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TURF ACHIEVEMENTS OF ONE OF THE GREATEST GREATESTRACE RACE HORSES IN THE HISTORY OF OFTHE THE AMERICAN TURF Of the many queries regarding the performances of the great horses of the American turf received from time to time at the office of Daily Racing Form none are more enquired about than the late James K Keenes Svsonby SvsonbyIn In 1907 the New York Herald made a canvas among a select number of turfmen as to which was the greatest American race horse Ten of the thirty three experts interviewed favored Sysonby five selected Hindoo two Hamburg two Luke Blackburn two Salvator and Henry of Navarre Tammany Longfellow Eole Ort Wells Tom Bowling Alccdo Kingfisher Roseben Kentucky and Kecnau each secured one vote voteAugust August Belmont Algernon Daiugerfield John W Gates James It Keene F C McLcwee Alfred Hennen Morris J L McGimiiss James Rowe and Thomas Welch selected Sysonby The supporters of Hindoo were L O Appleby P J Dwycr Davy Johnson A J Joyner and Henry Stull John E Madden and W L Powers voted for Hamburg while M Dwyer and Dave Gideon cast their lot with Luke Blackburn James 11 Haggin and Matt Byrnes favored Salvator SalvatorAt At the time there was considerable criticism over the selections some writers contending that the Herald made a mistake in interviewing altogether too many partisans and interested parties Never ¬ theless the general public was more or less in ¬ clined to accept the decision of these wellknown turfmen and breeders breedersCertain Certain it is that the ten who selected Sysonby as th foremast American thoroughbreds parti san or otherwise had weighty and convincing evidence in the form of untiarallellcd turf achieve ¬ ments on the part of Sysonby in two years of rac ¬ ing to offer in support of their choice choiceHowever However that selection was made before the in ¬ comparable Colin flashed on the turf horizon Colin the undefeated and invincible son of Commando was without doubt the i eer of all American race horses while some of the best judges place Hindoo above Sysonby SysonbyBe Be that as it may Sysonbys achievements on the turf are a splendid testimonial to his greatness as a race horse A resume of the history of this wonderful tliorolighbred is interesting interestingSysonby Sysonby was bred in England by the late Marcus Daly of Montana but was foaled in America the property of James R Keene Mr Daly had col ¬ lected a choice band of mares at his Aperficld Stud in England Among them was Optime a bay mare foaled in 189U by Orme dam a daughter of Spect ¬ rum Mr Daly kept no stallions at Aperfield It was his custom to take subscriptions to the best of the stallions standing for public service in England For the season of 1901 he took three subscriptions to Melton and Optime was one of the trio of mares sent over to the establishment of Sir John Musker to be served by the son of Master Kildare A few months after this service Optime was brought to America and on Tuesday October 1 1901 in the paddocks of the FasigTipton Company at Sheeps liead Bay was sold to Mr Keene for 0000 She was sent to Castleton Stud near Lexington Ky and there in the spring of 1902 she foaled the bay colt which at weaning time had earned the highest regard of Maior Foxhall A Daingerfield the stud manager and which as a yearling so far outranked the others of his age at this farm in looks and actions in the paddock as to cause Foxhall Keene to expect great things of him and to honor him with the name Sysonby after the name of a town near his sliooting lodge in England In the summer of 1903 Sysonby was broken and in the fall of that year he went to James Rowe to be prepared for his racing career to begin the following spring Sysouby rail in fifteen races and was never un ¬ placed He ran one dead heat won thirteen races without being extended and was third in the other the Futurity of 1904 His net earnings were 184 438 He began his career on the turf July 14 1901 at Brighton Beach and ended it September 9 1903 at Sheepshcad Bay The record of his performances in the order of occurrence is as follows followsAS AS A TWOYEAROLD IN 1904 1904July July 14 Brighton Beach track fast won a purse for maidens five and onehalf furlongs in lU carrying 107 pounds and cantering six lengths in front of Linda Lee Cairngorm and Gleuecho being the best of the others J Martin rode him himJuly July l Brighton Beach track fast won the Brighton Junior Stakes threequarters of u mile iu 113 with 11 pounds up cantering four lengths in front of Jonquil In this nice he was coupled with Veto Britisher was third J Martin rode rodeAugust August 1 Saratoga track fast won the Flash Stakes five and onehalf furlongs in 106 carrying 125 pounds cantering six lejigths in front of Augur his stablemate Glorifier and Trapper were the only other starters He was ridden by Redfern RedfernAugust August Saratoga track fast won the Saratoga Special five and one half furlongs in 10 with 122 pounds up cantering six lengths in front of Hot Shot Britisher the only other starter four lengths back of Hot Shot Redfern rode Imu August 27 Sheepshcad Bay track fast finished third in the Futurity threequarters of a mile straight Artful winning by five lengths from Tradition which was a head in front of Sy sonby Artful carried 111 and Tradition and Sysonby