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IN EARLY DAYS AT SARATOGA When Falsetto Came East from Kentucky and Vanquished the Mighty Spendthrift. Since Saratoga holds the center of the racing stage through each month of August, with practically all the really good horses of the country in pleasing clashing, it is but natural that interesting reminiscences having to do with memorable racing there in the past should crop up now and then. To go back to 1ST! is traveling quite a way. yet in that year a couple of races took place there which fairly convulsed the racing world.- The late James R. Keene then possessed a magnificent three-year-old in Australians chestnut son. Spendthrift. Eastern opinion was solidly based on the conviction that lie was in effect an invincible. His first race that year almost resulted in a riot at Jerome Park, following the running of the Withers Stakes. For tills George Ijorillards fine Leamington colt Harold was a 2 to 5 favorite, and when he was left at the post wrath in abundance was engendered. Then when near the finish jockey George Evans plainly cased up on Spendthrift, to let his stablemate Dan Sparling win, there was more fuel on the fire of trackside indignation, and a stormy scene followed that long was talked about. There was no just basis for it, for it was Keenes privilege to win with cither of his two starters. In those days horses were not coupled in the betting as now, and it was alleged that the stable money was on Dan Sparling, at o to 1 and better, while Spendthrift was second choice in the betting at 3 to 1. After that Spendthrift went on, and in succession won the Reliuent Stakes at Jerome Park, Lorillard Stakes at the same track and the Jersey Derby at .Monmouth Park, defeating such stars of the time as Harold, Monitor, Magnetism, Report and others with the ease of an all-conqueror. He was indeed a delightful young horse. Rut there was a better one in the land, though not many knew it, or would have believed it. anyhow. Spendthrift was taken to Saratoga, and there also J. W. Hunt Reynolds of Kentucky had taken his hay Enquirer colt Falsetto. The record showed that this colt had won the Phoenix Hotel Stakes at the Lexington spring meeting, then ran second to Ijrd Muridiy in the Kentucky Derby, and afterward won the Clark Stakes at two miles. Neat record, but not gaudy, said such eastern opinion as was thought worth while to express. Along with Falsetto Reynolds brought the inimitable Isaac Murphy to ride him. When Travers Stakes day arrived Spendthrift was a topheavy favorite, selling in one auction pool for ,000 to for Falsetto, 00 for Harold and 1921.sh5 Tor Jericho. Wherefore there was wailing, even stupefaction, when Falsetto not only won by two lengths, but won in a fashion that showed he was beyond the shadow of a doubt the master ot Spendthrift. This he confirmed a few weeks later over that sauie track in the Kenner Stakes at two miles, when he defeated Spendthrift as easily as before, aloug with Jericho, Monitor and Harold. Pierre Lorillard gave Hunt Reynolds $.20,000 for Falsetto, a great price for those days, and took him over to England. He did not race there. In a great trial he gave Parole twenty pounds, and a beating, right on the heels of the latter having raised Cain over there the year before. F.ut he fell so lame soon after the trial that the idea of racing him had to be abandoned, and he was brought back to become in time the sire of three Kentucky Derby winners. Spendthrift, too, became a great sire, and of more enduring influeuce than Falsetto. Man o War being his great-giandson and a living testimonial to the present standing of his line. Spendthrift also went over to England on a racing venture that came to nothing.
