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YOUNG STARS OF THE SARATOGA MEETING Man o War, Upset, Blazes and John P. Grier Discussed and Pedigreed in Detail by an Expert All Are Fine Colts Great Quality of the Champion By EXILE The best and most sporting moot ins ever brought off in Saratoga is now but a memory, anil what arc the lessons to be learned therefrom V First and foremost there is but one thin? that really counts in horse racing and that is breeding; also that the true sporting spirit is stronger than ever before. The desire to win is paramount, be the stakes large or small. All are striving to win races where the best are found in keen competition. The owners of the east aspire to see their colors borne to victory in hard fought contests, in races where the weights are up, over a distance of ground and for such success the best of breeding is absolutely essential. Another thing to be learned from :i summers outing at the Spa is that horsemen, and horsewomen, too, for that matter, are at once keen judges of individual horse excellence, as well as of blood lines. The lesson is, of course, obvious. Nothing, but the best will henceforward sutlice. It is therefore the province of the brooders of bloodstock the country over to so improve their holdings that when their annual output is placed on the Saratoga market they will command the respect and admiration of the equine connoisseurs there assembled. The value and worth of breeding is not nearly so -apparent in juvenile and sprint racing as in weight for age and distance events. Unprecedented values were made by the yearling offerings at Saratoga, but for what unless demand, as doubtless it -will be, is made for more weight for ago and distance racing? Often in past years have I been told there is little in breeding, but judging from recent race course results, as well as the results of the yearling sales, it would appear that the time is coining, nay, is at band, when the value of a pedigree will be-even still bettor understood. Great as the Saratoga meeting admittedly was, there can be no question of an overplus" of two-year-old racing, to the neglect of races hold over a distance of ground for the elders, such as a scale weight Saratoga St. Legcr, in which the best of those, three years of age, can be brought together on even terms over "the true St. Legor distance of one and three-quarters miles, to once and for all decide the now much vexed question of three-year-old supremacy. This is the end for which racing is primarily conducted. Last year I inclined to the opinion that Saratoga had shown us no really good juvenile, the this years winner of the Kentucky Derby not. yet having found his racing feet. From, what I -have seen of the race course performances of others of the three-year-old division I cannot bring myself to believe there i a really first-das colt among them. Purchase flattered, only to deceive. In the Cup neither Sir liurton nor Kternal was on view. The erratic Vindex is, I understand, hors do combat, and just how good is Thunderclap I am unable to guess, but he is an improving sort, sound and game, and I think an" approved stayer. Sly last years estimate of the capabilities of those then two years of age has worked out fairly ivell. May I, therefore, be permitted to go on record as saying that the form displayed by this years crop of juveniles is infinitely superior to the form shown by the two-year-olds of a twelve mouth agone. Perhaps a study of the blood lines of a few of the Saratoga racing stars may not prove uninteresting. Here is the pedigree of the best two-year-old Man o War I have ever seen race in this country; perhaps the best colt it has been my fortune to ever see race. .a,1M,rI.f Australian 11 West Australian 7 SI Spendthrift J Emilia 11 E I Aerolite . ... J Lexington 12 II I tFlorine II , ISuin or j King Tom 3 E Cinderella J Tomahawk ..31 Mincemeat 3 II a .. I Manna J Brown It read 10 E 5 s 1 lartlet 21 E , , . Doncaster 5 J Stoekwoll 3 E i f Bend 0r 1 1 Marigold 5 E 2iS . j Rouge Rose ...... i Thormanby 4 II u l Fairy Gold. 9 -j Ellen Horno 1 E "3 I Galliard 13 J , Oalopin 3 E Slasliam ... J 1 s . L Dame. Mavis i 13 n ? 