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SOME FEATURES IN THE LINEAGE AND RACING OF SPEARMINTS GAME AND STAYING SON SONJOHREN JOHREN Whether Johren is the best threeyearold of 1918 or not the fact that lie is a downright good one is not disputed We have no Colin Sysonby Hindoo Hanover or Luke Blackburn in this years racing Such superexcellent phenonienons make their appearance but seldom But the racing of each recurring year is illumined by its stars and in Sun Briar Johren Jack Hare Jr War Cloud Motor Cop and Sunny Slope we have a group of warriors of the track of that age of sufficient speed and stamina to arouse the pride of any owner ownerJohrcn Johrcn is one of the results of H P Whitneys policy of sending his choice broodmares to England and mating them with such fashionable sires of the time as Bayardo Spearmint Cylgad Willonyx Tracery St Victrix and others of the bluest blood and illustrious racing records Spearmint the sire of Tohren is generally accredited with having been one of the best Epsom Derby winners of modern times He was not raced much only starting five times in all His great excellence as a race horse was not made manifest until he was a threeyearold which was in 1905 Then he started in only two races but lie won them both and they were the greatest prizes of English and French racing the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris Spearmints sire Carbine was one of the true monarclis of the turf one of the greatest race horses of all time and all lands His feat of winning the Melbourne Cup at two miles In 328 under such incredible weight as 145 pounds is a landmark in racing history historyLast Last year it was rumored that in Johren and Flags Mr Whitney possessed a pair of twoyearolds of more than average merit but public desire to see them in racing was not gratified Why they were saved until this year before being started has not been made public but it must be said that the accuracy of the reports in regard to their ability to run fast have been amply verified verifiedJohrens Johrens debut in racing was by no means of the impressive order In fact lie ran in ten races before he was crowned with a victors laurels He was slow of development and probably had to be raced into condition His first start was at Havre de Grace April 15 in a dash of fiveeighths of a mile for threeyearolds in which lie brought uy next to last Dr Johnson winning in 100 with Compadre second and Nepperhan third April 20 lie ran unplaced to George Starr Sweep Up II and Foreground at five and a half furlongs in 105 At threequarters three days later he did better by running second to Duke of Devonshire in 115 over a heavy track with Jack of Spades and ten more common ones behind him His first really promising race came next Tiiis was in the Susquehaiina Handicap at a mile and seventy jardsv jardsvllg llg carriel98poiindsrfliidaa jJddeiKbylittleiU Mergiec Cudgel 12S pounds tfofMJjrS length and a halt in 144 with Damrosch second a neck in front of Johren Hendrie Barry Shannon Iron Cross II and Hauberk ran unplaced At the Pimlico meeting he was raced strenuously but did not win Still he battled but the finishes of most of his contests in promising fashion He ran second to Arrah Go On at n mile in 142 second to Cudgel in the Mercliijuts Handicap at a mile and sixty yards in 143 defeating Crank and nine otfcers 100 pounds on him to 130 on Cudgel second to Kate Bright at threequarters in 113 Then he ran unplaced to Bondage Mary Maud and Damrosch at a mile and a sixteenth third to Lauius and Flags at a mile in 140 and wound up his Pimlico campaign by run ¬ ning fourth in that division of the Preakness Stakes won by War Cloud with Sunny Slope second and Lanius third Altogether his record on the Maryland tracks was the reverse of gaudy and decidedly not suggestive of future celebrity celebrityFrom From Pimlico Johren was taken to New York and mended his manners by winning a little race at his first attempt in his nev scene of activity This was at Jamaica May 21 in a purse race at a mile and seventy yards His next attempt was against more formidable opponents The race was the fortythird running of the Withers Stakes at a mile in which he finished fourth to Motor Cop Cum Sail and Trompe La Mort in 139 on a slow track He was unlucky and closing a big gap finished with a rush Lucullite Sun Briar War Cloud Flags Nepperhan and Snapdragon II finished behind him So on the whole his race was a good one He followed it up by entering upon a series of notable triumphs At Belmont Park June 5 he won a mile purse race in 139 and defeated Com Tassel Hand Grenade and two lesser lights Then came his first highclass victory This was achieved in the longfamous Suburban Handicap at a mile and a quarter for which the starters weights and order of the finish were Johren 110 pounds Hollister 113 Battle 107 Cudgel 133 Hendrie 115 and Spur 123 Rightfully the splendid Cudgel was the favorite and went to the post at 8 to 5 Spur was second choice at 3 to 1 and Johren was a 10 to 1 outsider in the betting But that did not prevent him from racing into the lead soon after the start and keeping his pride of place grandly he swept past the judges an easy winner by a length and a half in 206 with Hollister second and Battle third the latter defeating Cudgel by a head for third place It was long an article of faith that a threeyearold could not win the Suburban but Africander slew that illusion in 1903 and since then his example has been followed by Fitz Herbert in 10 Friar Bock in 1915 and now by Johren JohrenConfirming Confirming his having ripened into superb form he next won the Belmont Stakes at a mile and three eights in 220 War Cloud was an evenmoney favorite and when Johren won by two lengths War Clouds owner was so chagrined that he blamed jockey Loftus for his colts defeat and suspended him from riding until recently Cum Sah was a bad third and Lanius rgjj unplaced All carried 125 pounds Having an engagement in the valuable Lutonia Derby Johren was brought west and at Latonia June 22 won that race with all ease lie was an oddson favorite at 45 to 100 and running its mile and a half in 233 with 127 pounds up won under a pull hy two lengths with tin Kentucky Derby winner Ex ¬ terminator second and Freecutter third Three more started Then at Aqueduct July S he won a purse race at a mile and a sixteenth in 145 with 124 pounds up July 11 lie started in the Dwyer Stakes at a mile and an eighth and finished a bail third to War Cloud and Jack Han Jr It was a race of extraor ¬ dinary severity Jack Hare Jr ran the first mile in 135 then War Cloud nailed him and won by a length in 150 The two leaders carried 124 pounds to 127 on Joliren which was simply squarely beaten Klmendurf also ran ranDefeat Defeat was again Johrens portion in his next race but highly honorable defeat This was in the Travers Stakes of a mile and a quarter at Saratoga August 17 The starters were Sun Briar 120 pounds Johren and War Cloud 125 each and Exterminator 123 Sun Briar was the favorite at 11 to 10 and the winner by a short head from Johren in 203 with War Cloud six lengths away third On the basis of weight carried Johren was clearly the best horse in the race August 27 he won the Huron Handicap giving Hand Grenade eight pounds and an easy beating at a mile and threesixteenths in 157 and followed this by easily defeating Roamer a few days back for the Saratoga Cup at weightfornge The record and pedigree of the sterling colt are as follows Musket ToxophiliteMusket r J Toxophilite f Carbine JI I Daughter of i Knowsley b f Spearmint Clemonce Lord Lyou Maid of the Mint Coturnix Rotherhill or The Rover f Meddler Rusybody Hurly Burly MelHelter Pell Mell J Young Mel Helter Skelter J Makeshift j Makeshiftj Encore J Cymbal The Rover given
