Seeking for British Turf Classics.: Almost Forgotten History of Richard Ten Broecks Incursion in English Racing., Daily Racing Form, 1917-02-25

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SEEKING FOR BRITISH TURF CLASSICS. Almost Forgotten History of Richard Ten Broecks ! Incursion in English Racing. o In the last half century our American coastal ■ have many times tried to win classic races on tliis m. Ic of the Atlantic, and thereby put extra life •d interest in our sport: but 1 cannot recollect a -rind when more enthusiasm was mimed by them I thai is just now the Caw. In the 190S Derby and -Oflka we are indeed thiekly covered by the Stats and Stripes, and if either Norman III. or Sea Sick 11. had Moved the se-.-ne would probably have re- called the days of beojaeis, Americas first win- ner of the Derby, thirty-three years ago. The 1 popularity of Fred Archer, who rode that winner. 1 no doubt contributed greatly to the wild enthus- 1 BUBB Which prevailed as horse and jockey squeezed I their way through. 1 have never seen it equalled I at Kpsom. except -when 1ersimmoii won the first of J His .Majestys two Deibys. or when Lord Rosebery brought off the final event of his great Kton treble 1 With I.adas. his lordship having ] revious]y com- pletod the first two portions of it by marrying 1 Miss Hannah Rothschild, one of the richest heir- esses in the land, and holding the high post of prime minister. the successful visit of Mr. Pierre Lorillard and 1 Iroquois, however, was not the first time America I had tried our classics, and Mr. Lorillard. good sportsman as he undoubtedly was. had predecessors unknown to and almost forgotten by many of the present generation. Allusion here is first made to Richard Ten Rroeck. It was he who first " ventured to test the American blood with that of • our own; it was he also who first tried our classic I races, Mr. Ten Rroeck. who was a native of New York, waa a gentleman of high position, and when he came to this country as far back as lh." l, he was armed with the best of introductions to the 1 Karl of Fitzwilliam. and it was through his lordships influence that the visitor was presented to our leading aristocracy, who vied with each other in their attentions to the American stranger. For instance. Admiral Rous was one of the first to welcome Mr. Ten Rroeck to Newmarket. It was the admiral who proposed him as a member for the Coffee Room, and on his first visit to Coodwood Mr. Ten Rroeck was invited by the Duke of Richmond to join the house party: in fact, he advanced so far among the upper ten thousand that a biographer recorded at the time, "his fellow-men were not a little jealous of his high reception." Mr. Ten Breech had not been iii the country a year before he added to his popularity by winning the Oesare-witih. in which his Inited States importation. Prioress, by Sovereign — Reel. by ih -11000. was one of the three to doad-hoat. "apt. Smiths El Hakim and Mr. Joe Saxons Queen I.ess were the other pair in this close fight, and when run off Mr. Ten Rroeck wisely substituted Fordham for his American jockey. Tankerley. who had worn the red and white stripes and blue cap, and WOO the decider by a length and a half. Americas First Derby Attempt. Mr. Ten Rroeck only raced a season or so under those colors, changing them to a more neat jacket and cap of an orange hue with a black belt, familiar in the Coodwood Cup on Starke and on Impire in our classics. Roth these horses were bred in America. the former by Wagner — a half-brother to Prioress, and the latter by Lecompte, which, on winning a race at Coodwood as a two-year-old. had his age questioned. Hearing of the objection. Mr. Ten Rroeck. conscious of having nothing to fear, said nothing would give him great-er pleasure than to have all doubt about the age settled at ouce, and a certificate of a satisfactory character was then drawn up by the eminent vets.. Spooner and Mannington. However. Impire was the first classic candidate Mr. Ten Rroeck ran in Lngland. He was not entered for the Two Thousand Gataeae, and so Thormanbys Derby of IstiO saw the first American effort. There were. I venture to say, many present at Epsom recently who saw the late Harry distance win the race on Thormanby: but looking down the list of chief participators in that great contest, there are few left iii tile land of the living. John Osborne. Harvey Covey, and George Clement, of the riders, are yet with us. but there . is not a single trainer of these thirty starters now alive, for