5 I Pauline i Hermit 5 E . . - I Lady Masham : 9 M Springfield ....12..J St. Albans 2 E a f Sainfoin 2 1 Viridis 12 E fe Sf- , : . . Sanda j Wenlock .4 E 3 f Kuck baud. 4 J Sandal 2 E St. Simon .....11 Oalopin 3 E 2 I Roquebrunc J St. Angela 11 E -2 St. Marguerite ... j Hermit 5 E ja "5 Devotion 4 E jj Hampton 10 j Lord Clifden 2 E 5 f McT" WinP- 00 J " I Lady Langden 10 E tou Doll Tearsheet ... J ltroomielaw 10 E I Slerry Token 4 - 1 Mrs. Quickly 22 E I ... , 1 Slacgregor 4 j Macaroni , 14. II Mizpali : J Necklace 4 II j Daughter of J Underhand 43 E The Slayers Daughter 4 II Imported. fNo family number. No less than four times did Fair Plays best son face the starter during the Saratoga mooting. On three of these did he come forth triumphant. His only defeat was brought about for the most part by singularly injudicious riding on the part of his jockey, but the big chestnut quickly retrieved his lost laurels when he fairly smothered his erstwhile conqueror Upset in the running of the Grand Union and beat him again all ends up in the Hopeful. A splendid big colt is Man o War, close on to sixteen hands; in lineaments and coloring much like his sire. Fair Play. Not u bulky, thick set colt by any means, any amount of room for improvement from two to three, his long and elastic muscles, running well down into his hocks and knees, pronounced by critics a bit on the leg. but the best of the colts I have seen were fashioned on this order; just a bit of self will about him, a rare handful at the post as he lunges for the start, but once away he at once settles down to racing, swooping aside all opposition in uncompromising style. Nothing can live the pace he sets as the homestretch is reached, that far-reaching, space-devouring stride of his, a marvel to behold. Constantly and continually I hear it stated there is little in breeding. I, however, prefer to believe otherwise and for a number of years past have been a strong advocate of a proper blending of the three lines of Herod, Matchem and Eclipse und of the outcross plan of mating, and I win, that is all. Is not Man o Wars breeding pretty conclusive evidence of this? In the back row of Man o Wars pedigree there appear the initials II. M. and E.. showing the lines from which his various ancestors are descended. It will at once be seen that he is of Matchem descent in the male line and that Rock Sand, sire of his dam, Mahubah, is Eclipse and that Herod blood is brought prominently into play by way of Lexington, Gleneoe, Thormanby, Cain and by throe shots of Sweetmeat, twice through the best brod . mare sire there ever was, his son Macaroni. FAIR PLAY AND HIS FINE MOTHER. Ever have I been a friend of Fair Play, always anticipating his sending forth something of the class of Man o War. Years ag n the day his dam, Fairy Gold, arrived at Mr. Itolnionts Nursery Stud, I made prediction of her unqualified success as a brood mare and see no reason to regret my temerity. Prior to the advent of Man o War, Fair Play was the main connecting link between imported Australian and the present and this a Matchem lino which lives practically only in the United States. Right here another prediction: in days to come turfmen and breeders, the world over, will seek the blood of Australian as best exemplified by his descendants, father and son. Fair Play and Sinn o AVar. Fairy Gold introduces into the pedigree the splendid Itend Or strain, so successful at all points of the sport, as sires, as race horses and as brood mares. This but the logical outcome of a blending of the Eclipse line of Stockwell and the famous Herod, brood mare blood, of the Derby winner Thormanby. The nervous and fretful Galliard, attaineiTto much fame as a sire, after being sent to France, which was to be anticipated, for was he not by Galopin Mavis, by Macaroni; Pauline, granddam of Fairy Gold, is by