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RECORD OF SYSONBY Turf Achievements of One of Greatest Race Horses in History of the American Turf One of the greatest race horses in the history of the American turf was the late James R, Keenes Sysonby, winner of 51S4.43S in two years of racing. Sysonby was bred in England by the late Marcus Daly of Montana, but was foaled In America, the property of James R. Keene. Mr. Daly had collected a choice band of marcs at his Aperfield Stud in England. Among them was Optimo, a bay mare, foaled in 1S96, by Orme, dam a daughter of Spectrum. Mr. Daly kept no stallions at Aperfield. It was his custom to take subscriptions to the best of the stallions standing for public service in England. For the season of 1001 he took three subscriptions to Melton, and Optime was one of the trio of mares sent over to the establishment of Sir John Musker to be served by the son of Master Kildare. A few months after this service Optime was brought to America, and on Tuesday, October 1, 1901, in the paddocks of the Fasig-Tipton Company at Sheepshead Bay, was sold to Mr. Keene for ?R,000. She was sent to Castleton Stud, near Lexington, Ky., and there in the spring of 1902 she foaled the bay colt which at weaning time had earned the highest regard of Major Foxhall A. Daingerfield, the stud manager, and which p.s a yearling so far outranked the others of his age at the farm in looks and actions in the paddock as to cause Foxhall Keene to expect great things of him and to honor him with the name Sysonby, after the name of a town near his shooting lodge in England. In the summer of 1903 Sysonby was broken and in the fall of that 9year he went to James Rowe to be prepared for his racing career to begin the following spring. Sysonby ran in fifteen races and was never unplaced. -He ran one dead heat, won thirteen races without being extended, and was third in the other the Futurity of 1904. His net earnings were S4,43S. He j began his career on the turf July 14, 1301,1 at Brighton Beach, and ended it September 9, 1903, at Sheepshead Bay. The record of his performances in the order of occurrence is as follows : July 14 Brighton Beach, track fast; won a purse for maidens, five and one-half fur- longs in 1 :0, carrying 107 pounds and cantering six lengths in front of Linda Lee, Cairngorm and Glenecho being the best of the others. J. Martin rode him. July 16 Brighton Beach, track fast; won the Brighton Junior Stakes, three-quarters of a mile in 1 :13, with 112 .pounds up, cantering four lengths in front of Jonquil. In this race he was coupled with Veto. Britisher was third. J. Martin rode. August 1 Saratoga, track fast; won the Flash Stakes, five and one-half furlongs in 1:0G, carrying 125 pounds, cantering six lengths in front of Augur, his stable-mate. Glorifier and Trapper were the only other starters. He was ridden by Redfern. August G Saratoga, track fast; won the Saratoga Special,- five and one-half furlongs in 1:07, with 122 pounds up, cantering six lengths in front of Hot Shot; Britisher, the only other starter, four lengths back of Hot Shot. Redfern rode him. August 27 Sheepshead Bay, track fast; finished third in the Futurity, three quarters of a mile straight, Artful winning by five lengths from Tradition, which was a head in front of Sysonby. Artful carried 114 and Tradition and Sysonby each had up 127. It was Artfuls third start and first victory. The time was 1:11, a record for the race over that course. Redfern rode Sysonby. September 19 Gravesend, track fast ; won the Junior Champion Stakes, about three- v quarters of a mile, in 1:09 with 127 pounds up, cantering three lengths in front of his stablemate, Wild Mint, with Cairngorm, Hot Shot and Jonquil the other starters. Redfern rode. May -4 Belmont Park, track fast ; dead heat with Race King for the Metropolitan Handicap, one mile in 1:41. Sysonby carried 107 and Race King 97. Colonial Girl was third, five lengths back. Beldame was among the others. Shaw rode Sysonby and L. Smith was on Race King. Continued on sixteenth liage. J j J J J ; " 1 . . i , I i i 1 . i : i l , . . ; I ! j i - 3 - RECORD OF SYSONBY Continued from first page. Juno 17 Sheepshead Bay, track fast; Avon the Tidal Stakes, one and one-quarter miles in 2 :05, carrying 