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JAMES R. KEENE RETIRES NEW YORK FINANCIER, DISPOSES OF CELE-BRATED CASTLETON FARM IN KENTUCKY. Sells Famous Nursery in Blue Grass Region and "Will Abandon Breeding as Well as Racing of Thoroughbreds New Owner to Breed Trotters. That the weight of years and a precarious state of health have caused James U. Keene to retire from active participation in racing is no longer news, but it is a decided surprise to learn that he has sold his magnificent Castlcton Stud farm and is to abandon breeding also, at least in this country. It is given out that he has sold Castleton to a New Yorker who will, it is said, use it as a breeding farm for trotters. Tbe sale did not include the unsurpassed baud of thoroughbreds now at Castleton. Their future location will be made known authoritatively presently. One report says that they will be sent to England. This may turn out to be correct, but it lacks continuation at present. Mir. Keeue already has Colin and Ballot in England for stud service, and he may have concluded to transfer his entire breeding establishment to the land of his nativity. If so, it is a tough blow to American breeding interests. Exactly when Mr. Keene embarked in breeding is not immediately ascertainable, but it was in the parly nineties. As a turfman he flourished from 1S78 to 1SS4 with horses bought from other breeders, including such celebrities as Foxhall, Spendthrift, Dan Sparling, Dutch Skater and Don Fulauo. but at that time he was not a breeder. Caught on the wrong side in the stock and grain markets, he was forced to devote some time to repairing his linancial standing. This accomplished, he took up racing again and, acquiring Castleton, went into breeding with the wonderful Ilimyar "horse Domino as the cornerstone of his new enterprise. Sagacious in this as in other matters of business, he selected broodmares with great care and bought a splendid band iu England and in this country regardless of cost. Domino died when only seven years old. but not until he had sired such grand examples of the super excellent thoroughbred as Commando, Cap apd Hells and Disguise. Cap and Bells has the dlstlnc- tlon of being the only American-bred winner of Knclands greatest race for three-year-old fillies, the Epsom Oaks. Disguise ran third to Diamond W Jubilee and Simon . Dale for the Epsom -Derby of 1900, and later on thqtyear wouthei0,000 tiockcy r Club Stakes at Newmarket from Jolly "Tar arid For-furshlre, with Diamond Jubilee among tbose which ran unplaced. Commando was a superb, two-year-old and being- injured was retired to the stud early, where ho rivalled the immediate success of his sire ii: sending to the races from his lirst two crops of foals such phenomenons as Colin, Peter Pan, Celt and others of lesser fame but great speed and capacity. Like Domino, lie did not live long, dying in 1105 when but seven years old. Had Domino and Commando lived to old age as horses it is dilllcult to Imagine how remarkable would have beeu their reputations as sires by this time. Although relying upon it principally, Mr. Keene dipped Into other lines of blood than that of Himyar-Dmnino-Oommando and with Kingston, Ben Brush and Voter has sent a host of winners to the turf, some of which could hardly be excelled in all the requisites of a race horse. Novelty, Delhi, and Ballot being notable tributes to the wisdom that gathered this trio of stallions into the Castleton paddocks. Indicative of the phenomenal success of that great stud is the fact that in American racing history only twenty-two horses have won 00,000 or more, and of these Sysonby, Colin. Ballot, Peter Pan and Delhi all first saw tbe light of day at Castleton. However, Sysonby, although foaled there, was not Cas-tleton-bred, having been bought in utero when his dam Optimo was purchased by Mr. Keene at the Marcns Daly dispersal sale. The other four won collectively the great sum of 07,447. Other purely Castleton-bred horses that raced with great distinction were Maskette. Israelite, Noonday, Superman, Celt, Gretna Green, Mclisaude. Helmet, Court Dress, Peter Quince, Wild Mint, Whltechapel, Philander, Kcstigouche, Sweep, Dalesman. Veil, Suffragette, Augur, Transvaal, Novelty. Kuroki, Von Tromp, Cabochon, Hilarious, Meggs Hill and Gras-niere, while over in England this year Iron Mask. Kiinnynieade, Cataract, Blarney Stone and Outram have done valiant service in upholding the good fame or Castlcton and their native land. This list by no means covers the total of fine racers bred there under the able management of Major F. A. Dainger-lleld. Outside of the Welbeck Stud in England when