view raw text
; I H. GIDDINGS KINGS PLATE WINNER OF THE PRESENT YEAR . : With the St. Simon horse, Bassetlaw. as his stallion and a band of select mares as his stud matrons, IT. Giddings has made quite a stir of late years in Canadian breeding and racing. As a son of the wonderful St. Simon and a Blair Athol mare, Bassetlaw is the peer of any sire in America in respect to flawless breeding and was himself a good race horse and a stake winner. When a three-year-old in 1893 he won the Jersey Handicap at Monmouth Park and the September Stakes at Sheepshead Bay, defeating such stars of lie time as Sir Francis, Ramapo, Sir Walter, Cadmus and Saragossa. That a horse of such credentials should beget good stock seems a matter of course and in Hearts of Oak he figures as the sire of one of the best young horses ever bred In Canada. So far as that particular Item is concerned. Inferno is generally deemed to be invested with its distinction, but if Hearts of Oak keeps sound and in good form for two or three years to come he may rival or exceed the fame of the former Seagram crack, good horse as he surely was. Hearts of Oak was introduced to racing and the racing public in the Coronation Stakes at Woodbine Park, May 20, 1912. The track was heavy and the distance four and a half furlongs. Reports of his excellence had long been public, so he went to tha post but a shade better than an even money favorite and won in a canter by five lengths in such fast time for the state of the going as 56. Lindesta finished second and Vale of Avoca tfcird, nine starting. His next start was for a purse at Hamilton, June 19, track fast and distance five-eighths of a mile. This he won by five lengths from his stable mate, Sarolta. in l:ll, with Crystiawoga third. At the same track, August 14, he won a purse race at five and a half furlongs and, carrying 123 pounds, ran the distance in 1:07 and finished four lengths in front of Ondra-mida, with Golden Syrup third. In a purse race at Windsor, August 29, he met his first defeat. He had up 120 pounds and the track was heavy. Through a mischance he was left at the post, but took after the other horses and, closing a huge gap, finished a close up third to his stable companion, Ondramida, with Battle Song second. His race was a remarkable exhibition of speed and weight carrying ability under, adverse circumstances. Many considered it his best race as a two-year-old. But for a time it affected him unfavorably and he was beaten in his next two races. The first of these was at Montreal, September 10, in which, carrying 12G pounds to 102 on Auster, he ran second to the latter at five-eighths of a mile in 1:02. He ran gamely, but lacked his customary freedom of action and extreme speed. In the other losing race lie was unplaced. This was in the Michaelmas Handicap at Toronto, September 24, in which he ran fourth to Leochares, Flabbergast and Tankard. Two days later he concluded his career as a two-year-old by winning a purse at five and a half furlongs in 1:09 over a heavy track. He carried 128 pounds and his eleven competitors had up weights varrying from 105 pounds up to 115. Hearts of Oak wintered in robust health and vigor and came to the races of 1913 a magnificent specimen of the young thoroughbred. His first start was in that event dearly coveted by all Canadian owners, the Kings Plate, at the Toronto spring meeting. His success was practically conceded in advance and, coupled with Ondramida, he went to the post at 35 to 100 in the mutuels. He raced out into the lead in I he first eighth and, unchallenged throughout, drew away In the homestretch to win In a canter by ten lengths, with Maid of Fronie second and Gold Bud third. He carried 113 pounds and ran the mile and a quarter of the race in 2:C9. Three days subsequently lie took up 127 pounds and won the Breeders Stakes at a mile and an eighth in 1:50 over a slow track. Only Crystiawoga and Voivode opposed him and. pulled double, he finished eight lengths in front of the former. On the seventh and last day of the meeting lie won the William Hendrie