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GREA T AMERICAN RA CE HORSES ARE CONTEMPORANEOUS ED BRADLEYS PHILOSOPHY OF "LUCK IN CYCLES" SHOWN TO BE TRUE BY TURF HISTORY— MR. VOSBURGH CONSIDERS THE THREE-YEAR-OLDS I SINCE 1864 AS EXAMPLE By W. S. VOSBURGH "Surry vou had such poor hack ■ Ban to*a . Bomcbndj tobl xme ti tber da; t li.-i I yea hadnt won :i nice dining the past throe- IMUOM," I I Ml ;i ! k« 1 to Mr. V.. U. Bradley, Whom I ii;l]» i-li tl to inert at l.clmoiit Park iu. yean ago. "N ." he ;in mni. "Mj bones wen oat of form, 1 • 1 1 1 tics,- things always even themselves. My luck has always come in cycles, rood snd i »-» ! - Ive had at; cycles of had lack aad Ive had my cycles of food lack, lately Ive had ■ i-yek* of bad lack, bat my next cycle any be cue of food luck." Cycle: a revolution of a certain period of time, I began to meditate noon the word. 1 beicaa ta recall that there are period* when :ill things seem to go wrong, other times when they are quite the opposite. I recalled, too, that ii applied ti» race horses. I remembered when the late Cal SIcDaniels fortunes had fa Ilea s, ],,«■ that his borara were seined by Hie sheriff; yet In a year or two Liter he had j the strongest stable in the country. Bishop Cutler, in his "Analogy." rays that :i arhote people may | I now : 1 114 then rim into madness, aad move altogether uniler this Mime delusion, just like a simple maniac, i : Certainly, we hare hud :i realiaatioa of that in the events of the paal live year* arbea the whole world seems to have gone may: people are taxed to death, personal liberty is restrained aad the saffrage baa been extended to people who wear iii-s in snnimer and low shoe- and thin Stockings in winter. It reminded ate, too. of what I had frequently noticed that the pcreatest rac bathes often cease in cycles. Their advent is contemporaneous, and to this we Bad a striking analogy In the world of letters. The age that produced Shakespeare also produced a Bpenccr. a Sidney, a Bacon, a Jonoon. a Beaumont, a ; Fletcher. The succeeding age was marked by the appearance of two of the most remarkable men la] English literature Milton and Butler. The third period, opening with the fall of the Stuarts ami reach Ing its height in the age of Queen Anne was rendered famous by Dryden, Congnve, Pane, Cibber, steel and Addison. Tlie fourth era is remarkable for tin- beauty of Goldsmith, the wit of Bums, the pathos of i, ray. the retined sense id Cow per and the splendor of He. Johnson. The Augu-t.-in period of English literature produced Byron, Bcott, Campbell, Uoore, Coleridge, Crahbe, Montgomery, Wordsworth, Keats. Soulhev. Shelley and Maeauley. No less marked has been this contemporaneous life in the political world. Pitt. Fox. Sheridan and lturke thundered in the House of Commons as contemporary luminaries. Our own heroic age la remembered for the eloquence of Patrick Henry, but also that of Edmund Pendleton and Richard Henry Lee, the philosophy of Franklin, and profundity of Wythe, the organising powers id Hancock and Adams and the iin.-mcial ability of Bohert Morris, dur liter xtatesmen, Webster. Clay, Calhoun. Benton and "*i i ii t . were contemporaries, as later were Doaglas, Boomer, Beward, Chase, Crittenden and .Itulah P. Benjamin. j APPEARANCE IN CYCLES OF GREAT RACE HORSES. I That the real race horses come in cycle-, is apparent to anyone who will review "past performances." : lid. as it may entertain such readers as have not done so. I propose to do it for them. Often it : is dillicul! to determine which is the celt of the year, as horses varj in condition, and the hero of the , sprint: may have become rogue by autumn. In doing o I shall conftae my