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a, SOME POINTS IN THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF THE CHAMPION "COME BACK" OP AMERICAN TURF HISTORY - ; Undoubtedly one of the grontes.t racers of recent years was retired prematurely from the campaign of 1914 when Old Rosebud fell lame while leading in the Withers Stakes at Belmont Park and apparently destined to prove an easy winner. His career as a two-year-old had been one. of extreme brilliancy and up to that unfortunate day his racing as a three-year-old had been np to the same almost invincible standard. Had. .he. .remained , sound and in good form there is no telling what great things he would have accomplished in racing and it seems fair to surmise that in that case he .would have been the champion threer-year-old of 1914 instead of Roamer. 4 In his remarkable career when a two-year-old, he was but twice beaten .in . fourteen races, ojipe by a head and once by a length arid both times by his near relative in blood,. Little Nephew.. Juarez . has been lucky in launching some exceedingly good two-year-olds in triumphant careers ami Old Rosebud was o.ne of them, along with such lother stars of their years as Hawthorn and Round the World. Old Rosebud only started twice at Juarez. His initial race was in the Yucatan Stakes, run February 9, 1913, over a heavy track at three and a half furlongs. This he won by six lengths iii .43. with Blarney second and Manganese third, the favorite, Manson, finishing last of the six starters, . His next race there took place March 5 in a: half mile dash, for a purse. This he won pulled up by five lengths in 47, with Shadrach second and Gladys Y. third. He had displayed such altogether exceptional speed in these two races that the Juarez; pilgrims, who journey. back to Kentucky, took with, them the belief and widely proclaimed information that he was quite an invincible. This was not far out of the way,- but the con- fidence of his admirers was rudely jarred on the occasion of his first race on Kentucky soil. This was in the Idle Hour Stakes, at Lexington, Mayl. He was a 1 to 2 favorite, but at the end of a fast run race. Little Nephew won by a- Jiend, mainly because Loftus was :r better rider than -MeCabe in a close finish. The four and a half furlongs of the race was covered in 53 i und, -third! horse "was six lengths back. His next start was for a purse over the same distance, at Churchill Downs, May 17. The track was heavy, but he ran" the distance in 54 and defeated Roamer by .six ."lengths, , with Brave Cunarder a bad-third. Twodays -later. -taine l.thtf" running of the Bashford Manor Stakes and here he again clashed with Little ..Nephew; and again, went down in defeat. He went to the post an odds-on favorite at 11 to 20, but. Little Nephew led every foot of the way and won by a length in 53, covering the first half mile, in .40.. Little Nephew was a Hailing good racer, but Old Rosebud was his master and proved it unmistakably later on in three really astonishing races at five-eighths of a mile c:i,ch. Prior to their coming, on,, however, he had won two races in which Little Nephew was not engaged. In fact, it might be said that after the running of the Bashford Manor Stakes, he never knew defeat in 1913. At Churchill Downs May 13, lie won a purse at the same distance over a heavy track in 5475, defeating The Norman by ten lengths, witli Ilarwood third and four unplaced. On a fast track, May lit", at Douglas Park, he ran five-eighths of a mile in the new track record time of 1:00 and won from Vandergrift by six. lengths, witii Black Toney third. Then followed three races, in each of which he deefated Little Nephew, all taking place at Douglas Park. Old Rosebuds Three Remarkably Fast Races. The first of these occurred May 31. Only three started, all carrying 112 pounds, and the distance was five-eighths of a mile. The fact that Little Nephew had beaten Old Rosebud twice served to make him the favorite at 7 to 5, while it was to 10 against Old Rosebud and 41 to 20 against Im-perator. Taking the lead at bnce,r Little Nephew ran the first quarter in 22f,, and the half mile in 40, but in the homestretch Old Rosebud rushed by him with an irresistible burst1 ojfspeed and won pulling up by four lengths in the remarkable time of 58. Little Nephew finished a length and a half in front of Imperator. The second clash of this series took place Juno 4 at the same distance, Old Rosebud carrying 115 pounds, Little Nephew 118 and the other starters 100 each. As before. Little Nephew led to the stretclr at a wondetful rate of speed and, as before, Old Rosebud passed him in stretch and won by a length in the still faster time of 58, Roamer finishing eight lengths behind Little Nephew. This time Old Rosebud was the favorite at 45 to 100. June 7 brought about the first running of the Spring Trial Stakes, again at the same distance.. On this"ocea"Hloir waiting tactics were abandoned and, going to the front at once. Old Rosebud ran the first quarter in :23, half mile in :4i, and swept homo victor by two lengths in 58. Xiittle Nephew was always in nearest and gallant pursuit and at the finish was ten lengths in front of Imnerator, Boots and Saddle and Vandergrift running unplaced. It is not of record that any other horse has ever run three successive races in such exceedingly fast time. Old Rosebuds other races of the year were all stake races and he won them all with the same superb ease. He won the Harold Stakes, at Latonia, June 18, and, only having Big Spirit and OHagan for opponents, was never out of a canter to win by five lengths. July 5 he won the Cincinnati Trophy and, carrying 124 pounds, ran its three-quarters of a mile" in 1:12, to win pulled up by six lengths, with Pebeco second and OHagan third. Taken to Saratoga, he won the Flash Stakes on August 2 and, having nn 124 pounds, easily defeated Stromboli, 112 pounds; Black Broom, 109; Prairie 112; Flitter-gold, 115, and Bradleys Choice, 109. August 13 he carried 125 pounds in the