Memorial Handicap at a mile in 1:41. He carried 118 pounds and won easily by a length while conceding much weight to his opponents by the scale of weight for age. The four-year-old White Caps finished second and the five-year-old Havrock was third. At Hamilton, June 20, he was an easy first by four lengths in the Dominion Plate, at a mile and an eighth, run in 1:50, White Caps being second and Maid of Frome third. He carried 117 pounds to 122 on White Caps and 95 on Maid if Frame. So far all had been smooth sailing for him, but .his next essay was attended with such disastrous results that he reversed his usual proceedings by finishing last instead of llrst. This was in n handicap at Fort .Erie, July 5, in which he was asked to take up 127 pounds to 110 on Havrock. 100 on Rustling. 110 on Denham and 112 on old Caper Sauce. The track w;as slow and for some reason Hearts of Oak wtos on bad terms with himself that day, cutting up so viciously while at the post as to exhaust himself to such an extent that he could do nothing serviceable in the race, which fell to Havrock. After this disagreeable episode lie returned, to reasonable horse -way and won his next two races,: The first of these-was in a mile dash over a heavy track at Windsor, July 27. which he won in a cauter by six lengths with 119 pounds on his back, defeating Rockspring, iSMftltaund Havrock. The second was the Canadian Handicap of one mile, at Windsor, August 21. He was.glven 130 pounds this time and won by three lengths, again over a heavy track, in 1:40. Ondramon. 107 pounds, was second and Maid of Frome, 94 pounds, was third. Havrock, 11S; Rockspring, 110. and Caper Sauce. 117. were the unplaced ones and the weights fairly illustrated his immense superiority to other Canadian-bred handicap horses of this year. In the Canadian autumn racing lie met some reverses, although always playing the part of a true race horse. By that time he had become in effect the property of the official handicapper. In the Dominion Handicap of a mile, at Toronto. September 20, he was given 132 pounds and finished third, his stable mate. Ondramon, 111 pounds, winning by a half length, with the smart filly, Lindesta, second. She carried 118 pounds and defeated Hearts of Oak by a head for second money. The mile was covered in 1:42. In the .Slan!ev Produce Stakes at a mile and a quarter two days later she carried 110 pounds to his 125 and again i!efented him. winning by a length. He made the pace to the last eighth and, tiring gave the impression that he could not stay the distance effectively. Yet. after an Interval of two days he started against her again in the Durham Cup at a mile and three-quarters and effectually disposed of the non-staving stigma bv covering the distance in the good time of 3:04 and defeating her easily by two lengths However, the weights were different, he carrying 122 pounds to her 119, so she was in no measure disgraced. His last race of the year was in the Rothschild Cup at a mile, in which he ran second to the high-class horse Plate Glass, in 1:41 over a muddy track. The record and pedigree of this good colt are as follows: Year. Age. Sts. 1st. 2nd. 3rd. Unp. Won. 1912 i5 4 1 1 l $ 3 053 1913 3 11 JT JJ l i 11405 Totals 2 18 11 3 2 2 4,400 rGalopii, J Vw,ettc I 1 Mrs. Ridgway. fSt. Simon J Flying Duchess J The V. Dutchman. I - J Merope. 1st. Angela........ j K5uK Tom Jllarkaway. I Pocahontas. f Bassetlaw..... J Adeline jlon Little Fairy. 2 r Blair Athol.. Stock well j The Baron. I Pocahontas. c- 3 1-Marquesa... ... J Blink Bonny j Melbourne. Sj ri j Queen Mary. Os Murcla . Lord of the Isles. . j Touchstone. " Pn I Fair Helen. O 5 , - Donna Sabina J Don John. " w I Sorclla. 21 The F. Dutchman. J Bay Middleton. Hi -Dollar J Barbellc. S! rGreenback.....J . I . I Stockwell J The Baron. j v. Music j Pocahontas. I, Lady LIghtfoot j One Act j Annandale. y Extravaganza. I ,.,,. Lexington j Boston. I r Daniel Boone , Aliqe Carucal. Urosperine . Magnolia j Glencoe. Lee Paul j Lexington. I Auna H -j Anna 0. Dau. of Foreigner, j Foreigner. Mare by Jordan.
