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COLOR IN ENGLISH CLASSIC RACES. Some people show a preference for a certain color in horses; and to the majority a flashy chestnut takes the eye quicker than the more sober bay or brown, yet if there is one turf truism more positive than another it is that the browns are the better horses. Everybody knows how, when last year Tagalie won the Derby, the quidnuncs discounted her chances chiefly because she was a gray filly, and it was pointed out that in the history of the blue ribbon only one other gray Smolensko had won the Epsom event. Drinmore, winner of the City and Suburban, is a bay, and Amecy, the Metropolitan winner is a brown. Here are some interesting statistics showing the number of winners of different colors to date, in the Derby, Oaks and St. Leger: Color Derby. Oaks. St. Leger. Total. Brawns and bays. .00 »s 107 303 Chestnuts 32 33 27 92 Grays 2 1 2 5 Blacks 1 1 1 3 The predominance in the totals is so overpowering that there should he little need to dilate upon the subject, but statistics are available to prove that the "placed" horses in the three events predominate to the same extent as do the winners. The most remarkable point, however, in this connection is that, when chestnuts or grays are mated with their own colors the mares almost invariably foal to their own color, while a black horse and a black mare produce nearly 10 per cent chestnuts. Two browns may evolve any color, bay or brown, or chestnut, and a seeker after instances whose authority is unimpeachable asserts that the certain transmission of the chestnut color is independent of the color of the ancestors. When the parents are of different color, the lighter color is the more easily transmitted. Blacks and chestnuts produce browns, sometimes chestnuts, and blacks seldom. Grays transmit their color most frequently, blacks least frequently. Dark browns with chestnuts usually get chestnuts, light browns with chestnuts get washy chestnuts. A chestnut mated with a gray may get rid of the gray hue of the foal, and yet, despite these favorable conclusions, it appears that chestnuts are mostly in the minority. That is to say, a summary of the Stud Book would probably show fewer chestnut foals than bay or brown or other colon.