each had up 127 It was Artfuls third start and first victory The time was 111 a record for the race over that course Red fern rode Sysonby SysonbySeptember September 19 Gmvesend track fast won the Junior Champion Stakes about threequarters of a mile in 109 with 127 pounds up canter ¬ ing three lengths in front of his stablemate Wild Mint with Cairngorm Hot Shot and Jon ¬ quil the other starters Redfern rode rodeAS AS A THREE YEAR OLD IN 1905 1905May May 4 Belmont Park track fast dead heat with Race King for the Metropolitan Handicap one mile in 141 Sysonby carried 107 and Race King 97 Colonial Girl was third five lengths back Beldame was among the others Shaw rode Sysonby and L Smith was on Race King KingJune June 17 Sheepshead Bay track fast won the Tidal Stakes one and onequarter miles in 205 carrying 126 pounds cantering five lengths in front of Agile Cairngorm and Migraine were the other starters Nicol rode rodeJuly July 1 Sheepshead Bay track slow won the Com ¬ monwealth Handicap one and onequarter miles in 207 with 111 pounds up pulled up four lengths in front of Proper Mabel Richardson Tradition Monsieur Beaucaire and JJfoouistIck being the others Nicol rode rodeJuly July 4 Sheepshead Bay track fast won the Law ¬ rence Realization Stakes one and fiveeighths mile in 247 carrying 126 pounds cantering five lengths ahead of Tanya Migraine being third and Blandy the only other starter Nicol rode July 20 Brighton Beach track fast won the Iro quois Stakes one and onequarter miles in 206 with 126 pounds up pulled up a length and a half in front of Migraine and Pasadena the only other starters J Martin was the pilot pilotJuly July 29 Brighton Beach track fast won the Brighton Derby one and onehalf miles in 233 with 126 pounds up cantering five lengths in front of Agile and Pasadena the only other starter thirty lengths buck Nicol rode rodeAugust August 12 Saratoga track slow won the Great Republic Stakes one and onequarter miles in 207 carrying 119 pounds pulled up three lengths ahead of Oiseau Broomstick Dande ¬ lion and Prince Hamburg were the other start ¬ ers Nicol rode rodeSeptember September 2 Sheepshead Buy track good won the Century Stakes one and onehalf miles in 235 carrying 115 pounds pulled up two lengths in front of Broomstick Eugenia Ititrcli and Dolly Spanker were the other starters Nicol rode rodeSeptember September 9 Sheepshead Bay track fast won the Annual Champion Stakes two and onequarter miles in 354 carrying 115 pounds cantering four lengths in front of Oiseau which was twenty five lengths ahead of Broomstick the only other starter Nicol rode him himTABLE TABLE OF HIS WINNINGS The following is a statement of Sysonbys net Date Track Race AmtWou AmtWouJuly July 14 Brighton Beach purse 810 810July July 10 Brighton Beach Brighton Junior JuniorStakes Stakes 11750 11750Aug Aug 1 Saratoga Flash Stakes 4875 4875Aug Aug Saratoga Saratoga Special 14000 14000Aug Aug 27 Sheepshead Bay Futurity third thirdmoney money 2583 2583Sept Sept 19 Gravesend Junior Stakes j010 j010In In 1905 May 4 Belmont Park Metropolitan Han ¬ dicap 5655 5655June June 17 Sheepshead Bay Tidal Stakes 14550 14550July July 1 Sheepshead Bay Commonwealth CommonwealthHandicap Handicap 11475 11475July July 4 Sheepshead Bay Lawrence Reali ¬ zation 17935 17935July July 20 Brighton Beach Iroquois Stakes 5850 5850July July 29 Brighton Beach Brighton Derby 11750 11750Aug Aug 12 Saratoga Great Republic 41465 41465Sept Sept 2 Sheepshead Bay Century Stakes 13100 Sept J Sheepshead Bay Annual Champion ChampionStakes Stakes 20550 20550Total Total 184438 Onehalf of winners portion because of dead deadheat heatHOW heat HOW SYSONBY RANKED WITH SPECULATORS SPECULATORSIn In thirteen of his fifteen races Sysonby went to the post an oddson favorite The Metropolitan Handicap was the only rac in which odds of as good as 3 to I could ever be had about him Here is a table of the prices which were posted against him in iiis races Continued on setoad page ACHIEVEMENTS OF GREATEST HORSES IN HISTORY OF AMERICAN TURF Continued from first page In 1904 1904Date Date O H C P S SJuly July 14 35 710 33 13 15 15July July 10 910 1110 45 25 14 14Aug Aug 1 l2 12 25 out Aug 0 120 115 120 out Aug 27 45 45 1320 lO out outSept Sept 19 l3 13 13 15 out outIn In 1905 1905Date Date O H C P S SMay May 4 332 45 25 25June June 17 45 910 910 25 out outJuly July 1 1110 05 1 14 out outJuly July 4 lr 10 25 out July 21 120 120 1SO out July 29 115 13 14 out Aug 12 5 12 920 out Sept 2 120 120 120 out Sept 9 t 110 15 1C out Coupled with stable companions companionsMr Mr Keene never placed a price on Sysonby When the colt was a twoyearold it is Bald he was asked if 100000 would buy him to which he replied He is not for sale at any price After his re ¬ markable showing in 1905 the representative of an owner in England asked Mr Kcene if he would part with the son of Melton for 200000 The re ¬ ply was in the negative negativeSysonby Sysonby died Sunday June 17 1905 in the Keene stable at Sheepshead Bay succumbing to septi ¬ caemia or blood poisoning His remains were buried at that famous track but later exhumed and the skeleton of the famous horse was mounted and pre ¬ sented by Mr Keene to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City where it has been viewed by thousands of horse lovers from all parts of the country