Hermit, and without the introduction of Hermits name a modern nedigree is hardly complete. Next in order comes another dash of Matchem, by way of Itrother to Strafford, grandson of Melbourne and Fair Play, the all-conquering Maid of Masham line, from which come such equine celebrities as Omar Khay-yiiiii, Svsonbv. Friar Rock, Cyllene, Peter, Timothy, Winkfields Pride, etc. Mahubah, dam of Man o AVar, is the daughter of the Triple Crown winner Rock Sand, whoso daughters are proving themselves so phenomenally successful as brood marcs. Since last I made up the winning brood mare sire list Rock Sand has moved up into second place, only just astern of the leader, Hanover, and Rock Sand, too, on account of his strains of AVcnlock, St Simon, King Tom and Hermit, is bred to attain success as a brood mare sire. Merry Token, which follows, is a daughter of the Derby winner Merry Hampton, son of Hampton, whicii you may remember, besides getting three winners of the Derby, also got Perdita, dam of Persimmon. Merry Hamptons dam is Doll Tear-sheet, by ltroomielaw, whose dam was Queen Mary, the immortnl. Mizpali, the next dam, is a daughter of the Two Thousand Guineas winner Macgregor. son of Macaroni, thus returning this most valuable Ilerod strain to the Macaroni of Mavis, dam of Galliard. Underhand, sire of the unnamed mare which produced Mizpali. is a member of the extreme outside family No. 43. Underhand himself is described as small, carried his head high and could stay well under heavy weights, winning the Northumberland Plate twice and the Great Ebor Handicap." So runs the pedigree to The Slayers Daughter, by Cain, also of the Herod persuasion and sire of Ion, whose name figures so prominently in the makeup of many famous horses, notably St. Simon, and which scored such a big success as a sire after his expatriation to France. Maii o AArar is a member of the Itruce Lowe No. 4 family and goes, back by way of Harriet, by Stripling, half sister to Bob in Bonnet, Lunacy and Lunatic, to which latter trace such famous horses as Prestige, Kisber, AVenlock, AVillonyx and Apology. From the Harriet by Stripling branch nothing, so far as I am aware, of superlative excellence has come, but the family is only an exceedingly small one. I dont suppose there are more than three or four mares to be found tracing to Mizpali in all . the English Stud Itook. Mizpali herself, as perhaps you know, is the dam of Tanz-meister, sire of Chcrryola, dam of Purchase. AVhat of Man o AVars prospects of developing into a sire of note? Despite the fact that no truly great sire has come to light from this particular line, I should have no hesitancy in giving the most recent winner of the Hopeful every chance. For one thing, his conformation suggests success in this particular. The frame is there on which to build. You wont know him when he spreads and here the blood of Australian aiid Itrother to Strafford for the house of Matchem, in addition to strains of Herod, via Ixxington, Gleneoe, Thormanby, Macaroni twice, backed by the best of Eclipse strains, through Itend Or, Galliard, Hermit twice, Springfield, St. Simon and Hampton. Indeed, the coming of Man o AAar is most fortunate, for now there is but scant chance of this Australian-Match-cm line being swept aside. Man o AVar, despite his one defeat, stands out by himself, no matter the result of the running of the Futurity, as the one best colt seen, in many a long day, in this country.. Colts that would be considered phenomenal in other years are put quite in the shade by the superlative excellence of the chestnut son of Fair Play Mahubah. To Upset, however, belongs the credit of once having lowered the colors floating from the masthead of the equine Man o War. Upsets victory was achieved in the running of the Sanford Memorial and, when in receipt of fifteen pounds, had a long necks advantage at the finish, but in the running of the Grand Union lie could make no sort of impression on the champion and was beaten out of a place when ho essayed to