William Day did not start either of his quintette, and John Porter hud not then succeeded Manning as trainer to Sir Joseph Hawley, who ran Loiterer. Here are the starters for the first Derby in which the Americans took part, a by no means uninteresting revival: Mr. J. Merrys b. c. Thormanby. by Melbourne or Windhound — Alice Hawthorn . . . .distance 1 Mr. A. Nichols The Wizard, by West Australian A. French 2 apt. Christies Horror, by Wild DayrelL.T. Chaloner 3 Count F. de Legranges Dangu Quintou 4 Mr. T. Dawsons Sir William Rullock B Raron Rothschilds Restes Charlton 5 Mr. Rich. Ten Rroecks Impire L. Snowden 7 Lord Portsmouths Ruccancer J. Cloater 8 Mr. Jaques High Treason Withington 9 Ixird Pulmerstons Mainstone S. Rogers 10 apt. Littles Man-at-Arms Perry 11 Lord Derbys "ape Flyaway O. Clements 12 Mr. Tutes The Drone C. Fordham 13 Mr. W. 1Ansons Crainond Robertson 0 Mr. J. Wyatts Nutbourne D. Hughes 0 Mr. Harlands Sutton J. Osborne 0 Lord Stamfords Rentinck A. Kdwards 0 Iyord Strathmores Leprochaun H. Covey 1 Mr. Howards The Rip W. Roy. e I Mr. Merrys Northern Light J. Sharp I Mr. Copperthwaitcs The Rising Sun ...I. Mann 0 1 Mr. W. S. Crawf aids Winton Norman 0 1 Mr. Utah* Wallace K. Sharp I 1 Mr. Crntwiokes Ebony Plum » 1 Lord ilasgows T..111 Rowline T. Aldcroft I 1 Sir J. Hawleys Loiterer Wells 0 1 Sir J. Hawleys Largesse Payter I 1 Lord Zetlands l.inchester Marchant I 1 Mr. Heslops The Tiger J. Snowden I I Sir C. Monks Vesta Ilibb.it I 1 Umpire Third Betting Favorite. The Wizard, which had won the Two Thousand, started favorite at 3 to 1, and a point more was 1 taken about Thorinaiiby. the American horse. Impire. being third favorite at to 1. while l.KM to 1 10 was the starting price of Loiterer. Mr. Ten , Brooch was sanguine of victory, but the critics I were adverse to Empires pros] ec ts. owing to the . terrific- work he did on the Monday prior to the . race, and which quite appalled the Knglish train. -is I who looked oil. On the day of the race. too. Impire, the American entry, witli a group of his countrymen around I him. created an immense sensation. His trainer r seemed to have the id. a that the- Englishmen, out ; of national prejudice, might "nobble-" Empire- Before the start, for that individual is reported to 1 have- stool with a backwoodsmans fur cap on his I head, and, not content with Using his walking -stick 1 like an ordinary being, he twisted it and held it in 1 the air ready to go into action at a moments s notice. However, as will be seen above. Empire . managed to finish in the first flight; and turning . to the files of "Hells Life-." we read that he . showed good speed and ran c-xc; -edingly well for a mile and a quarter. Once- in the straight, however, he nevr really looked like winning, and thus gave Mr. Ton Blotch ample opportunity to whistle •Cod Save the Queen." which feat he backed himself to do as the winner went past the- judges j chair. Thormanby beat The Wizard a length and 1 a half, and Horror was four lengths away third. Mr. Ten Breech made many other attempts to 1 win our classics. In IBM he get nearest, and that 1 was with Paris, whoa Lord Glasgows Qeaeral Pool heat him a leaigth in the Two Thousand Guineas. • Mr. Tea Rroeck- favorite jockey. Fordham. rode-Paris at Newmarket, as he did in the Derby when 1 Blair Athol beat Ce-ncral Peel. Paris, which started at the- same corioailj quoted odds as the winner — a 13 to 1 — cutting up badly, a- he- was not in the " hading eloz-n. Rut ■ few more lines about Empire. At Epsom 1 seven years ago WO observed two persons who could recall BOM of the days of the first American hone to run in tie- Derby than all the others on the downs put together. Allusion is made to the Karl 1 of CoveatO • who bought the horse fron. Mr. Tea Breach for a "monkey." then raced and bred from 1 him: the other was Jim Adams, who. in the popular brown and bin- cap of his lordship, rode Empire in most of liis races, "ml knew much of his vagaries. On one occasion at Worcester, when the course was partly flooded. Empire backed so far i" into the water Beat the start that the- el-lay was I long, and the- fear was that he would be left be--hiinl - However, he eventually came out of bis bath bo refreshed that he won his race cabily. ! o ■ I 1 1 1 I I J 1 1 1 I " • I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 , I . . I I r ; 1 I 1 1 s . . . j 1 1 1 • 1 1 1 1 i" I - Ten Broeck an Inveterate Matchmaker. When racing in Kuglau.l. Mr. Tea Uroe-ek was a great matchmaker, as he was in America. It may J b.