remarks to each seasons three- i year-olds, 1 do not consider two-year olds at all. Tin racing of two-year-old- lias no excuse for its existence as a test for racing. It is merely to enable owners to maintain racing stables af less expense than would be the case if there were no races for two-year-olds and. moreover, it uses up the powers of horses prematurely and thus helps the breeders, as it pntS new stock on the market for sale. I My purpose, then, is to show that it Frequently happens that the appearance of a great three-year- I; ! edd is accompanied by others almost or equally as great. Some people will bold that such a condition , means a poor class, bat it can in- successfully demonstrated thai when one horse is so vastly better than j j all others, it is not his superiority, but tie- inferiority of the others. And there is some logic in this. |, for anyone who has ever handicapped horses knows that while a good horse can concede, a bad MM any- L when- from forty to lifty pounds, there is seldom more than seven pounds difference between the best and He- next best, like Barrator and Tinny, for example: ■ 18G4 — Asteroid. Kentucky and Norfolk, with the possible addition of TIpperary, were so far ahead of , .•ill other colts that there was no comparison. Asteroid and Kentucky never met; Asteroid never : met Norfolk: Norfolk met Kentucky one at three and defeated him. 1865— Kiclimonil. Maiden. Ansel ami Baltimore. Au evenly balanced led. to judge from the record: no • one that greatly excelled the others. i ! 1866 — Hoggins was much better than any other roM — he stood quite alone-. 1867 — Kuthie-ss. a Illy, was poualbly the- heal three-year-old of tin- year but ie Cooteey, Monday and ; James N. Connolly. 1868 — Vauxhall. Bayonet nod General Drake- were- the principal winners, 1869 — A good year. Qleneig, Heraog, Veapocius and Hclmbokl were all good, but not up to the standard , 1 of some seasons. 1870 — This was a vintage year. Enqairer. Longfellow, Kingfisher, Foster. Lynchborg ami Preoknesa were : all out and it was a eonsteUation of stars nock as few years have surpassed. i 1 1871 — Harry Basset! and Monarchist wen- far and away the best colts, and Salina was the best filly. . 1 Jin- two colts named were- race- horses of lie- highest class hot the other three-year-olds were many poonda below them, although some- of them improved later. 1872 — loo Daniels, Meteor, Hubbard. This was aa ordinary year. 1873 — Tom Bowling, Springbok. The ID-Used, Waverly. Tie- class was a high one: in fact, much beyond j : tie- ordinary. 1874 — Acrobat, Attila, Baxoa, Grinstead. Steel Eyea and Yandalite. A good average year. I, 1875— Arist ides, c.ilvin. Tom Ochiltree, Tea Broeek and Kins Alfonso, a high-class lot. AristMea wash ■ the best, but each of the others showed splendid form, some of them two and three years Inter. 1876 — Vigil, Parole, Algerine, Yagraat and Sultana. An ordinary year, the- form varying. Vagrant was I : best in tin- spring. Parole and Sultana in the summer and Vigil in the late autumn. 1877 — I.ade-n-It.iile-n. Basil and Clover brook. An ordinary l"t. of which Baden-Baden was the best. i 1878 — Duke- of Magenta and Bramble. None of ti titer three-year-olds could extend these- two. Duke! , of Magenta always defeated Bramble, but when the Duke of Magenta was seat abroad Bramble | nominated the- situation. 