stem the tide of the avalanche in the running of the Hopeful. WHISK BROOM II.S STERLING SON UPSET. A sturdy, full-made colt with his full share of temper is Upset, three white legs, the off fore almost to the kneo, never a star and a big advertisement for his young and coming sire, AVhisk Itroom II., which is now but twelve years of age, and which, after meeting with more than ordinary success when racing in England, so electrified turf devotees upon his return by carrying off all three of the major eastern handicaps and has the distinction of running his mile and a quarter in two minutes. AVhisk Itroom II. gives every promise of attaining to great eminence as a sire and is already this season out with four winning two-year-olds in Upset, Leviathan, Rod Red Rose and John P. irier. AVhisk Itroom II. is, of course, of Itonuie Scotland descent. It was , AValter Hopkins, at Saratoga, who first called my attention to the fact that three generations of tho Ronnie Scotland line are this season sires of winning two-year-olds. They are Hen Itrush, his sons Itroomstick, Sweep, TJioo. Cook and Aron Tromp. and grandsons AAliisk Itroom II., Ituckhorn, Meridian and Sweeper II. Truly a remarkable record, one showing how well adapted are the members of the Ronnie Scotland line to the racing requirements of this country. Happy then the man who is possessed of an entire son of this great winner getting line. Upsets sire is, of course, by Itroomstick, dam the Oaks mare Audience, a daughter of Sir Dixon and that fine race mare Sallie McClelland, by Hindoo. AVhisk Itroom II. is a member of the famous producing line of Maggie 15. 15. Not so long ago I saw tliis Maggie 15. P.. family referred to as an American family. Of course it is not, for Maggie It. It.s ancestress. Myrtle, was imported from England by Messrs. II. and J. Kirkman of Nashville. Tonn., in 1830. Groat as has been the success of this family as a winner producing line, to date only one really first-class sire, Sir Dixon, lias come to light, but as a winner producing line it is unsurpassed, possililyon account of the Herod and Matchem strains, introduced by way of Hindoo, Itoston, Gleneoe, Slameluke and Itobadil, . backed by the Matchem leaven of. Australian and Sorcerer. If anything, the pedigree of AVhisk Itroom II. shows a certain deficiency in the blood of Matchem, and if this bo supplied, now that he has shown ability to .transmit much -of his wondrous flight of speed, his success as a sire will be increasing and assured. Upsets dam, Pankhurst, is a daughter of the ill-tempered when in training though fleet Aoter, which is doing so well just now as a brood mare sire. This was to be expected, for he is a grandson of that famous brood mare sire Hermit and his dam, Mavourneen, by the Matchem sire, Bar-caldine, which sired the dams of Sain, of the Grand Prix and French Derby winner Perth, of that good French race horse and sire Siacdouald and the Australian champion, Malster. Did I say required the blood of Slatchem close up in Lis mates? Well, hero it is in Aotcrs dam, Mavourneen. Runaway Girl, herself a good winner and producer, is a daughter of the largest money earner of the American turf, Domino, and the great granddnin Fair Aision, dam-of Peter Quince and Trance and sister to those exceptionally fast horses Necromancer and Juggler. This is the Forget Me Not branch of the No. Old Aintner mare family. No really great horses in recent years, bar Dark Ronald, are to be found straining to Forget Me Not, yet hosts of winners come; the soil is fertile but not lavish in the production of the best. S Bramble 9 J Bonnie Scotland :i0 E v-,, Ar w i Ben Lrush ...SIA -j f ivy Leaf 9 M I Roscville j Reform . 14 E TIOn Albia, M. A;. E j Galliard ..13 j Galopin 3 E ,p.f EIf I Mavis 13 ir r s J I SylvabelIe J Itend Or 1 E I o 5 i fit. Editha ...It! H . I5illcU J Aoltigour h 2 U E 3 J- f Sr Dixon 4 J - j Calcutta 2 E J "3 Audience ... 