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DISCUSSES COLOR THEORY Sees Connection Between Yearlings Coat and That of Sires Best Offspring. Unless a yearling is of the color of his sires best previous performer it is folly to buy him, according: to a theory exploited by "Cardigan" in a recent issue of the Sydney Referee. Whether this notion possesses any virtue or not, at least a study of its workings will prove of interest at the beginning of our yearling sales at Saratoga. Following are the words of "Cardigan": During the recent yearling sales I heard a prominent Victorian trainer remark that he would not like to buy a certain yearling, as its sires best gallopers were all a certain color. "Its no use butting your head against a brick wall," he confided to his friend. "Unless a youngster is the same color as the best of the sires progeny, then they are well left alone." Is this theory sound? This is not the first time I have heard the same argument crop up ; in fact, it is prevalent in Engalnd, where buyers are inclined to be a little shy of The Tetrarchs progeny if they are not gray. First of all, it seems to be that the whole basis of the argument is wrong, as who knows that the best of a sires progeny has yet been seen out, if the sire is still hale and hearty? For instance, Eurythmic is undoubtedly the best Eudorus, but wlat is to provent that horse getting a colt or filly that will be even better than Eurythmic? Of course, I will admit that it is not likely, but it is at least possible, and where does the theory come in then, especially if the youngster happened to be a bay? It would mean that owners and trainers that follow tho color theory would have to turn from the chestnuts to the bays. COLOR OF LEADING SIRES. For the sake of argument, I have taken the leading twenty sires in the winning sires list this season, and they are attached, with their color: Comedy King, black; Linacre, brown; Woorack, chestnut; St Anton, bay: Sea Prince, chestnut; The Welkin, brown; Eudorus, chestnut; Trcssady, bay; Bernard, brown ; Shepherd King, bay ; Pistol, lay ; Baverstock, bay; Cooltrim, bay; Repartee, bay or brown ; Seremond, bay or brown ; Absurd, chestnut; Persian Knight, bay; Land of Song, chestnut; Beragoon, brown; Kenilworth, bay. Artilleryman is the best performer that Comedy King has yet sired, and ho was a brown. So unless a yearling by Ounedy King is a brown, it seems that it is not much use bujing it with the hope that it will develop into a better horse than Artilleryman, if we are to take any notice of the theorists in color. Biplane, tho next btst Comedy King, was a brown, so that the theory works out perfectly from his point of view, but what about the scores of Comedy ICings that are not brown? Linacres best stayer was Lingle, and he was black, while his best sprinters were Glenacre, Mistico, Garlin and Panacre. The former was brown, while the other three were bays. So it looks as if the theory in Ldnacres case is a little muddled with blacks, bays and browns, all above the ordinary. THE BEST WOORAKS. Wooraks best best big winner was Salrak, which won the Breeders Plate in great style. He was a chestnut. So by rights, if buyers followed the theory they should not have bought Whittier and Soorak, both of which arc browns. How does the buyer work in WJooraks case? Does the buyer desert the chestnuts, or does he switch over to the browns, and if a chestnut wins the Breeders Plate and young races next season, will the unfortunate buyer have to return to the chestnuts the next time any of the Wooraks progeny are offered? Sea Prince was a chestnut himself and he first gained fame through the agency of Nautical and Ten-terfield. Like their sire they are chestnuts. And yet the best Sea Prince of all that has raced up to date is a bay Purser. The Welkin would give the color theoritsts even greater bother, as he gets good ones that are chestnuts, others that are browns, blacks and bays. In Colugo, Rosina, Two Trey, Red Dome and Furious, he has half a dozen chestnuts that have proved themselves great gallopers. Gloaming is a yellow bay; Thrice, Outlook, Three, are brown; Trillion and Wedge are black, so where does the color theory come in with The Welkin? I really do not think it is much use going on quoting further instances where sires get good gallopers of different colors, as I should say that the above is sufficient to show that the royal road to yearling buying does not depend on the color of the sires best. Horses race in all colors and all shapes, and the more one studies the theories put forward by breeding experts the less one takes any notice of them. I certainly think that a man who studies the conformation of his mare and the horse that he intends her to visit, and also the blood lines of both, has a better chance of success than the owner who does not, but all theories are shaken when one remembers that Poilu is a brother to Poitrel, Orcus is a brother to Poseidon, and Nivelle is a brother to Eurythmic. The science of breeding is perfectly correct when the champions come along, but how are the full brothers that are of little use explained? ;
