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" MAD HATTERS PROWESS Temperamental Son of Fair Play One of Largest Winners. Has Accounted for 62,335 In Five Years t Racing Career a Brilliant One of JCotablc Achievement. " MAD HATTERS RECORD. Year. A. Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d.Unp. Won. 191S 2 10 2 1 2 5 ? 2,478 1919 3 7 4 2 1 0 54,991 19-JO 4 20 9 3 4 4 23.834 1021 5 20 8 0 4 2 42,032 1922 C 15 4 S 1 2 38,100 Total 5 72 27 20 12 13 52.335 BY C. J. FITZ GERALD. NEW YORK, N. Y., October 7. Some thoroughbreds, like men, are not given a full, measure of praise until they are dead or have retired. Conspicuously in this class Is the highly temperamental Mad Hatter in the Rancocas Stable, whose occasional eccentricities have at times dimmed a career of extreme brilliancy. Because of his sound-ress o wind and limb and rugged constitution this horse, however, bids fair to last beyond the average period of usefulness vouchsafed to the entire horses of the turf. It will come as a surprise to the rank and file of racing folk to learn that this stalwart son of Fair Play is the sixth highest winner i on the American turf, with 02,335 to his credit; being surpassed in earning capacity by Man o War, Exterminator, Colin, Syson-by and Domino only. None of his victories has been achieved with a feather on his back. All have been gained with steadying imposts the majority with 128 pounds or more, and many have been won by the narrowest of margins in finishes calling for the last atom of speed and courage. Mad Hatter is no Sunday horse. He has been in the hands of a trainer who believes that horses Avere made to race. Whenever the inmates of Samuel C. Riddles stable are sound and fit they fill their engagements. Being sound as a bell of brass, with thews of whalebone, Mad Hatter has often had to represent the Rancocas Stable in engagements for which Grey Lag, Cirrus, Purchase and other stars in the establishment have also been named. At various times all of these fine horses have been on the ailing list, and the sturdy son of Fair Play has been saddled and sent out to do his best against all comers. It mattered not where the contention came from. Mad Hatter played his part, often brilliantly, and indifferently only when that temperamentality, which has been a characteristic of other great race horses that could be named, asserted itself. POSSESSES WONDERFUL SPEED. No horse in training, with the possible exception of Lucky Hour, has more speed when Mad Hatter is in a generous mood ; and that lie lias bottom as well has been demonstrated in such races as the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which he has won twice at two miles; the Latonia Championship and the Saratoga Cup, both of which are run at a mile and three-quarters. Though beaten In the latter the past summer, he yielded by inches only to Exterminator, one of the truly great long-distance horses the American turf has known. A true representative of the Fair Play P.ock Sand cross, which has given the turf Man o War and a lot of other good performers, including the phenomenal Messenger, pronounced by many the best-looking horse seen in years, and which gave evidence of being the crack two-year-old of the current year until his retirement at Saratoga. Mad Hatters career should not end with the day he bids adieu to the race course. His breeding and splendid individuality should make him achieve success in the stud, for which lie is destined at the close of his racing career. Those who believe in giving a big two-year-old a chance will find support in the fact that Mad Hatters earnings his first year out amounted to ,478. He was sent to the post ten times as a two-year-old and won two races, being second once and third twice. August Belmont, who bred the colt at his Nursery Stud, was a believer in Mad Hatter from the first. The colt was a big overgrown fellow, and he determined to give him a chance to develop fully before asking for any of the supreme tests of racing. The wisdom of this policy was shown in 1919 when as a three-year-old Mad Hatter won 4,991 in the colors of S. C. Hildreth, to whom he had been sold, displaying the qualities which had gained him his present reputation. He ran but seven races that year, winning four, being second in two and third in the other. His best contribution was gained in the Latonia Championship at one mile and three-quarters, worth 4,090 to Mr. Hildreth. STRENUOUS TIME IN 1920. In 1920 Mad Hatter had a strenuous campaign, taking part in twenty races, in which he won nine, was second three times and third on a like number of occasions. His earnings amounted to 3,834, and his largest single winning was gained in the Bowie Handicap, at a mile and a half, worth ,700. That he was a good horse that fall was shown by his carrying 120 pounds in 2:31, which is fast for Pimlico at that period. In several races that year he was placed to stable companions. The year of 1921 found Mad Hatter racing in the colors of the Rancocas Stable, all of the Hildreth horses having been transferred to that establishment Twenty races constituted the campaign of that year. Of these Mad Hatter won eight, was second six times and third on four occasions. His winnings totaled 2,932. He began the season impressively by winning the Kings County Handicap at Jamaica with 124 pounds up, beating Exterminator and establish:1;? a track record for the mile and a sixteenth. Other victories that year included the Metropolitan Handicap, in which he carried 127 pounds and ran the mile in 1:3773, beating Audacious, Yellow Hand, Sennings Park and others. A sparkling performance came at Aqueduct, v.hc-re he carried 132 pounds and established a track record of 1:43 for the mile and a sixteenth, of which the first mile was run in 1:3C. This superb performance was necessary to win the Caughnawaga Handicap. His second to Yellow Hand in the Saratoga Handicap, carrying 132 pounds to that geldings 120 was another brilliant effort. Mad Hatter losing by a nose in 2 :03and over a dead track. The summer was a strenuous one for Mad Hatter, but he came through it big and strong to win the Jockey Club Gold Cup, running the two miles in 3 :22, the first mile and a half in 2:29, with 125 pounds in the saddle. It was a matter of general comment that Mad Hatter came out last spring a better looking horse than ever. That he has raced to his looks is shown by his. earnings to date, 8,100, with several rich engagements yet to be filled. He has started fifteen times to date this year, winning four races, being eight times second and once third. He began by winning the Kings County Handicap for the second time with 126 pounds up, beating Sennings Park, Audacious and Yellow Hand. Sennings Park, with 115" pounds up, had to lower the Jamaica track record for one mile and a sixteenth to beat him for the Excelsior Handicap, Mad Hatters impost being 129. He then put up 129 pounds and won the Metropolitan Handicap for the second time, running the mile in 1 :36 and beating Sennings Park, Careful, Yellow Hand and other good ones. A heavy track for the Suburban and Dominion Handicaps militated against his chances in these races, but he only lost the latter by a nose to Devastation, beating Boniface and other good ones. He was a good horse in the Jockey Club Gold Cup this fall at Belmont, winning this prize for the second time in a big canter in 3 :22. Three hard races in a row, in one of which he gave two pounds to Lucky Hour, reckoned the best three-year-old of the year by competent authorities, suffering defeat by a head in a dazzling contest, in which the mile and an eighth of the Edgemere Handicap was run in 1 :50, brought a protest from the big horse and he refused to do his best when brought out within two days to contest for the October Handicap. That race was run on Monday last and was taken by Brainstorm. A period of rest will undoubtedly refresh Mad Hatter and he will give racegoers many thrills before the close of the racing. In the meantime twenty-seven victories, twenty seconds and twelve thirds for a total of 102,325 out of seventy-two starts is a record to be proud of, especially when the horse that did it is sound and ready for other battles after a period of well-earned rest.