4J I Jaconet 1 Leamington 14 E 5 r 1 chestnut 1900 1 , Maggie B. It 4 M o g t ., . , Hindoo 21 - Airgil ;o H 5 I bailie McClelland., -j . I Florence i4 it H J I Red and Blue....; j Alarm 15 k j , .. 1 Maggie It. 15. 4 M gs r Fnars Baisam.. 2 I R f Voter ..... ll 1 lower of Dorset.. J Itreadalbane 10E S chestnut 1S94 , Itarcaldine Z S rt I Slavournccn ...... J Itallyroe IMSk t; I Gaydeno I Albert Victor ..13 E I V. ... Flora Sfaedonald 1 E .. . Himjar 2 1 Umn 1- i g o f Domino 23 J "j 7,." " h 3. 0 jMannieGray f EnquirVi" V. V ".V." V. L Ulrl J1 1 Lizzie G -23 II chestnut 1S97 1 Touchet .. 14 j Lord Lvoif 1 e I I alr lsIon 1 Lady Audley 14 II j Enchantress .... 9 Scottish Chief 12 E .,.,.., t Lady Love 9 E Imported. fNo family number. Another son of AAliisk Broom II.. John P. Grier, impressed me, and which, when he learns better the busines of racing, is, I think, a colt the equal of any shown by trainer James Rowo this year. Only once did John P. Grier face the starter at Saratoga, but it must have pleased his trainer, for lie was sent out a warm favorite in a field of twelve, but the best he could do was, after running green, to finish second. The colt did not seem to at all realize what was expected of him, for, after leaving the barrier and for a space running for-wardly, he suddenly dropped out Of it, only to come 011 again like lightning" in the stretch and at the end was rapidly overhauling Peace Pennant, the leader. On journeying to Belmont the son of AVhisk Broom was again made favorite and this time landed the spoils, though only after he had again shown that his racing education was still far from complete. i Bramble 9 J Bonnie Scotland 10 E i. ir nr Ben Brush.. M.W. iVy Leaf 9M I Roscville J Reform ..14 k n Albi:l 13 E 13 3 g - I Sylvabclle J Bend Or 1 e 2 s " St. Editha 1G H A t. -5 j BilIct 2 J Aoltigeur 2 E Jh Sir Dixon 4 -j i Calcutta 2 E r-i -2 -g Audience ... 4j .Jaconet Leamington 14 E 1 Slaggie B. It 4 M n chestnut chestnut UOO IHW , IS w .Sa,lie Mc01el. Hindoo 24 j Airgil 0 H g g I- land 4 j I Florence 24 II tS , t Red and Blue 5 Alarm in e - 1 I Maggie B. B 4 M I , I" Domino .23 J Uimyar " 2 I mran. . .".." .. ..."..".".. .J1! II 55 rDisguisc"-. ..10 J ",". Mannic Gray J tEnquirer E " g J 2 brown 1897 1 , G -3 H r.llnnin g GalPm 3J Aedette la E " m " L Bonnio lj0nmo Gil ual -10 10 S I Flying Duchess 3 II "3 o i 1 Bonny Doon J Rapid Rhone 8 M. 2 j Queen Mary 10 H o , r t , Friars Balsam. 2 j Hermit 5 E Votcc ! f M I Flower of Dorset .... 2 E "3 Curiosity ...8 Mavourneen J Barcaldine 23 M chestnut 1903 , Vomino ffl ;;;;;;;;;;;;;; h g L 1 lnk Domino. . . 8 J "j Mannic Gray 23 E I Belle Rose J Itoandosert 2 E ... . , ... , .. Monte Rosa 8 E Imported. t?o family number. Honesty of purpose and a willingness to give the best that is in him are the outstanding characteristics of the hard, flinty, medium-size, fit, brown son of AVrack and Blazing Star, Blazes. On his first appearance in Saratoga Blazes was beaten, though coining like a steam engine at the finish, by Evergay and Masked Dancer. On the following AVodnesday he was racing once more, this time against only a moderate lot of youngsters, the bookmakers considerately laying the seductive price of 2 to 1 against his winning chance. Blazes, of course, won, fairly squandering his opponents by a good lifteon lengths. On August 12 Itlazes flow at higher game, lint continued his winning career, beating Sandy Beat and Grayssian over the live and one-half furlongs course witli all ease by four lengths., Next came his Grab Bag Handicap victory over Cleopatra, since runner-up to Man o AVar for the Hopeful and winner of the Itelniont Champagne. In the running of tho Grand Union Blazes essayed the hopeless task of defeating the champion Man o War, by which he was relegated into third place, being also astern of Unset. It was not, however, due to any lack of determination that caused the downfall of Itlazes, for ho is a good, dependable colt and his non-success in this instance was due entirely to the superior class of those which finished ahead "of him. AVrack, sire of Itlazos, was in his home