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TWO CUBAN DEVELOPMENTS Mess Kit is Extremely Small but All Race Horse Baladin Changed From a Seem ¬ ingly Hopeless Case to a Fine Handicap Racer HAVANA Cuba March I The histories of Moss Kit and Haladin both of which have been sensa ¬ tional performers in Cuba of Into is interesting Hotli were bred by Major August Polmont at his French stud and both wore sold for low prices as yearlings They showed the scarcity of feed during the war as they wore immature and in strong con ¬ trast with the other youngsters born in the Tinted Stites StitesMess Mess Kit by Tracery Moneta by Spearmint was so small when offered in the sales ring at Sara ¬ toga in August 1918 that he only made 40 and fill to the bid of A S Lilian of Kentucky who took his pony hoaie anil wintered him on blue grass and crushed oats lie grew a bit but was still a pony but a stoutly made one when he went to Cuba after Now Years in 1919 His owner carried along a photograph of the colt and when Orestes was performing well he showed the picture to a number of Cuban sportsmen and prophesied that his son of Tracery also needed only an opportunity to make good as Orestes had Mr John Sanford who bred him it will bo re ¬ membered sold Orestes as a twoyearold to eorge Foley for 1400 and when brought here the chestnut cuUimpruved u iuickly that Senor A II Diaz took him over at fJIOO Messrs Tolon and FornandozMorroll who race under the name of the Armonia Stable finally took an option on the Tracery Moneta colt now known as Mess Kit for SJOOO with the under ¬ standing that the deal would be closed if their trainer liked the colt when he went to Lexington at the close of the meeting there last spring Though he was small Carter found Mess Kit all horse and the deal was closed closedAfter After tin Saratoga meeting the Armonia horses spent six weeks at the Empire City course Mess Kit put on much muscle an I showed that he could run but ho was still not over 14 L hands high and his trainer was somewhat discouraged His speed in spots was remarkable all this time When he came here Carter declared that the diminutive son of Tracery could make his watch do fajiey stunts at time He invited the partners out to see a trial and Moss Kit put up such a ridiculous exhibition that they were inclined to laugh at Car ¬ ter The latter kept his counsel and started in into to tone the little fellow in earnest lie ca along rapidly and finally distinguished himself by outworking his stable companion Lackawanna a winner of some good races at two three and four years of age Mess Kit was thereupon put in races and performed so poorly that Carter was at his wits end A second essay was somewhat better but on another trial he relapsed into his old habits of following the others homo and finally the Annonia Stable folks delivered the ultimatum One more chance for that bird and if he doesnt make good its a threehundred dollar top and bottom seller for him himWhat What followed is history Moss Kit beat a crack band of sprinters readily in fast time and followed it up a week later by winning the Cuban American Handicap for threeyearolds at three quarters of a mile with Kit pounds up running the first quarter in and the half in 4 seconds He is now undergoing a preparation for the 10001 Cuba American Derby which will bo run on the closing day of the present meeting meetingMess Mess Kit is the smallest thoroughbred in training in this country and is perhaps as small a race horse as has appeared in many years but he has speed to burn and a stout back as ho races bos when under pressure lie is bred to stay and he will not lack for support in the Derby DerbyHOW HOW BALADIN WAS TOSSED ABOUT ABOUTIaladins Ialadins history is a remarkable illustration of tin uncertainties of racing This fiveyearold by egofol Dame Ieauty by Octagon Polla Donna by Hermit a sister to the great Peldame was most poor and unattractive when sold as a yearling to V A Walsh of Kentucky Mr Walsh brought him to Cuba when two years old but did not Mart him though ho worked the colt a quarter better than I seconds When pressure of his oil business called fin more of his timo Mr Walsh turned Paladin over to John S Ward The man vhii developed Dodge Franklin and other good horses found nothing attractive in Kaladin and passed him on to Jocoe loose who found throe quarters in 119 his limit When J J lloltman was laving for Cuba last autumn Paladin then a gel ¬ ding occupied a stall in his car He was poor and weedy when he came to Cuba but he had jumping conformation and attracted my attention and Holt man was told that the horse would make a per ¬ former through the field if given a chance but that the first thing to do Would be to build up the young horse and get him to take an interest in life He was one of the poorest horses on the track despite Holtmans best efforts and as a caretaker the exstarter is pretty good goodPaladin Paladin finally won a cheap race on a slow drying out course and one day lloltman chaffed FitzOorahl in the paddock saying as he put the boy up upVon Von darent make me an offer for him the purse if he wins to go to me meIll Ill give you throefifty was the reply replyKitaGerald KitaGerald had an open order from a northern friend to buy him anything that looked like a jumper jumperAfter After the race in which Italadin was unplaced the transfer was arranged and the northern gentle ¬ man notified of the purchase A few days brought a letter saying that he did not need the horse j and that if there was another purchaser he would let the chance pass There was an auction sale of horses in training a few days later and Jlaladin was consigned to it and at the sale Italadin was knocked down to II E Davis known the country over as Doc The price was U 5 and Davis at once set Continued on second page TWO CUBAN DEVELOPMENTS Continued from first page to work building the gelding up For nearly five weeks he didnt have a saddle on him nnd then he began to improve puttingon flesh and playing like i yearling He ran twice showing improvement each time and covering the ground in a way that ap ¬ pealed to those who like a good race horse Finally when he had raced himself into form he beat a fair band of platers in a canter coming from last place at the halfmile post to win pulling up Three other selling plate victories fol ¬ lowed in rapid succession and in the last of them he was timed the last threeeighths in 33 seconds He won that race iii a common canter and Davis who was uncertain as to the caliber of the gelding and was beginning to receive numerous offers for him determined to try him in a handicap He met the best of the handicap division Sunday March 7 iii the Carnival Handicap at one mile and a six ¬ teenth and beat Cromwell Buford Walnut Hall and others a mile and a sixteenth in 145 the last mile in 15S 15SAs As usual Baladin was last at the fiveeighths post but he put in a quarter in 24VC seconds at that point and running the next eighth in 11 found he was in front with his ears pricked and he won that way Although he liUi only 100 pounds up there is no saying just how good this Belmont castoff really is islie lie is a rakish but beautifully balanced light bay gelding hands and ew horses have a liner shoulder He has a long iieck beautifully placed and a neat head carried high till he gets into action when he drops it anil attends strictly to business Baladins hind quarters are powerful and are commencing to muscle in a way that spells power Ho js long from the pojlit of the hip to the hock Being by Ncgofoi the sire of Hotirless and from suci a dam the gelding is bred to do great things OH the flat or through the field Davis has turned down some good offers for Bnladin and says he intends taking him to his ranch in South Dakota and turning him out until September when lie will prepare him for a late fall and winter cam ¬ paign in Kentucky and Cuba Holtman lias hail to endure some goodnatured badinage for failing to find the key to Paladins speed but John Vard and Roscoe Goose aw both apt Horsemen aiid the secret would appear to be that Baladins heritage of speed aiid staying qualities are manifesting themselves as a result of the bodv building process JOiijj delayed
