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MOST PROMISING STABLE S. C. Hildreth Well Fortified for Racing Campaign of 1919. Particularly Strong in the Three -Year-Old Division All Wintering Splendidly. NEW YORK, X. Y.. January S. S. C. Hildreth will begin racing this year with a stable of fourteen horses, providing he does not purchase any two-year-olds before the season opens. Of the fourteen horses, one is the property of Major August Belmont, namely, the three-year-old Mad Hatter. This son of Fair Play was regarded as exceptionally promising last year, but proved a disappointment, looking back at the bodily characteristics of this colt, there .seems to be a good reason why he should not have been quick to come to hand last year. In the tirst place, the progeny of Pair Play never have been regarded as well calculated to come to form early. Then, Mad Hatter was a two-year-old of exceptional size, range, substance and general development. A colt of great bone and sinew, lie never had the look of a precocious youngster, and his early performances made it apparent that he was not. His long, sweeping stride would carry him along at a high rate of speed, but it took him some time to get into that great, powerful stride, and in two-year-old racing the cIt or tiily which is not a quick beginner must greatly outclass his or her rivals to be first at the linish line in a short sprint. This big fellow has .thickened and filled cjt materially since going into retirement, and he looks as if he ought to prove, a really good three-year-old. WUIe Mr. Hildreth has no two-year-olds in his stahle-tJds. rteinter,- heJsores to buy some ready-made col s for that racing before the season of 1919 .shall have been far advanced. "I think," he said, speaking on this subject recently, "that it pays better to let others experiment with untried youngsters and then pay them reasonably for their work than to try to uncover prizes among animals which have nothing better than breeding, conformation and useful engagements to recommend them. I have seen some big prices paid for yearlings which on conformation, breeding and performances of near relatives ought to be good ones, and yet I have seen such horses turn out absolutely worthless oftener than otherwise. "I have two three-year-olds now in my barn which illustrate what I am trying to say. Lord Brighton was a good colt early in the year, and he had acted like a really good colt during the winter; while on the other hand. Purchase did not show anything during the winter. As .1 result. Lord Brighton, which lias shown himself just a fair colt, now is in my stable with many splendid three-year-old engagements, while Purchase, which cost me more than double the price of Lord Brighton, iias none or next to none, and if he turns out as well as I hope to see him turn out this will be a serious handicap to him this year. Anyway, I wish I could hand Lord Brightons engagements over to Purchase." THINKS WELL OF PURCHASE. Incidentally it may be remarked that the owner of Purchase entertains an extremely high opinion of him. Indeed, lie appears to regard the lack of rich engagements as this colts only drawback, lie certainly is a splendid looking three-year-old, while his speed is said to lie little short of phenomenal. He appeared somewhat erratic last summer, even after he had given the racegoers one or two samples of racing calculated to evidence his capability;, but Hildreth says that lie has run kindly ever since he passed into his hands. This would indicate that he ought to be particularly dangerous among the three-year-olds of the coming season, as the speed he displayed toward the end of last year, notably in the Futurity, was little short of startling. Not only is he a colt showing fine size, range aiid substance, but his conformation is especially impressive, and there is something in his bearing and style that would seem to Indicate first-class racing "ability. In his own stable he is believed to be faster than Cirrus, that splendid sou of Tracery and Morningside. for which Mr. Hildreth paid the liandsome sum of 5,000. although not so considered bv the public in general. On the other hand, it must be borne in mind that Sam Hildreth is an extremely cool-headed horseman, and that the opinion of the trainer who has sent such horses as Priscillian, Novelty, Uncle, Fits Herbert and Hourless to the races is not to be lightly regarded. It also must be admitted that Purchase is a somewhat more impressive appearing col than Cirrus. He is considerably larger than Hie foreign-bred colt and is more sprightly in his bearing as he moves about in his box; but the bay lias certainly as good racing conformation as the chestnut, is more compactly put together, and conveys the impression of stoutness, simplicity of outline and the total absence of anything like unnecessary weight or waste material in his physical wake-up. In fact, it now looks as if Hildreth had :i strong hand in the three-year-old division for this year. Apart from the two topnotchers just referred to Lord Brighton and Out the "Way are a pair which should lie considered in estimating chances for the Hildreth stable in the three-year-old races of the coming year. Lord Brighton is looking remark -alily well and promising, and as he won six races out of seventeen starts always in good company he bids fair to cut an important figure in the three-year-ohl racing of 1919, especially in view of the "fact that he is well engaged. Out the Way is a rangy brown colt by Peter Pan Sweepaway, which wen two races out of five starts as a two-year-old. His make-up is not particularly impressive, but he has shown an exceptional turn of speed in some of his races and lie looks like one which might improve With age. Among the older horses Begal Lodge started eighteen times as a three-year-old, winning eight races, seven seconds and one third, and may lie counted on to lie a more than useful member of the stable. Alibi Is a good-looking colt by Tracery that was badly handicapped in his two-year-old form by trouble with his knees, but he has been Improving in this respect as he grew toward maturity. He started three times last summer, winning one race and finishing third once. Princcps, another in the four-year-old division of the Hildreth stable, is a fine-looking big chestnut colt by Fair Play St. Priscilia, being a brother to Strom-boll. This colt looks as if he ought to be a real race horse, but it appears that his constitution is not nil that could be wished and thus far he has not raced up to what had been expected of him. Lucullite, another Hildreth four-year-old, was among the great two-year-olds of 1917 and promised well last year, but raced disappointingly -and won only one race out of four starts. He appears to be growing and thickening nicely this winter. The well-known geldings Arrah Go On and Poacher complete Mr. llildreths rather strong collection of four-vear-olds. In the more matured divisions are the black horse Sunflash II., by Sunbright Nepthalia, which" won five races out of twelve starts in high-class company last year, and the veteran Stromboli, now an eight-year-old gelding, which did well in his few races last fall after being lame the greater part of the year.