land the handy man of the race course, not of the- top class, but good at all points of the sport; could run both fast and far and also well negotiate obstacles. Not a large horse is AVrack, but a sound and true made one, by the City and Suburban and Duke of York Stakes winner Robert le-Diablo, son of Ayrshire and Rosebay, by Melton. AVrack is a John P. Griers dam is a nine-year-old daughter of the handsome Disguise, which is no particular success as the sire of race horses. His daughters, however, 011 account of their speed and Uimyar, Galopin, Young Melbourne and Queen Mary infusions, should prove of great use as brood mares. Wonder is a half sister to the Futurity winner Novelty; 111 fact, this is the Futurity family of Maskette, bweep, Novelty and Pennant. Curiosity is by Aoter. whoso daughters as the dams of Novelty, Campfire, Flags. Upset, Kilkennv, Panoplv, etc., are now so rapidly taking high rank as brood mares, and the next dam is Pink Domino, bv Domino. Docs the double dash of the blood of "Domino 111 this instance, too, indicate inability to stay and is this the only weak point in the makeup of John P. Grier? member of the Ellen Home branch of the No. 1 family, from which come such as the One Thousand Giiineus winner Chelaiidry. dam of Neil Gow Two Thousand Guineas and Traquair, Lord Lvon, Bend Or, Ladas, Flair and Prince Palatine. Blazing Star is a fourteen-year-old daughter of Star Shoot, whose daughters are, as the dams of Star Jasmine, Thunderclap, The Finn, etc., achieving such notable success as brood marcs. Alarm Belle, the granddam, is by the Matchem horse Spendthrift, from Uncles dam. The Niece, by Alarm, all good brood mare blood this, and it is the No. 4 Layton Barb mare family. AArack with his six winning two-voar-olds Blue AVrack. Hat Rack, AVho Cares. Bullsoye and Itlazes three of thorn from laughters of Star Shoot, is making a famous start as a sire, and if a little intelligence is used in his mating may soon go higher still. AVrack, it may be observed from a glance at the back row of his pedigree, is somewhat deficient in Herod and Matchem Mood, especially the latter. Of course there is nothinf; in the blending of the blood plan of mating, but how comes it that the best of the AV racks to date, Blazes, shows an abundant close up Ripply of Matchem strains in his pedigree brought by the way of Stella, granddam of Star Shoot, .Spendthrift, sire of Alarm Itelle and Australian, again through Maggie It. It.? AVrack is just the sort of horse which would have scored a huge success off those big, angular daughters of Darcbiu it is loo late now for this but others of a like breeding can lie found, and if this be done nothing is more unlikely than that AVrack will soon advance himself to the head of the poll and lie sending out horses capable of running any distance from five-eighths to five miles and every quarter in twenty-three seconds. j Hampton 10-1 J"1 CMm 2 E f Ayrshire S , 1 I f Lady Langden 10 E Robert le j Atalanta ...... J Galopin 3" E f Diablo ... 1-J I Feronia 8 II bay 1897 Slelton s Master Kildaro 3 E h o Uosc Bay lolet Melrose 8 E w j Rose of Lancaster, j Doncaster 5 E r rt Bouge Rose 1 II -I , . , j. - -- Isonomy 19 j Sterling ....12 E 3 4 f Isinglass .. 3 J 1 Isola Bella 19 E . . Deadlock J Wenlock 4 E ! ! I Samphire ... 1 j ? Malpractice 3E x - uaj I902 Goldfinch 4 J Ormonde 10 E g Chelandry J I Thistle 4 E N j Illuminata j Rosicrucian 5 E I Paraffin 1 E g S , Isonomy 19 J Sterling 12 E R- f Isinglass 3J I Isola Bella 19 E o- I Iea1 Lock $ AVenlock 4 . E , 0, 0 I st!ir Shoot. 9 i C , f Malpractice 3 fi o chestnut 189S , Hermit 5 I Newininstor S E 2 U Astrology J Seclusion 5 II Stella itrother to Strafford... S M I 5 j I Gilberts dam 9 E Sf5 Australian 11 J AVest Australian 7 SI go f ISpendthrift ..... J I Emilia 11 E 2z . , I Aerolite J Lexington 12 H K I Alarm Belle. 4 J "j Florence H chestnut 1SS7 I " 1 Alarm 15 j Eclipse I E The Niece J I Maud 15 E j Jaconet J Leamington 14 E 1 Maggie B. B 4 M Imported. fNo family number.