1879 — False-it,,. Spendthrift, Ferida ami Monitor. Tie- two first-named were great performers, but both ! | : lost form nfter their three-year old season. The other three-year olds were- moderate-. , -, 1880 — I. uki Blackburn was fully fifteen pounds better thaa any other thr year-old. it was a case of; Blackbnrn irst. the- rest nowhi Be. 1881 — This l have always considered tin- greatest of all years for the- quality e,f its three-year-old*. ] Hindoo, rie kinore-. Iroquois. Poxhall, Tboni and Eole were all race horses of the highest class audi wonhl rank with the best in any country as some of the in did. They were superior to till other J | ] hors,-s and. when raced together, so closely matehe-d that they presented a spectacle seldom seen - :! that, of a great number of high-class horses foaled in one season. 1 can recall no year when the- ; ] three-year-olds of high class were SO aim. irons. ; 1882 — Itiinnymi cle. Forester ami Apollo. A poor year. Apollo was a Bash in Hi,- pan. Kunnymede was , delicate and Forester fell lame. i 1883 — George Kinney, Miss Woodford, Barnes and Leoantus a splendid class each one- a great horse-. | George Kinney was one id tie- sturdiest, LeonatuS one of the best and Miss Woodford was prob- i ably tie- ii.st three-year edd lilly that the present generation baa seen race. , 1884 — St. Saviour, Knight of Ellcrslie, Paniqne ami Modest; -a good average lot. ] 1885 — Wanda, Pardee, Tyrant. Volante, Bersaa and Joe Cotton. When a filly beats the- eetts, horsemen e-onsieie-r the colts as below the average. This Wanda did. Both Bersaa and Joe Cotton were pre-pared acel need too severely in the spnm; and trained off, and. possibly, Tyrant did the same. siill it was rather an open year, so ni :!..• goad em, . starting. i BEST THREE-YEAR-OLDS FROM 183G TO 1904. t 1886 — Inspector B., The- Bard, Dewdrop and Ben All. It was close racing between these and it may be j j s;ij,l it was a good class. , : 1887 — Hanover. Kingston. Pinna!, Laggard and Terra Cotta. Another good year. Hanover was the bean until in- was raced to i standstill, but tiny wen- all race horses of high class. 1888 — Emperor of Norfolk, sir Dixon, Raceland and Prince Boyal. A line lot. any one of which was good rmngh to bold all others. I j 1839 — Bolvstor, Tinny. Proctor Knott. Spokane and Lottgstreet. Another lot of bjgh-daas horses, any one- I, of which would prevail if the others wi re kepi in the stable. 189C — Tournament, Burlington ami BOey were the best of the year, which was not quite up to the ■ 1 standard of the tvv,, years previoun. , 1891 — Potomac, Montana. Rosseil, Btratbmoath and Kingman. These were- the bc-sf. but they we-re hardly i i up to those of main other years. Potomac, it is true, won the Futurity at. tWO anil Realization i at three, but he- was ■, eh-leale- e-olt and was raced but little. 1892 — Tammany. Lamplighter, Locohatehee, Yorkvilio BeUe and Citron. A high -class lot. but hardly as ;:, ad as some other years, 1893 — Morellee. ClilTorel. Sir Waiter, Dr. Uice ami Bamapo. An eXCeUent class, but did not meet with J enough frequency to classify them, 1894 — Henry of Navarre. D bso, Laanarone, Dobbins ami Rev i-:i Santa Anita, stars ,,r the Irst water, t I Domino wsa probably tin- best aailer ever stripped in Anu-rica. Henry of Navarre- was one of the beat all-round horses of any time. For three seasons In- he-Id tin- championship. The year Was ■ i o— piriitim for the huge numbers of e-oits e t high class contending. 1895 — Ilalma anil Kee-nan. A year of Moderate performers. , i 1896 — Requital, Ben Brash, Hastings ami Handspring. A tplendid lor. Doe of tin- be-st years. 