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" . 1 1 j 1 , 1 , , ; . , I , ; I I j i ! , 5 " ! r 5 ; I TRAVERS A TURF POWER c Left Valuable Impress Upon Eac- ing Affairs in America. c ! Associate of Leonard Jerome and John Hunter IJred and Jtaccd Celebrated Horses , Proprietor of "Valley Krook. , 1 1 Closely connected with Leonard Jerome in 1 business, social and sporting life, AAilliam R. 1 Travers, who died in 1SS6, four years before his distinguished associate, also left a dis-tinct and valuable impress upon turf affairs of the period, ilr. Travers came naturally by his predilection for racing affairs. He i was a native of Maryland, where his family had been identified with the turf in : connection with the Bowies. Plucketts, John- sons and other noted racing families of that ; section. , After he settled in New York in business . he became associated with John Hunter of , AAestchester County and formally entered upon racing in 1S63. Prominent in the stable that he owned in conjunction with Hunter -and Osgood were Kentucky, Areola, Ulrica Flora Mclvor and Olita. When racing revived after the close of the Civil War Mr. Travers was one of the syndi-j cate that formed the Annieswood Stable to ; compete with the strong stables from the South that were making their appearance upon the northern race tracks. In this venture he was associated with John Hunter, Leonard W. Jerome, August Belmont and R. AV. Cameron. The stable bought liber- ally, both in Kentucky and abroad, and raced under mauve colors. OAVED CELEBRATED HORSES. When Annieswood was dissolved in 1869 Hunter and Travers resumed racing under the orange jacket. They established a stud . and bred many horses, continuing in busi- ness until 1874. Among the most celebrated horses that they raised were Alarm, Rhada- manthus, Olitipa, Cannie Bairn and Intrigue, while they also owned Buckden, King Bolt, King Pin, Sultana and others. One of their sensational ventures was matching their stallion Censor, a Gloaming; colt, for ?10,000 against It. AV. Camerons Miss Alice, a contest in which they were defeated. They were also the principals in ! other notable races of that period. Their filly Intrigue beat Mr. Littells Emma John-! son colt in a match for S1.0G0 a side. The same year they paid forfeit in a match that had been made for Intrigue against August Belmonts Finesse and also in thej same season, 1869, they lost a ,000 match with Intrigue, which was beaten by Finesse. In 1871 they Avon a 0,000 match race with Alarm, beating R. Ar. Camerons Inverary. As a three-year-old Alarm was never beaten, and in 1874 Olitipa was considered one of the best horses in any northern stable. TRAINERS DEATH DISRANDS STABLE. In the death of John Minor, who was the trainer for Hunter and Travers, that stable met with a severe loss and the principals decided to discontinue business. They sold Rhadamanthus and their other leading horses in 1874 and Mr. Travers never appeared again as a racing owner on the track. Nevertheless he still retained his interest in the turf and was one of the most influential turfmen of the seventies and eighties. After 1S77 Mr. Travers was the owner of the Valley Brook Farm at Rutherford Park, I N. J., and for some time before his death was one of the largest owners of the Jerome! Park property, being also a stockholder of the Coney Island Jockey Club. For many years he was president of the Saratoga Racing Association. Beginning with the early seventies he instituted the Travers Stakes at Saratoga and annually presented to the winner a valuable piece of silver plate as a trophy. From the foundation of the American Jockey Club he was one of its stewards and was also for many years president of the New York Athletic Club and of the Racquet Club. He was a striking example of the best type of the all-around American sportsman.
