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GEORGE SMITHS RETIREMENT John Sanfords Crack Handicap Horse Goes to the Stud Is Magnificent Specimen of Thor ¬ oughbred His Enviable Turf Record NEW YORK December 12 Mr John Sanfords decision to retire his valuable race horse George Smith lo the stud while at the pinnacle of his career came as a surprise to many of his friends and horsemen generally this being the horse ex ¬ pected to top the handicap division during the racing season of 1919 But Mr Sanford has his own ideas in such matters and as much as he likes to see his horses win races especially stakes of the greater importance lie still has greater regard for the future of the turf than its present In speak ¬ ing of the retirement of George Smith Mr San ford says Far better to my thinking is the retirement of a good horse while in perfect health and condition than to train and race him until age and exertion uses lip his vitality when it could be put to so much better use for the future genera ¬ tions by retirement George Smith goes into the stud unblemished He is a magnificent specimen of the thoroughbred absolutely sound and taking with him an enviable record I am fond of the horse and delight in watching him race but am fully convinced that he will be of more farreach ¬ ing benefit to the American turf in tha stud than if he were kept in constant training until much of his producing vitality was exhausted exhaustedGeorge George Smith was bred by Fred Forsythe his sir being the English Out of Reach now dead ilam Consuclo II AM a yearling he was liought by Ed ¬ ward McBride for a sum renorted to be 1800 He raced in the McBride colorsas a twoyearold until near the close of the Laurel meeting of 1915 when Mr Sanford purchased him for 21000 During his twoyearold career he won nine racerf but of twelve starts The following year he started off by win ¬ ning the Kentucky Derby at Louisville beating the English colt Star Hawk which Mr A K Macomber hud especially prepared for the event Since that Vfntflii day George Smith has won many valuable stakes At Jamaica he broke the track record for i mile aid a sixteenth hanging out a mark of li5 which still stands In the opinion of Mr Preston Jurch who so ably conducted the training and management of George Smith since he became th property of Mr Sanford the Bowie achievement this year stands nreeminent In that race he beat Omar Khayyam and Exterminator two Ken ¬ tucky Derby winners over a mile and a half course covering the distance in 231 with 130 pounds in tie saddle saddleHIS HIS GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT ACHIEVEMENTThis This says Mr Iturch in my opinion was one of the most creditable if not the most creditable performances of any horse over that distance in this country Not only did lie win but in beating Omar Khayyam and Extermi ¬ nator he showed superiority over horses which had established themselves as high class This victory brought hi winnings for the year to more than SIS 000 The feature of the Bowie was the fact that as a fiveyearold he beat Omar Khayyam a fouryearold and Exterminator a threeyearohl Kentucky Derby winner in 1 17 and 1918 respec ¬ tive v while George Smith won the Derby in llllfi Tlure was much merit in tho performance George Sinitli has every qualification for a stallion not mlv in conformation but he has displayed phe ¬ nomenal speed in short races and demonstrated without dispute the fact that he can stay a long route by winning the Bowie in such remarkable time with 130 pounds on his back This proves con luslvely his weight carrying qualifications His erbv victory as a threeyearold was meritorious when he covered the route of a mile and a quarter in 201 In his first effort as a twoyearold he hung up the Havre de Grace record for a half mile Subsequently he showed to be both a sprinter and a stayer by winning the Edgemere Handicap at a mile and an eighth and again the Excelsior Handi ¬ cap iu the latter beating that sterling gelding Roamer which carried 120 pounds to George Smiths 117 I would have liked to continue racing him for I believe greater honors were ia store for him Iiut Mr Sanford believes lie will be a greater ac ¬ quisition to the turf by giving him stud opportuni ¬ ties in his young and healthful years He will never be trained again his retirement being per ¬ manent manentThere There have been rumors that Mr Sanford might turn his attention to France now the war is over For the present the master of the Hurrieana Farm lias no such plans in fact he has decided to breed his twentythree mares now in France to the most desirable stallions and ship their foals to this country Mr Sanford still has Voter in his French establishment but he has been retired permanently on account of age hence his determination to take all his mares to outstanding French and English stallions His dozen or more mares now in Ken ¬ tucky will go to George Smith as will a few other selected mares so as to give him the best oppor ¬ tunities to perpetuate his exceptionally blue blood and racing qualities
