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ABOUT NEGOFOL AND OTHERS His Value to Our Breeding Dependent on His Ability to Sire Stayers Lessons from Other Importations. E-i LT. J . BY SALVATOR. One of tlio most interesting of the recent contributions of "Exile" to Daily Racing Form was that in. which he presented the tabulated pedigree of Negofol. with accompanying comment. It was particularly interesting to me because of what "Exile" took care to stress namely, the fact that Negofol "comes from a great staying line." If I may venture the opinion, it is such horses as this that we need in America more than any others and that France, rather than England, seems just nt present a better place from which to import them. I do not mention Australia, because, while we concede the piowess of the Antipodean thoroughbred as a stayer and weight-carrier, our traffic with those far lands is so infrequent and uncertain that it scarcely enters into the equation. Our breeders almost invariably revert to Europe for stallions and mares, and seldom, indeed, have made any requisition from the "under side of the world." Perhaps if they did this oftener they would be doing well. Neither Darebin nor Sir Slodred appeared to achieve the success for which the late J. B. ilaggin hoped when he brought them to Rancho del Paso, now over thirty years ago. Sir Mod red did the better as a sire of winners and one at least of his get occupies a place upon that ultra-select list of Americas winners of 00,000 or more Tournament, with 07,407 to his credit. There was nlso Dr. Hasbrouck, one of the most brilliant sprinters of his day the early nineties. Both these licrses came from the same maternal family, the third dam of each being Magnetta, by Mahomet; next dam old Minerva Anderson, so famous as a mr.tron back in the fifties and sixties; next dam by Sir Charles; and next and, oh horrors! LAST dam, "a famous quarter mare by Besss Brimmer." Mr. Haggin had scads and oodles of royally bred matrons at Rancho del Paso, "pur sang" to the ultimate degree but from none of them did Mr Modred beget any such runners as those whicli came from this shortest of all the fijiort-pedigraed native families. One can imagine how any well-regulated "pur sang" breeder would turn sliudderingly away from the Minerva Anderson tribe and such other mongrel scions of the "tall and uncut." Yet on many notable occasions did Tournament and Dr. Hasbrouck show a distant pair of heels to struggling sprigs of "pur sang" that finished far up the track behind them. Tournament, the best son of Sir Modreds, was a son of Plaything, by Alarm, and here enters a curious sequence of facts. Darebin, which accompanied Sir Modred from the Antipodes to California, never sired either a Tournament or a Dr. Hasbrouck. But he did beget a daughter named Emma C, that was a rather indifferent performer, but which, when mated with Domino, a sou of Hlmyar. he a son of that same sire Alarm, pro- diiced Commando, undoubtedly the most extraordinary progenitor, his early death considered, that America has ever seen. This it will be observed when the blood of Alarm was blended with that of Sir Modred and Darebin; in each instance it produced remarkable results. Perhaps there is no particular "lesson" in this, but it is something that cannot but make the student of blood combinations pause and ponder. SPRINTERS NOT STAYERS. Another curious thing is this that while Sir Modred and Darebin were both renowned at home as cup winners, in this country their blood has been most prominent in the pedigrees of horses of, on the whole, a different description. To be sure, Sir Modreds son Tournament could get over a good blt of ground he was a Realization winner but his class "for what he could do" was not so high nB that of the sprinter Dr. Hasbrouck. While, as we all know, it is intense speed, above all things, that marks the Commando tribe. The ability to run fast, rather than to stay far, has always marked, this line, with some exceptions, and it goes back, of course, generations beyond Commando and, most particularly to his grandsire, Himyar, son of Alarm, and to Alarm himself. When the blood of Darebin was crossed in it did nothing in particular to alter this. Returning to Negofol "Exile" calls attention to the fact that his granddam Xebuleuse is by Manoel, a son of Flageolet, the sire of Rayon dOr. Continuing, I may note that the fourth dam, Navarre, is by Ventre St. Gris "Ventre St. Oris" was the battle cry of Henry of Navarre, he of the white plume, son of Gladiator, and the fiftli dam, Noelle, by The Baron; and that it was Fitz-Gladiator, son of Gladiator, that sired Compeigne, the sire of Mortemer, while the dam of Mortemer was Comtesse, by The Baron or Nuncio. Now, Rayon dOr and Mortemer were the only two first-class French horses that ever came to America and stayed here. We had Adam for a couple of seasons only and, under inauspicious circumstances, and it is open to question if Adam, good horse as he was, was anything like so good as were Rayon dOr or Mortemer. Remember, that Mortemer took up 151 pounds and won the Prix les Paviliions at two miles, beating among others Dutch Skater, which carried ouly 128.- As for Rayon dOr, his capacities as a long-distance performer were extraordinary. It. is therefore fortunate that, seeing each of them nchieved sucli success at the stud in this country, so much of their blood should be returned to us through Negofol, which horse, as "Exile" clearly defines, is otherwise bred to stay "till the cows come home," could and did stay, and has shown his ability to sire stayers. CURIOUS FATE OF THE ST. SIMONS. The only thing about him to cause doubts is his St. Simon top-line. It seems indeed strange t find oneself making such a remark. But the curious lack of success that has attended the St. Simons in America, together with the fact that the family, with the sole exception of the Desmond branch, seems to be rapidly fading away in England, prompts the thought. A decade ago it would have been accounted heresy or high treason, or both, to utter such a sentiment, for at that time it was the idea that he St. Simon top-line was desiued to submerge all others. The way in which it has petered oufis one of those strange phases of breeding that baffle the experts. It would look now as if St. Simon was fated, in the final audit, to occupy a position in history somewhat analogous to that of Lexington in America a phenomenal sire of winners that failed to found a correspondingly great family in the male line and whoso blood is most valuable as a collateral element. .Now of course we know why Lexington occupies this position. All the experts have told us iu the most convincing way. It was because of his lack of "pur sang" and "figures." There was the fatal flaw that doomed him. But St. Simon lias "pur sang" to disseminate among the heathen rind figures enough to sink a ship. What then? Well, let the experts come across witli the explanation. As for mo, it is my sneaking idea that there was iu him, and is in Jtis family, a tendency to washiness and overplus of nerve-force that has proved a source of weakness to progenitorship in successive generations. The tribe has not had the bulk and brawn and mental balance that, as a rule, distinguish those of the greatest family builders. In this respect it has not shown to the same advantage as that of Bend Or, which seems to possess loss glitter but more substance. Or so, at least, it appears to me. Ten years from now it will be both interesting and instructive to compare the results, in so far as the enrichment of Americas thoroughbred resources is concerned, of the careers of Negofol and Prince Palatine, which is being brought to our shores along with him by Mr. Edward Simms. The Prince is also a St. Simon horse in male line. Which will do most for us? It is to be hoped that both will "live long and prosper." Prince Palatine will probably be the more popular of the two but will he prove,. the better?
