view raw text
ACCLIMATIZATION OF FOREIGN-BRED HORSES. Why Soiue Have Failed in This Country Lately — Two-Year-Olds Favored Too Much. There has BM I walls been a good deal of discussion in America about the performances of the British-bred horses that srere Imparted as yearlings or two-year-olds in 1915." says the London Rlo «f-stock Review in a recent issue. Several have JBJ races. Some have won good races. On the wi.TT-. however, the foreigners have so far been a disappointment, Are the horses a pear sample or were their owners ever-sanguine. We have great hopes that the horses are all right. "If the owners have been too sanguine their mistake is one for Which they may forgive themselves and be forgiven. And the more readily because we have been led to understand that many of the horses have during the past racing season suffered from sundry mischiefs which hampered their progress and even prevented some of them racing at all. "But over and above these misfortunes there has been the difficulty of aeelimatinatkm. There are a few American horsemen who impatiently brush aside the plea that a product like a thoroughbred. when suddenly transplanted to a distant part of the world must be allowed time to get accustomed to its new environment, which generally means different treatment and different food as well as different atmospheric conditions. One wonders whether these people are altogether disinterested — whether they are not rejoicing in secret because the importations have failed to "make good." as they would say. We in England have, perhaps, no right to reseat the taking up of an attitude of that Bert, When, seven or eight years ago. American bre. dors were sending hundreds of surplus yearlings to our shores, there were English breeders who clamored for restrictive legislation. Of course, the two situations are not parallel. The American yearlings came to England uninvited; English yearlings have, so to say.. l eeii kidnapped by Americans and taken across the Atlantic — they were wanted and eagerly sought for. It is. however, satisfactory, and not surprising, to find that there are level-headed Americans disposed to await further developments before reaching the conclusion that the majority of the yearlings imported last year are valueless for racing purposes. Quotes Registrar Rowes Opinions. "It is too soon, they contend, to pronounce sentence of condemnation. There can be few authorities better qualified to express an opinion than W. H. Basse, registrar of the New York Jockey Club. Every imported horse for years past has come under his immediate notice, and he has given his views about the animals that have aroused the recent discussion. After expn ssing the opinion that no horse barn and bred in Europe, regardless of age, can show his best qualities until he baa been in America a year and a half or two years, he went on to say: "The bitter experience of American sportsmen of today with foreign nee horses is not new to those who have followed the fortunes of imported stock in races on the American turf. More than twenty years ago John A. Morris met with like diappointmeat with a string of young horses he bought in England at high prices. All failed when put to the test here. la the band imported was the celebrated sire Ornus. This horse was brought to the Cnited States when a yearling. Mr. Morris had high hopes for the horse on account of his superb blood lines and speed trials in England, but he failed to win until he was a four-year old, although he started many times as a two and three-year-old. In the stud he sired such good horses as Olatnbala and Oiseau. "That experience convinced Mr. Morris thai the game was not worth the candle. for die reason that the element of chance was too great to Justify the big outlay of money involved in the transa. tion. He. therefore, bit upon the idea of sending some American broodmares to England, mating them with high-class stallions there and bringing the product to this country as weanlings. It was a Happy scheme, because several of these weanlings carried high honors on the American turf when they reached racing age. The Friar and Bawling Break; were two 01" the most notable weanlings thus bred and imitorted by Mr. Morris. Success of John A. Morris Final Plan. "The success achieved by Mr. Morris plan convinced me that a successful thing for a prospective purchaser of foreign race horses is to buy weanlings or mares with weanlings and ship them here. or send American mares abroad and mate them with the best stallions. Mr. Morris, as well as the present-day buyers of alien stock, purchased with a view to the two -year -old stakes, because they are more valuable than prizes offered in races for older horses. "If an American pays a big price for a yearling abroad and has to wait a year or two for the animal to attain its true form, those years of waiting represent a most unfortunate i eriod of unuroduc tl 1 eness on the part of the importation. In other words, after the valuable two-year-old and possibly three-year-old events are decide d, the rniimal begins to siiow high form when his greatest opportunities have passed. It reminds me somewhat of the saying: The operation was successful, but the patient died. " "Mr. Rowes summary of the situation appeals as a sound and reasonable pronouncement. The horses must not be blamed, because they mature too late to pick up the valuable prizes dangled bi -fore owners of two-year-olds; and still less because there is a lack of opportunity for older horses in America. "In that country two-year-olds are simply lured to destruction. "We should hesitate to make that statement w.-re we not aware that responsible people in America are lu-epared t.. endorse it. American Lack of Three -Year-Old Stakes. "Older horses are entitled to more encouragement than they receive. We are thinking of American-bred animals, not importations. The lack of opportunity afforded three-year-olds on the American turf is strikingly shown by an analysis of the program of twenty-four days racing provided at Saratoga last August. The total net value of events for three-year elan was 2.000 iMmnds. The Hopeful Stakes for two-year-olds, decided the last day of the meeting, was alone worth 3.770 pounds net to the winner. The most valuable of the three-year-old events decided during the twenty-four days was the Travers Stakes of 823 pounds. There were no fewer than forty-eight races confined -to two-year-olds at Saratoga, the total net value of the prizes being 13.220 pounds. In other words, the two-year-old races were worth more than five times as much as those set apart for three-year-olds. "At the risk of being asked to assume the mantle of the Pharisee of biblical fame, we would, by way of contrast, point to the fact that at the last Ascot meeting held in 1914 — and Ascot is our nearest counterpart to Saratoga — the five two-year-old events were worth 7.053 pounds net. whereas the five three -year-old races had an aggregate net value of 11.290 pounds. At Ooodwood the same year the six two-year-olds events were worth 0.743 pounds, and the four three-year old races 8.808 pounds. In the one case the average value was 1.124 pounds; in the other S49 pounds. These figures at least serve to show that in England the owner of a good three-year-old receives due encouragement. We would respectfully naggi si to American sportsmen that their racing programs might Ik- readjusted with advantage to the welfare of the racehorse."