St. Simon was its premier, it is safe to say that no other breeding establishment ever made sucli monetary returns to its owner as Castleton did to James R. Keene. Lexington Ky., November 24. Major Foxhall A. Dalngeriield, brother-in-law of James R. Keene and manager of Castleton Farm, in confirming reports from New York, said today that he had himself made the sale of the famous farm to Mr. David M. Look, of New York, while the latter was here early in the week, and that the announcement was made by Mr. Look upon his return to New York yesterday. Major Daingerlield said ho had not received any word from .Mr. Keene since his acceptance of tio terms ho had made with Mr. Look, and that be was not prepared to say what might be done with the stud of thoroughbred stallions, marcs and weanlings now on the farm, other than that they are to be removed by January 1, when the new owner is to have possession. Mr. Keene has the stallions Kingston now out of service and a pensioner because of advanced age. Voter, Ben Brush, Disguise. Pete Pan, Hippodrome, Ultimus, Delhi and Superman. Celt is at the Ellerslie Stud of K. J. Hancock and Son in Virginia and Ballot was recently sent to Newmarket to join Colin in the English division of the Keene establishment. There are here now forty-four reasonably young broodmares that are believed to be in foal and some eighteen old mares that are virtually pensioners. The weanlings number thirty. There are no yearlings. Mr. Keene having sold the entire crop to Harry Payne Whitney last June and they have been transferred te Brodkdale Farm in New Jersey, where they have been broken and are being trained by James Rowc. Whether Mr. Keene will have a dispersal sale on this side of the Atlantic or send his stallions, mares and weanlings to England is not within the knowledge of Major Daingerfiold or any one else here at this writing, but it is unquestionably his intention to quit breeding and racing ontrely. Castleton farm, as now constituted, contains 1070 acres and is assessed for taxation at 5119,795, which, as might be supposed, is not generally regarded as its full value by a considerable sum. The farm is located at the junition of Iron Works nud Mt. Horeb roads, about live miles north of Lexington. The original farm of Oil acres faces Iron AVorks road and for many years was the homestead of the famous Castleman family, of which Gen. John B. Castleman, of Louisville, distinguished as a soldier and as a horseman, his fancy running particularly to the Kiddle horse, is a member. The Castlemans gave it the name C.islleman and it was then, before the civil war. noted for the fine riding horses that Wero produced upon its fertile acres. From the Castleman family it pasw-d to the Higgins family, then to the Inskiys. next to the Fosters and after that to the Fords of Virginia, W. B. Ford using; it for several years as a nursery for trotting horses. He was hard liit when the slump came in the value of trotters 111 the earlv nineties and lie decided to sell out his horses and go back to Virginia. Domino had through his success in 1S93 made James R. Keene the most conspicuous man on tue turf in America, just as Foxhalls achievements in England had put him in the limelight during an earlier period, and when it came time to retire Domino he leased Castleton Farm, collected about twenty marcs and put Major Daingcriield. of Virginia, in charge. The success of the Castleton .bred thoroughbreds in this country and England has since been a matter of almost continuous comment, and the line of produce from Domino and Commando lias been the wonder of two continents, to say nothing of tbe accomplishments of the sons and daughters of Kingston, Ben Brush, Voter and Disguise. The achievements of such distinguished horses as Sysonby, Colin, Ballot, Celt. Superman, Peter Pan and Maskette have been marvelous. A year or so after he bought Castleton Farm, proper, Mr. Keene was advised by Major Daingerlield that its acreage was not sufficient for his increased number of mares, yearlings and weanlings and 4j9 acres more were added by the purchase of adjoining farms, one of them being the old John C. Breclc-enridge place and another the James D. Kciserf fajlr Look, the new owner of Castleton, is a native of Louisville, the son of Samuel M. Look, who has amassed a "fortune in New York. He is interested in the light harness horse and intends to devote Castleton to the breeding of trotters and pacers. He is one of ten men comprising the syndicate that last spring bought a majority of the stock in the Kentucky Trotting Horse Breeders Association, which controls the magnificent trotting track here.