126 pounds, cantering fiA-e lengths in front of Agile. Cairngorm and Migraine Avere the other starters. Nicol rode. July 1 Sheepshead Bay, track slow ; Avon the Commonwealth Handicap, one and one-quarter miles in 2 :07 with 111 pounds up, pulled up four lengths in front of Proper, Mabel Richardson, Tradition. Monsieur Bcaucairc and Broomstick being the others. Nicol rode. July 4 Sheepshead Bay, track fast; Avon the LaAvrence Realization Stakes, one and five-eighths mile in 2:47 carrying 126 pounds, cantering five lengths ahead of Tanya, Migraine being tlrird and Blandy the only other starter. Nicol rode. July 20 Brighton Beach, track fast; Avon the Iroquois Stakes, one and one-quarter miles in 2:06, Avith 126 pounds up; pulled up a length and a half in front of Migraine and Pasadena, the only other starters. J. Martin Avas the pilot. July 29 Brighton Beach, track fast; won the Brighton Derby, one and one-half miles in 2:33f;, Avith 12G pounds up; cantering five lengths in front of Agile and Pasadena, the only other starter, thirty lengths back. Nicol rode. August 12 Saratoga, track slow ; Avon the Great Republic Stakes, one and one-quarter miles in 2 :07, carrying 119 pounds, pulled up three lengths ahead of Oiseau. Broomstick, Dandelion and Prince Hamburg Avere the other starters. Nicol rode. September 2 Sheepshead Bay, track good; Avon the Century Stakes, one and one-half miles in 2 :35, carrying 115 pounds, pulled up two lengths in front of Broomstick. Eugenia Burch and Dolly Spanker AAere the other starters. Nicol rode. September 9 Sheepshead Bay, track fast: Avon the Annual Champion Stakes, two and one-quarter miles in 3:54, carrying 115 pounds, cantering four lengths in front of Oiseau, Avhich was twenty-five lengths ahead of Broomstick, the only other starter. Nicol rode him. TABLE OF HIS WINDINGS. The follmving is a statement of Sysonbys net earnings: In 1901. Date. Track. Race. Amt. Won. July llBrighton Beach, purse $ 840 July 1G Brighton Beach, Brighton Junior Stakes 11,750 Aug. 1 Saratoga, Flash Stakes 4,875 Aug. G Saratoga, Saratoga Special. . 14,000 Aug. 27 Sheepshead Bay, Futurity; third money 2,583 Sept. 19 GraA-esend, Junior Stakes.. G.010 In 1905. May 4 Belmont Park, Metropolitan Handicap $ 5,055 June 17 Sheepshead Bay, Tidal Stakes 11,550 July 1 Sheepshead Bay Commonwealth Handicap 11,475 July 4 Sheepshead Bay, Lawrence Realization 17,933 July 20 Brighton Beach, Iroquois Stakes 5.S50 July 29 Brighton Beach, Brighton Derby .. 11,750 Aug. 12 Saratoga, Great Republic. . 41,465 Sept. 2 Sheepshead Bay, Century Stakes 15,150 Sept. 9 Sheepshead Bay, Annual Champion Stakes 20,550 Total 84,13S One-half of Avinners portion, because of dead heat. HOW SYSOXBY RAXICED WITH SPECULATORS. In thirteen of his fifteen races Sysonby went to the post an odds-on favorite. The Metropolitan Handicap Avas the only race in Avhich odds of as good as 3 to 1 could ever be had about him. Here is a table of the prices AAhich were posted against him in his races: In 1901. Date. O. II. C. P. S. July 14 3-5 7-10 3-5 1-3 1-3 July 16 9-10 11-10 4-5 2-5 1-4 Aug. 1 l-2 1-2 2-5 out Aug. 6 1-20 1-15 1-20 out Aug. 27 4-5 4-5 13-20 1-6 out Sept. 19 l-3 1-3 1-3 1-5 out In 1905. Date. O. H. C. P. S. May 4 3 3 2 4-5 2-5 June 17 4-5 9-10 9-10 2-5 out July 1 11-10 G-5 1 1-4 out July 4 2-5 9-10 2-5 out July 20 1-20 1-20 1-30 out July 29 1-3 1-3 1-4 out Aug. 12 2-5 1-2 9-20 out - Sept. 2 .. 1-20 1-20 1-20 out Sept. 9 ...... 1-10 1-5 1-G out Coupled Avith stable companions. . .Mr. JCeene neAer placed a price on Sysonby. When the colt was a two-year-old it is said he Avas asked if 00,000 Avould buy him, to Avhich he replied : "He is not for sale at any price." After his remarkable showing in 1905, the representatiAe of an owner in Eng- land asked Mr. Keene is he would part Avith the son of Melton for 00,000. The reply was in the negative. Sysonby died Sunday, June 17, 190G, in the Keene stable at Sheepshead Bay, suc-3 cumbing to septicaemia, or blood poisoning. His remains Avere buried at that famous track, but later exhumed and the skeleton of the famous horse Aas mounted and pre- sented by Mr. Keene to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, Avhcre it has been viewed by thousands of horse lovers from all parts of the country. 1
