view raw text
Here and There on the Turf Old Borrow Is Dead. Ryan to Leave the Turf. How Flames Has Developed. Season at New Orleans. Borrow, one of the greatest geldings that ever raced in this country, is dead at Harry Payne Whitneys Brookdale farm in New Jersey. The old horse was in his sixteenth year and was enjoying a well-earned pension when the end came. He was one of several remarkable geldings, such as Exterminator, Stromboli, Roamer, Bill Kelly and Old Rosebud. A brilliant performer that wore exceedingly well and as honest a horse as ever stood on iron. The only reason Borrow did not figure among the great American money winners was the fact that he was not brought to this country from England until he had reached his sixth year and at a time when values were at low ebb on the New York tracks, where he raced. A son of Hamburg and .Forget, he was bred by Mr. Whitney, but was raced in England .and as a two-year-old in 1910 he headed the two-year-old winning list in that country. There was no racing in New York in 1911 and 1912, and Botjtow was not brought from England until the spring of 1914, when he was a six-year-old. His first start in his native land was in the Metropolitan Handicap, . in which he was required to take up 125 pounds to finish fourth to Buskin, Figinny and Rockview. His next race was in the Carter Handicap of the same year and he was a close second to Roamer. Then he was second to Flying Fairy in the Brookdale Handicap. But he followed these races by victories in both the Yonkers and the Saratoga Handicaps. In 1915 Borrow was the best money-earning horse in America and his earnings only reached 095, while in the present day value the champion will win more than twice -that much in one race. That year the old gelding did a deal of traveling and his victories were in the Kentucky Handicap, Detroit and Windsor Ferry Company Handicap at Windsor, Dominion Handicap at Fort Eric and the Municipal Handicap at Belmont Park, while he was sscond to Roamer in the Merchants and Citizens Handicap at Saratoga. In his 1916 season Borrow was started twelve times and was the winner of three handicaps, was five times second and three times third. Then as a nine-year-old, in 1917, he ran one of his greatest races when he won the Brooklyn Handicap by a nose from his stablemate, Regret, while back of them followed Old Rosebud, Chiclet, Roamer, Boots, Stromboli, Ormesdale, Clematis II., Omar Khaj-yam and Old Koenig. This mile and an eighth was run in 1 :49, which at the time established a new American record for the distance, and it is doubtful if ever before or since has such a remarkable field of horses been brought together. That same year Borrow won only one other race. He was five times second and twice third, making his record only three times "out. of the money" as a nine-year-old. . This is the Borrow that has passed. There have been few better horses and none more honest or gamer. This year the old horse was doing so well at the farm that James Rowe had visions of bringing iim back again. To that end he was taken to Saratoga and put in light training. The old fellow worked cheerfully, but it was finally determined that at sixteen years he had lost too much of his speed to be raced and Rowe would never consent to. have .him relegated to the plater divi. pion after his glorious racing career. He was shipped to the farm, where now he has passed away peacefully. Borrow was one of the geldings that frequently caused regret that he was unsexed, by reason of his accomplishments, but it is just possible that he would not have attained his fame otherwise. The turf has seen many a great gelding. They have their place in the racing scheme and Borrow was surely one of the best of them. There was general surprise, at the announcement of the proposed sale of the racing establishment of Clendenin Ryan and his retirement from the turf. His white and green silks of the Oak Ridge Stable were tremendously popular and have, met with a fair measure of success during the racing season. The stable was founded by Thomas Fortune Ryan, father of Clendenin Ryan, and the stable name was taken from the breeding establishment, from where, many a good one was sent to the races. John Loftus, one of the greatest of American jockeys, has. been training, the, .Ryan horses successfully, and Mr. Ryan, in leaving the turf, has only concern for the welfare of his trainer. The orders are to sell all the horses in training as well as fourteen brood mares and nine yearlings at the Ryan farm in Virginia. The Oak Ridge Stable began this year auspiciously when Laurano won the Metroplitan Handicap, and other winners that are in the sale list are Plough Boy, Apprehension and Idiosyncrasy, as well as others. Mr. Ryan has been a credit to racing and the turf loses heavily by his deflection. Flames is not eligible to the third International Special, to be decided over the Latonia track October 11, but he is an eligible for the Latonia Championship Stakes, at a mile and three-quarters, to bz run October 18, and he is an eligible well calculated to ably represent New York. It was not so much the defeat of Rinkeyat Jamaica Thursday, but the manner in which it was accomplished by Flames, and, more than that, the way he worked out to the mile and a quarter that merits respect. It was no task to beat Rinkey, but the mile and an eighth in 1:51 and the mile and a quarter in 2 :06 so easily was what impressed as a preparation for the Championship Stakes. Flames was a maiden until the recent Belmont Park meeting and he has only been the winner of three races, but he has been improving in a fashion that holds out high hopes for his future. He has just found himself, is a rare route traveler" and a colt whose development is a testimonial to the skill of James Fitzsimmons. A son of Wrack and La Flambee, by Ajax, he was bred by William Woodward, for whom he races, and that makes his successes doubly gratifying to the proprietor of the Belair Stud. Aga Khan and Priscilla Ruley are two others of the Woodward eligibles to the Latonia Championship Stakes and it surely gives the Belair Stud a strong hand for the big races. Earlier in the year the dependence would be on either Aga Khan or the filly, but the recent development of Flames would make it appear that he is destined to outstrip his more fashionable stablemates in the long-distance race. The Latonia Championship Stakes is at scale weight and with its distance is aptly named a championship. The announcement of the plans for the racing at New Orleans assures the usual meetings in that southern city and already trainers are making applications for stabling. The opening of Jefferson Park will lap over with the Maryland meeting at Bowie and it is usual that the majority of the horses that race oyer the Maryland circuit ship from there to New Orleans. As formerly, there will be two meetings at Jefferson Park, with the Fair Grounds meeting taking its iime from Janu-ary 1 until February 25.. The. New" Orleans racing season will come- to a close March 17, as was the case this year.