United States Hotel Stakes and won pulling up by three lengths in 1:13. Black Broom, 107 pounds, was second; Pomette Bleu, 111. third, and Gainer, Cliff Field and King McDowell ran unplaced. Then having completed a glorious campaign, he was retired for the year. He wintered in robust health and condition and came out in due time for spring training a truly grand young horse. .Preliminary to and as a part of his preparation for the Kentucky Derby, he was given a purse race of a mile at Lexington, April 25, and won it by six lengths in a canter over a slow track in 1:42, witli Chrisfophino second and Ivan Gardner third. Surprising and Black Toney being among those unplaced. This race revealed that he was quite his old self plus normal improvement, so when on May 9 Kentucky Derby day arrived, his array of admirers made him an odds-on favorite in the mutuels at S5 to 100, witli Hodge second choice. The starters, weights and order of the finish were: Old Rosebud, Hodge and Old Ben, 114 pounds each. Rroiizewing, John Guild ami Surprising, 117 each, and Watermelon, 112. It is seldom that such an important race is so easily won as was the Kentucky Derby that day. Taking the lead at once. Old Rosebud ran the first quarter in 23,. half mile in :471s, three-quarters in 1:13, mile in 1:38, and won pulling up by eight lengths in 2:03, a new track record for a mile and a quarter. Then he was taken east and his career cut short by falling lame in his first start. His coming back to racing this year a sound horse, after two years of retirement, is one of the marvels of racing-. It is doubtful if his case has a parallel. Moreover, it is quite as remarkable that his enormous spued in unimpaired. Up to this time, there is nothing to indicate that this splendid old gelding is not all that nature "meant him to be, as an example of tiie most admirable qualities of the race horse. He has started in twenty races and won fourteen of them, his spoils including such coveted trophies of the turf as the Delaware Handicap, Frontier Handicap, Red Cross Handicap, Carter Handicap, Queens County Handican, Inaugural Handicap and Clark Handicap, in "one or another At which Jie has defeated all-the handicap stars of the day and won over 0,000, besides making himself the turf idol of today. The interesting point in his restoration to racing is that Dame Nature effected his cure, when the arts of man had failed to benefit him. His able trainer, -Frank D. Weir, made this clear in a recent communication to Daily Racing Form, which is reproduced here, for the lesson it conveys: Goes Xame for Third- Time at Juarez. "It was in the winter of 1915 at Juarez, that Old Rosebud went lame for the third time, after eighteen months of persistent effort on the part of myself and the best advice of veterinarians east and west. We had tried firing, blistering find rest. The summer of 1915 I left my foreman, II. C. McLaughlin better known as Mack at Latonia to exercise Old Rosebud to a cart, so as to keep the weight off his injured leg. but nature had to effect the cure and would not be hurried. So I decided to. give nature her own time if it took two years. "Mr. McLemores farm presented the proper conditions to assist nature, or rather get as close to nature as possible. Mr. Applegate and Mr. McLe-more endorsed by theory of keeping the horse thin, so he would not be burdened with a couple of hundred pounds of superflous flesh when his legs had healed and hardened sufficiently to warrant his again being put in training. "Mr. McLemore, always a great admirer of Old Rosebud, said we were welcome to turn the horse out at his place for as long as suited us, free of charge, but that he was afraid the horse might be injured, on account of barbed wire fences. But when he informed us he had a small, pasture with smooth wire, where the horse could get accustomed to wire fencing without the chance of getting cut, Mr. Applegate and I decided to take the risk to obtain the other advantages presented. Knowing the intelligence of Old Rosebud, wo felt sure if he had some experience with wire fences he would soon learn to avoid - them. Mr. McLemores precaution was a wise one, for as soon as "Bud" was turned loose, he started to run and play, but soon landed against the smooth wire fence, which rebounded like the big net seen at a circus and tossed him back on his own side. Mr. McLemore said the old fellow got up, took a good look, snifTed at the posts and wire and that, was the first and last wire fence he collided witli. "As stated above, it was my intention to leave Old Rosebud out two years if necessary. But Mr McLemore, who watched the old fellow closely was so positive he would train, that after about one year on the farm, he returned my old favorite to me, as we had planned to have him, rough looking, but with legs as hard and cool and so they have remained. Ami Mr. McLemore did all this gratis for the love of a great horse. Yours very truly, FRANK D. WEIR." Every lover of a good horse will hope that he may remain sound, able to score other triumphs of speed and high weight-carrying. Not only this year but another and another. We cannot have too many Old Rosebuds in our racing. His pedigree is as follows: f Isouoniy J Sterling Isinglass.. J Isola Bella j Dead Lock j Wenlock f 1 Malpractice I Hermit. J Newminster Astrology J I Seclusion , . - - j Stella S Bro. to StrafTord f Uncle 1 1 Gilberts Dan S , Eclipse j Orlando 2 I Alarm J I Gaze J.Maud J Stockwell a L m. The Niece..... J 1 Ctess of Albemarle p , I r Leamington J Faugh-a-Ballagh C S - L Jaconet J Dau. of Pantaloon g Maggie B. B J Australian W -j , I Madeline . - - . . . o - Eclipse J Orlando S? f" Alarm J I Gaze o 5 . I j Maud J Stockwell 3 "S Himyar. . Ctess of Albemarle O M M I Lexington J Boston t. I t Hira J Alice Carneal M J j Ilegira.... J Ambassador I Ivory Bells Flight Hermit -j Newminster -Mr. Pickwick J Seclusion j Tomato J King Tom ; I Mincemeat i King-Alfonso! J Phaeton -Ida K .... J I Capitola " J Lerna i Asteroid 1 1 Laura ; . .., . I
