of a horse. But to do this properly and artistically requires some information and an artistic taste which many estimable men are lacking. Lord Falmouth was as happy in naming his horses as ho was successful in racing them. For instance," his Derby winner. Kingcraft, was a son of King Tom and Woodcraft, while his other Derbv winner. Silvio, was a son of Silverbair. A colt by King Tom from Lady Coventry lie called Peeping Tom after 0Keef.e,.thI play. "Peeping Tom of Coventry." Taking LordFalmouths hrood-mares in review, it will be found he followed this plan as far as practicable. Silverhtfir was the dam of Silvio. Silvester. Silver Ring, etc. Hurricane was the dam of Atlantic. Atlantis. AVblrlwind. Cataclysm, etc. AVheatear the name of an English bird wiis the dam of Skylark, Redwing. Golden Plover and Harvester. The late Sir Joseph Hawley was the most successful British turfman preceding the Falmouth era. He was a man of culture and taste, his nomenclature was usually apt, and a residence in Italy and Spain had given him a taste for Latinized names. Among his happy efforts was Beadsman from Mendicant. His Rosicrucian and The Palmer were both sons of Beadsman and a mare by Cowl. Aphrodite was a daughter of Venus, and Sidcrolite was a son of Asteroid and Aphrodite. Pero Gomez was from Salamanca, while Blue Gown and Coeruleus were sons of Bas Blue. The late Mr. Merry also named his racers neatly, as witness Scottish Chief, bv Lord of the Isles. Dundee from Marmalade. Buckstone from Burlesque, Sunshine from Sunbeam, Marksman from Shot. Mario Stuart by Scottish Chief. We have already quoted the old English adage that a badly named horse could never win the Derby. Sir Joseph Hawley and Lord Falmouth were two of the most artistic exponents of nomenclature the turf has known and the most successful in winning the groat events. Among neat examples of nomenclature is that of the broodmare Banter. Besides Touchstone she had Ketort. Raillery, Repartee, Rejoinder. Pasquinade, etc. The broodmare Ghuzneo had foals named Assault, Storm, Escalade. Scalade. Meeauee and Terrific, and from Escalade came Sortie, the dam of Repulse and Citadel. The broodmare Araehue foaled Industry, the Oaks winner of isas, and Industry in turn foaled Stitch, the dam of Needle, Crochet, Tapestry, etc. The late Mr. Grinstead. of Kentucky, had a broodmare called Sequin, which is the name of an Italian coin. Among Sequins foals were Shekel a Jewish coin, Allevcur a Swedisli coin. Mr.hur a British Indian coin, and Piastre an Italian coin all certainly showing taste and research. The taste shown in the naming of Mr. Kcencs horses has been a matter of frequent remark, and II. DeCourcy Forbes has often been stated to have had a hand in it. Mr. Forbes is a man of artistic taste, extensive reading, and into this field he has carried this exquisite taste and happiness of selection. Ballot by Voter, Helmet. Maskette and Cowl by Disguise, Gretna Green from Runaway Girl, Yorkist liom White Rose, Zambesi from Rhodesia, Celt from Maid of Erin. Fichu by Collar, Superman from Anomaly. All these are excellent. We never could see the aptness of Peter Pan any more than we could understand how a grown man could sit through Barrios play of that name. The celebrated colt Colin furnished a case of exquisite selection in finding a name suggested by that of a colts dam. Air. Forbes lias said the colt was named for the character in "The Amorous Shepherd." a lKjem by Nicholas Rome, the Poet Laureate of England,! tbas often, occurred to .us. that. Mr. ! Forbes memory may have been at fault. Certainly, the name can be claimed also from Spensers "Faerie Queen." Colins dam was Pastoreila. Now in the "Faerie Queen! there is the shepherdess Pastoreila. and also a Colin, as witness in the ninth Canto of Book VI.: One day, when as the shepheard swaynes together Were mot to make their sports and merrie glee As they were wont in falre sunshiny weather The whiles their Mocks In shadows shrouded be They fell to dauncc; then did they all agree That Colin Clout should pipe, as one most fit And Calidoro should lead the ring, as he That most in Pastorellas grace did sit. While there can be no rule in regard to naming horses, the best name has always seemed to us that which is not too long and which is easily spoken or pronounced a good shouting name, if it is too long people will shorten it, and if they find It di Hi cult to pronounce they will corrupt it. Thus Oiseau became "Eye Sore" among those unfamiliar with French. Rcstigouche became "Chase the Goose." Dishabile became "Dish a Billy." Hunt Reynolds years ago had a colt called Harvey Villau which the stable boys nicknamed "Heavy Villian." The late John Morrisey had a colt called Gueseric which became "Gin and Sugar." In England the famous French filly Fille d la Air became known as "Fiddler." for it was thus the Parisian accent sounded in the ears of many of the children of "perfidious Albion." II Penscroso was nicknamed "Bill Spencer the Grocer." Mr. Withers thought he had shown good taste in Orageuse, but was shocked to hear the filly referred to as "Orange Juice." John A. Morris created something of a panic by naming a colt Huit-zilopochtli. He explained "it was the Aztee God of War." but race-goers who had not dipped into Aztec mythology agreed finally to call him "Old Hutch." Curious mistakes have occurred in regard to the meaning of horses names. The stallion Adam sire of Basliti, recently imported, and more recently exported, was commonly believed to be named after the father of the human race; and some of his foals have been named with this belief. But the fact is Adam was named for M. Emil Adam, the noted French artist and animal painter. Another case was that of The Rake, winner of the first Middle Park Plate. 1SG0. The Rake was imported into America late in life and one of his sons foaled here and quite a good one. too was named The Reaper, owing probably to mistaking the meaning of his sires name for an agricultural implement; though the fact that The Rake was a son of Wild Dayrell and Englands Beauty was significant enough. The practice of giving a colt the full or familiar name of a friend such as Bill Jones, Jack Smith or Torn Brown is not to be commended. It lowers the dignity of racing, but worse still, when the colt, proves a failure it is a source of discomfiture to the person for whom he is named. On the other hand, the use of only the surname of individuals often furnishes very agreeable results, as in the case of Clifford. Nealon. Cameron, Harrlgan. Tourenne. Montgomery, Fayette, etc. FItz Herbert is a good name, but it would appear more symmetrical if written Fitzherbert. Fitz Herbert Is the ancient style and quite obsolete. In fact, a double name is never so neat as a single one. Wo constantly hear owners complain that It is difficult to find an appropriate name that lias not already been claimed. We fear they had not tried very hard. Certainly, to our notion, iliere are few things in life so easy. There are thousands of names which are not only within the live-years limit, but which have never been claimed. Nor need owners .resort to those composites formed by combining parts of the sires and dams names, producing a" result meaningless and monstrous. There are enough names and words In the various languages to furnish horses with names appropriate, musical and In keeping with the dignity of the sport.
