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LOST ONE OF BEST FRIENDS Death of W. K. Vanderbilt Deprives Racing of an Influence Exerted Here as Well as in France. BY C. J. FITZ GERALD. NEW YORK, N. Y., September, 4. When William K. Vanderbilt died racing lost one of its best friends, and while the bulk of his activities in connection with the turf were in France, the influence he exerted on the sport was felt in the United States through his contact with his fellow members of The Jockey Club and others actively engaged in the breeding and development of the thoroughbred. Mr. randerbilt was among the first Americans to give the French an opportunity of seeing tiie type of thoroughbred the United States was producing, and the American strains of blood imported by him had a great part in the phenomenal successes achieved by animals bred at Haras du Quesnay. For many years the Aanderbilt horses won more money than those of any other owner, and the greatest classics of the French turf were among the achievements that helptfd to make his horses one of the chiefest sources of pleasure to this sportsman who was least understood by the masses in his own country. Mr. Aanderbilt gave to the development of his racing stable that same clarity of vision which made his Judgment in business affairs almost uncanny, jind he was proud of the fact that many of his best horses had good stout old-fashioned strains of American blood in their pedigrees. One of his earliest American favorites was the black horse Halma, a son of Hanover and Julia L., by Longfellow. This horse cost 0,000, and viewed by foreign standards his pedigree was not fashionable. He was descended, however, from families which had done things on the race track, arid Mr. Aanderbilt had faith in hini. Halma sired Oversight, a winner of 632,160 francs for Mr. Vanderbilt, from a daughter of Isinglass. Oversight has in turn won distinction as n sire, while American mares by Disguise, Luke Blackburn. Bramble, Ben Brush, Rayon dOr, Commando, Mortemer, Himyap and other sires have together with their daughters produced innumerable winners in the white and black colors, which have long been popular at all the prominent French courses. Few of those who saw Mr. Aanderbilt at intervals on American race courses knew of the distaste he had for display. His greatest pleasure came in the companionship of a few close friends -with whom he viewed the horses in thf! paddocks. He was a keen student of pedigrees and had an eye for a good horse. His delight at inspecting Hourless for the first time was evident. He had owned and raced Negofol. the colts sire, and was eager to see the first of his get to be brought to this country. The brown whirlwind was making his first start. Major Belmont thought he had a good colt, arid Sam Hildreth, silent as an Indian, was adjusting the saddle when Mr. Aanderbilt and his party came along. His analysis of the colt was critical and accurate as he prophesied success for him, saying among other things, "A better looking horse than his sire at the same age. He must run with his breeding and conformation, and afterwards he ought to succeed in the stud." In the early days of racing around New York the bulk of the officials were chosen from the ranks of gentleman sportsmen. They started the horses, timed the races and sirved as judges. During the early days of the Coney Island Jockey Club, of which Mr. Aanderbilt was the chief stockholder, he was frequently seen in the timers stand and his name appears as an official in old volumes of u:e Spirit of the Times,