- forgotten by many in Kngland that he backed i Impire after he had run badly in the St. Leger to beat Lord ilasgows Tom Howline for $."i.000 a side over the Abingdon Mile, which he won. He fare-el , not so well in his Warwick deal in IBM in a twoB miles match with Donro against Mr. Reginald Her- | bertl Jams. That match was with owners up. and H Mr. Herbert went a little too fast for the American. and bOWled over the odds by a couple of lengths. Mr. Ten Rroeck went to the post smoking a big * cigar, to the amusement of the people-. Before Mr. beriUard won the first of our classics with Iroquois, we- had had with us another good. J but uiisui e e-ssful. sportsman from ac ross the Atlan- tic- trying our classics. That was at. H. San- * ford, who among others brought over one Rrown J Prim-. I son of Americas famous Lexington— ] r.ritannia. and Mr. Sanford. like Mr. Ten Rroeck. * brought over his own trainer. Little-field. The colt J did not run as a two-year-old. but figured in the J Two Thousand. Di-rby and St. Leger. That was in J the ye-ar 1S77. In the Cuineas. distance, putting on Mr. Sanf.-rds dark blue jacket, was beaten a leagth by Chainant. BraWB Prince starting at the J extreme odds of .".0 to 1. On that form. 100 to 18 * was filially accepted about him for the Derby. * where he was ridden by John Osborne. He ran un- J placed behind Lard Falmouths Silvio, which again J heat him ill the St. Leger. where he once more had I Custanc-e for a pilot, but had no price in the * quotations at the start. Rrown Prince, however, had J then turned roarer: at any rate, he subsequently was no good ove-r long or short courses. He never won a race after his three-year-old career, and Mr. Sanford, parting with him, he was buffeted about J until he joined the- ranks of selling platers, run- ] ning -his last race in 1879 at Kempton Park. The horse then wen* to Ire-land and stood in the Sister J Isle at a small fee till 1«98. when he died. The * best of his stock was Kilsallaghan. which won many * races in Kngland. the chief of which were the * Coodwood Cup of ]S!4 and the Cluster Cup of 1S95. Mr. Sanford. as a sportsman, was ..f less J repute than Mr. Ten Rroeck. but nevertheless it * has been written of him that when things were j not working too rosily in racing in America he, along with a few others, formed a body to eradi- * cate the existing evils. Changes were started about the period of Mr. Sanford visiting our shores — the middle of the seventies — and his name is to be found with others like Jerome, Keene. Belmont. Yanelerbilt and Lorillard. amongst those who j founded the American Jockey Club. Pierre Lorillards English Venture. It was, however, just about the time Rrown Prince was ending his clays on our race courses that there came another American sportsman amongst us. who brought a good string of horses. ! and, likewise, his own trainer, Pincus. Allusion is made to Pierre Lorillard, the first American to win one of our classic races, all of which have now. however, received the stamp of the Stars and Stripes. Mr. Lorillard raced in a cherry and black livery. Which recalled the days of Sir Joseph Hawley, except that the cherry sleeves were hooped with Hack, and the cap of the latter bee Wad ornamented by a gold tassel. Rut Mr. Lorillards colors had been rendered famous at Epsom by Parole doing a "double" in the Metropolitan and City and Suburban in 1S79, prior to his being the-first American to win one of Englands classics with Iroeiuois. It may he forgotten that this free-going Parole was one of the few horses to beat Isonouiy, which failed to give the American six pounds over a mile and a half in the Newmarket Handicap, which victory gave Parole his penalties at Epsom. Rut this double, for popularity, was quite put into the shade when, in 1881, Archer threw his leg over Iroepiois in the Derby. Released from Heath House and other claims. Archer was fortunate to find this American among his list of the five Derby winners. Morgan had ridden Iroeiuois in the Guineas, where in good style Fred Webb had beaten him three le-ngths with Peregrine-, and the latter in conse-eiuenee started favorite for the Derby at 5 to ." . Iroepiois. however. had done well in the interval and started second favorite at 11 to L. As in the betting at the start. the "two Freds" wen- there all alone- at the finish. They w.