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GATHS DAM HIGH PRICED YEARLING John Sinford Paid 23000 for Isinglass Natalie Filly Which Was Never Raced RacedNew New York July 9 John Sanford is highly pleased witli the return of the twoyearold Gath to his stable and told how he came to purchase Philistia the youngsterIt dam of that youngster It was at an auction sale at Doucaster said the Amsterdam turfman and Mr Weathersby of the English Jockey Club was bidding for me I did not know at the time that I was bidding against the wealthiest turfman in Russia who had been paying record prices for everything he chanced to fancy or I might not have persisted so far farAt At any rate I was on the opposite side of the sales ring from Mr Weathersby and paid little at ¬ tention to the high bidding until I was informed that I had been the purchaser of the yearling filly by Isinplass Natalie for 23000 which was quite a price to pay for a yearling However I had given Mr Weathersby no limit and he had kept on bidding I immediately turned the filly over to John Butters to take and train for me and some months later he invited me down to Newmarket to sou the trials of his twoyearoldsMr twoyearolds Mr liutters trains for a number of owners and has trial contests between his youngsters each spring before sending them to the races I went with my family to see these trials and it was just like a small race meeting or rather more like the trials they still have in France for the thorough ¬ breds to ascertain the stamina and breeding worth of the various horses and which are only attended by owners trainers and the heads of the French Breeding Bureau BureauAt At this little meeting I attended they had regu ¬ lar program cards like any race meeting with the names of the horses weights jockeys etc and it was really enjoyable and interesting However my higli priced filly was beaten and yet even that scarcely spoiled the day for me After Philistia had failed to win Mr Butters ventured the opinion that she was not of stake calibre and rather than send her out for cheap races I decided to retire her immediately I sent her to my breeding farm in England and the following spring when she was a threeyearold she was bred to Major Bclmonts Tracery and Gath is her first foal
