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NOTABLE KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS. J... .ui-% ii;.-. Ky.. Febrkarj 1:; -The history of the K u uckj Derby, n.u tbe oldest eoutinuously run . 1 i.i ill ■ ! sited States, which is to lie decided thh year "ii Raj 1" at Churchill Downs, abounds wiiii material sufficient to make a tale of absorbing laten si . Ii. I-. Metirath. owner of Vristides. the- tir-t Ken-tueki Derby winner, was la bis day a most Spec taenlar figure in the s|HH*ting world. He was of in-ii birth and during tbe Civil War and later was a partuer with John Morrissey iu the most famous sporting resort of 1 1 j . - daj in Sew York. Over the laides in ids bouse the play frequently ran so high ,1 wan 11. a unusual lor 100,000 to change band hi i Mights Bitting. Mr. Metirath made a fortune 1 ul ••! in- latere*! in the establishment and. with di iwiiu In- Blooey, came to Kentucky and purchase*] a hi ue grass farm. He turned his atteatioa t tie rearing of thoroughbred horses and secured some good mares for bis stud. Lucy Fowler and Rokana is i.e .st noted i arij mures, while Ti|sj»erarj ..ml Blarney Stone were hi- lirst stallions of not.-, ii,- trained and raced tie- product of h -stud -iid Aaron Pennington Calvin, Jury. Susan Ann. Leonard. Chesapeake. Enninskilleaa Rhiaodyne. ■ and tic rreal i.un Bowling were some of the great horses besides hi- Kentucky Derby wlnnei tii i wore In- colors, green ami white, tvpffyiag his allegiance 1.. the Emerald Isle. The name- he eon rem 1 1: hi- horses plainly atcested bis love of the land .1 tbe shamrock and he was ;1s proud of his |. 1 tbplace a- in- was . . bis adopted country. He was at tin. rjous bettor. When he thought in- h"i- would win !„■ slopped only when there were n ire odds offered. He was Berer known to -.-ii .-i i !..,-■ when the performer was running in winning rorm. The great flnancier. Jay liould. isked lam one- : ,, :, price on Tom Bowling. Mr. Gould was then at tlx bead of the Narragansett Steamship Company, a .-.Midi, ate with millions i ■ bind it. "Well." said HcGrath. "I guess Goutd has the BMoej to buy most anything, but be will live to a aulate sufficient to tempi rae to part with bvj great b. rae Tell him if be outlives iim .- uiiiii L.t Tom Bowling froa m executor, but I ilonl think be will ever have a chance 1.. get him ai v other way. a- I dont Intend t. -,, broke. I i rather own that horse than have the con-Bg inler«-s| in any steamship line. The day Wl I ..1,0 win n people will forget there was ever a v. .1 ra.nisett Steam i.!i l..i.ipan. but I ..m Row lin- turf achievements will never fade away." bJcGrath aever married and when in- died he ieft a fortune to the children of ins brother, win. w.re his closest kin. -Late and share alii,.-. ||, imid I tie w..t.l In- sent lo .lav Gould He ■ ■ w. lit broki Ills iiist partner, lobu Mori is I del haul. 1 ,i|.i ;, ell in. 1 Of Wall -lie. 1 In Dial ke.l . Hill II I.. l Cl .Ih is I :||, Swl ■i which won ih,- Kentucky Derby in IS77 with Kadea Badeu. Tin former would wager tbonsund on u race, unile .Mr. SwigCTt, a church uieulher, never aude a bet on tin- race track in hi- life. lie Ugan his business career a- manager for H. a Alexander at the famous Woodburn Farm in Wood ford County. Kentucky. The first horse of note lie ra.-e.l was Kingfisher lie tool; him east in l* 7t and. after winning the Relmont Stake-, sold him to August Belmont for 5,000. Some df the great est mares now in the Nursery Stud trace to thi-great horse. Among other noted performers Mr. Swigerl raced were Stock wood, Shylock, Peru. Spendthrift. Egypt, i.i-i Benna i-ta. Asnetti . Pilgrim and the marvelous race horse. Hindoo. After Kingfisher cam. into the Swigerl stable, be resigned his position at Wood burn to hi- brother in law. Lake P. Broadbead. and began tbe breeding of horses on his own account at Stockwood Farm. After Hindoo came on be purchased from M. II. San ford the pre* ent site of Kim. n.|..i f Farm, which the millions of I I.. Haggln have In late years converted Info one of the finest estates in the world. Perhaps so man e.r won ■ Kentuckj Derbj Hat loved a horse heller ill. .11 Dan Rwlgert and to hi- last day h- 1 1 „ a- keen an laterest iii a race like the Kentucky Derby as wbea lie woa that event mere than thirty years ago To come down lo .1 figure more familiar with present .lav racegoers, attention is called to the 1903 Kentucky Derby which apt. s. s. Brown cap tared with his good coll Agile Thi- luifman was on.- of tlie Btosl remarkable characters in later-day racing He wi 1 1. imhoal man lr. m Pittsburg and I.i- line of 1 ..... t - |dongbed ih.-llhi,. and Mi — i sippi rivers from 1in-hnrg 1.. New Orleans Thi lite- he controlled i- -till in exist care ami i- man ag.d by his brother. Capt. Har W. Brown Capt S. S. Brown formed his early admiration for nee horses through an intimate acquaintance with apt. w. Cottrill. a retired -;• imhoat captain, win. v.,.., tic Kentucky Derby in Ism with the famous Du cbanan. From Captain Cottrill Captain Brown purchased two great mar.-. Matinee and Mima, and wh. n they were k with racing, his business be came 80 great he had to suspend his turf operations tor i time. He speedily s,, adjusted hi- business affairs that it was possible for him to return to the tra.k and he never afterwards quit it until his death. When he came hack lo the turf he par-chased, at a l.ig outlay, the celebrated race horse. Troubadour and with him won the Suburban Handicap n 1880. -1. W Rogers, a trainer of grent fame. then had charge of his horses and two of his other rresl rterforaters in Troubadours lav were tbe hril-li.mt Defaulter and the erratic Reporter. I tiie greatest horses Captain Drown ever raced was l.r is.ii.-k. he sire of Meridian. I he Ken t nek i Derby winner of 1911. Another famous performer wa- Senorlls. the wonderful marc for which he named hi- breeding tarn, in KentU ky. Horsemen who have enjoyed the Rood racing at l.e iiiglon iu r at years have Captain Drown to thank lor it Wlun Ike old track heeame ran down, the stand iu decay and the Other buildings unfit for oe- cupsney. Captain Crown stepped in ami bought tbe plant. He said the coursi was too bistoricall] important to fall into the hands of real estate agents and I..- laid out in liiv Ids nis raonej built the I il land. Iln splendid Stables and the tine boulevard which lead- int.. in.- prouad* i hi- death hi! .-late disposed of th. properly lo Ih, ass.H-ia lion of Kentnckians wh. aoa coat rot it. The neq pie ..r the i it of Lexington owe Captain Brown a great debt of gratitude,