-re- clear of Town Moor, and the thirteen others that ran, but Archer carried too many guns for Webb, ami reversed the Guine-as form by a half length. As they entered the straight, and Iroepiois pulled his way to Peregrine. tl»e issue to. good judges was never in doubt, and that was confirmed, 1 well recollect, in the weighing room. All smiles. Archer left the scale, and handing his saddle to his old and faithful valet, Solomon, he jocularly remarked. "Poor Slinky" that was a nickname used for Webb. "I felt sorry for him when we came around the turn." Iroquois Wins Epsom Derby of 1881. As we have given the starters and jockeys for the first Derby in which an American horse ran. a complete list of those who were beaten on the occasion of the first American win may likewise be perused with interest: — Mr. P. Lorillards br. c. Iroquois, by Leamington — Maggie R. B F. Archer 1 Mr. Grosv.-nors Peregrine F. Webb t. Lord Roseberys Town Moor Lemaire 3 Prince Soltykoffs Scobell Rossiter 4 "apt. Mae-hells Cumberland Morbey 5 Lord Roseberys Voluptuary J. Osborne 0 Mr. Lefevre-s Tristan J. Goater 7 Ix»rd Rradf Orels Limestone W. McDonald 8 Mr. F. Grettons Geologist T. Cannon 9 M. J. R. Keencs Don Fulano C. Wood 10 Mr. J. R. Keenes Marshal McDonald ..Morgan 11 Mr. Mackintoshs Culloden Gallon 12 Col. Rodens Fortunes Favorite Mordan 0 Lord Vivians Fortissimo Luke 0 Mr. W. S. Crawfurds St. Louis G. Fordham I As shove stated. Iroepiois won easily by a half length, and Town Moor was two le-ngths away third. It proved the most popular American success ever before1 or since gained on one of our race courses. Soon after the victory, Pincus stable at Newmarket was stricken with a fever, which br night many of his horses low, and for the St. Leger. from that cause. Iroepiois was subject to an attack of pe-nc-il fever. Whether he had the stable ailment or not. he managed to shake both off. and with Archer again in the saddle at Doncaster. be confirmed the- form with Geogolist, Scobell, Lime- stone. Fortissimo and Voluptuary, the latter of which was a subsequent Grand National winner. In all. Iroquois won Mr. Pierre Lorillard a dozen races during the horses stay in this country, running in twenty-three events. He never ran as a four-year- old. but he earned a winning bracket in his last effort in the shape of the Stockbridge Cup 1883. in which he once more showed his mastership of Scobell. Mr. Lorillards racing on this side of the At- lantic did not die with Iroquois and Parole. He entered in partnership with the late Lord William Reresford. Other classic efforts, however, failed. among othe-rs run being Democrat, the latter be- ing the horse- that Richard Marsh. King Edwards trainer, presented to Ixird. Kitchener to take to India as a charger. His lordship rode that geld- ing, it will be remembered, in the Delhi Durbar Coronation procession, and he had the son of Sen- sation in active service in India. However. Mr. Lorillard got a place in the Derby another year with Sachem in 1 sl. James R. Keenes First Adventure. While the cherry and black jacket of Mr. Loril-■ lard was see successful on our shores, there was a white and blue spotted livery on our racecourses like Win commanding victory. Here we refer to Mr. James R. Keene-. That gentleman showed us a three-year-old in the- City and Suburban the year Iroquois won the Derby and St. Leger called Foxhall. which might easily have clone that which fell to Mr. Lorillards colt had Foxhall been en-1 tered. In the City and Suburban, in a big field. his sole conqueror was the famous Bead Or. which was conceding thirty-four pounds. Rut as Foxhall had no classic engagements here- Mr. Keene re- vived Mr. Ten Broochs association with Fordham in getting the "demon" to go over to Paris to ride the eott in the Grand Prize. There was great rejoicing over Foxhalls victory. A great race it was. too, for only by a head did the Americans score over the French, Archer riding Tristan, which was second. It was a great thing to ask the three-year-old and Fordham to pull off the Ascot Gold up on Thursday succeeding the great Paris strug-1 gle. Foxhall. as a matter of fact, was fourth to Robert the Devil, Petroncl and Bus til Compensation, however, came in the autumn at Newmarket, where Foxhall pulled off the CesaMWiteh and cam-I bridgeshire double. He- se-t the seal on his fame- on our racecourses the next year at Ascot, when, with Tom Cannon wearing the spotted jacket, he wore down Iaugh-a-Rallagh in an interest ing Straggle for the Cold Cup. with the- Guine-as winner, le-tro-1 nel three- lengtlis away. — "Vigilauf in London Sportsman iu 190b.


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