1887 — Ornament, Ogden, Typhoon. Octagon ami The Friar. A lot fully ap to Tin- average. I 1898 — Hamburg, Pundit, Bowling Brook, Previous ami Kannorkhnrn. This is a lot that would compare with almost any year except, perhaps, such as 1881, lsss issp ,,r s. 1898 — F.tin li-ei t. Kinley Mack ami Jena Berennd. This was only an average lot. j 1?00 — Kilmarnock. David Garrick and PeUSJChio. The- el 1SS with the exception of Kilmarnock Was . moderate. j 1901 — Commando. Tin- Bander, Gold Heels ami Bines. An excellent lot. but lfot up ti the standard ot tin- best yean. 1S02 — lle-rmis. Gunfire and Compote, oinp ut- promised to be a great colt, bat retired early Hermis devek pel late. I 1903 — Africander, The Picket ami Irish Lad. Africander ran his races while suffering from lamrnria Irish l.ad was ;i great weight carrier. The- Picket was :i good all-round hois,-. I 1904 — tut Wells. Beldame, Delhi ami Broomstick. A lot quite up to the average, not not as good as i several other lots named. t SYSONBY, COLIN AND FRIAR ROCK STARS OF RECENT YEARS. j 1S05— Bysoi .by . Artful. Agile. Dandelion and Oiaeaa wen the best three- year-olds, but Bysonhy was much better than any. lb was la a rlasa bj bimsehT. 1906 — Burgomaster and Acconataat. Burgomaster mi- overtopped and broke down early, which left a ! clear Held to Ace oinil ant . I I • lot was distinctly bad. 1967 — Peter Pun, Frank Gill. Barridere ami Ballot. A capital lot of "-its quite above the average. There , Was little- Choice be-tvee-ll til ill 1908 — Colin, Fair Plnj ami King James. Another l-.-t ,-f high-class colts. Colin had reached his limit i when tin- Belmont stakes were run. while the others were improving. Aside from the three tli" c|.i - w.i - i e 1 1 1 y fair. I ; 1909— Inz Herbert ami Olambala. The ,|i v.. is narrowed down to tie two named, the others being 111 d 1,1 te I 1910 — Dalmatian. Sweep nod Waldo, a bad year. 1911 — Meridian, Seas, Governor Gray and star Charter. Only fair in respect to class. 1912— .1 in Malinger ami worth. A .Mar ot moderate quality. 1910 — Bockvhtw anil Great Britain. A fair year, but nothing exceptional. 191$ — Boomer, Luke MeLafee. Old Bo etoud and Stromboti. The lot this year was epiiie an huiprovenmn ou tin- four yean previons, 1915 — Regret and The Finn The fa t tint a hiiv ;t- the best of the three -year -olds would indicate the- colts lac keel good class. The- Finn, however, was g thoroughly good COit, better than had been s, ,-n for several seasons, but. tin- otlais wen ofdinary. 101C — Friar Bock, Star Hawk. George Smith. Dodge, Clin h- and Spur. The be-st lot seen for several ye-ars iii.ir Bock we-at out of his . i.i -. eaterod tin- all-aged handicaps and won both tie- Brooklyn ami Babnrbaa Handicaps ami Saratoga Cup a teat that marked him about the- best colt se-e-n I , since s-..nM. 1 1 . - "dodged" nothing. The other colU wen all animals of unusual excellence. ie ; I , ie lOli— Holiness. Omar Khayyam, Cudgel and Midway. A high ernes. Cudgel trained «m and worn one of the best horses of the generation. Then was hardly thr..- pounds difference between ll.mrlcss and Omar Khayyam. Ihey wen as closely mstched as nsOvatot and Teooj were in 18bH aud 1and90 1918— Sun Briar . /©bren, Exterminator, War Ckrad and The Porter. These Seemed to be about the best of the 191S lot Th.-re was little to choose between Sun Driar and Johren. For the Bsranac Sun Briar just managed to beat Jobnn, hut Johren was conceding hira six pounds and be did not " give Johren «""ir,u a six-pound beating. 1919— Sir Barton, Pnohaae, Bternol, Banafihal, sweep On and Milkmaid. When POrchase and Sir Barton met In the Dwyer Stakes. Pupchass won when in re.-eipt of nin- pounds, but he gave Sir Barton more than thai la the ease with which he defeated him. sir Barton, however, was not it his Stat it was too great a be-alin- to be noi It Is of course, to the reader why Mr. obyirais Vo.burgh. the Jo, k.-y Club handieapper. ™ does not discuss the three-year-olds „. Ifc» ., this ti T1„,v ;11,. ,„ ,.om,, ,,,,,-„,,, hil„ for during tim coming teoson. b •""bumem a.signmeu
