English Turf Invasion of Old: Recent International Races Recall Days When the American Sportsman, Richard Ten Broeck, Daily Racing Form, 1924-12-26

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j j ENGLISH TURF INVASION OF OLD Recent International Races Recall Days When the American Sportsman, Richard Ten Broeck, Raced His Horses on Foreign Tracks i i j .1 j 1 ; 1 , ; j The International races that brought Papyrus, the Epsom Derby winner, to this country in 1923. and the French champion, Epinard, this year, recall to memory the notable and almost forgotten invasion of England before the Civil War by the American turfman, Richard l2n Broeck. A wealthy man, he took over the best horses money could buy in this country and did game and partially successful battle over there for a number of years. His venture: fills a remarkable page in turf history, and this description of its features by Francis Stevens in Sports of the Times is valuable and worthy of presentation. Ten Broecks invasion, among other things, resulted in his bringing to this country horses that have indelibly left their impress on our breeding interests. Mr. Stevens reminiscence of Ten Broecks career in England says: In looking over, recently, an old volume of the Sports of the Times for 1S55, when that journal was edited by "The Tall Son of York," William T. Porter, some mat eis were brought to mind connected with Richard Ten Broeck and his racing venture in England in 1S57 and subsequent years. It had long been a disputed question, arising out of the different modes of breeding, training, riding and racing pursued in the two countries, which system has developed the greatest speed and bottom in tha thoroughbred horse and national pride on each side of the Atlantic claimed the palm for home. At length, Richard Ten Broeck of Kentucky and New Orleans determined to undertake the risk of an actual trial, although as early as 184o an American horse and one or two marcs had been sent abroad, and one, the horsa Tempest, by Trustee Jantec, sister to Sir Charles, had raced in England, In 1S55 he began to select the horses whicn were to be sent over to England. Of course. his first choice was the famous Lexington, which had won the great State Stakes at four-mile heats from Highlander Arrow and Lecompte in S:0S and S:04, over a muddy course, and had been beaten by Lecompte at four-mile heats in 7:26 and 7:3S, the best race ever run in America to that day and the fastest time on record. It was said thai the defeat of Lexington was due to the fact that his rider, Maiben, pulled him up at the end of the third mile in the second heat, thinking the race finished. This defeat led to the great match for 5,000, to run a dash of four miles to beat 7:20. The race took place on April 2, 1855, and Lexington won in 7:114. On April 14 Lexington once more met his great rival, Lecompte for the Jockey Club Purse of ,000 and an inside stake of ,-500 each, at four-mile heats. Lexington won the first heat in 7:23v4, and Lecompte was drawn. Some time during the summer bsfore leaving the South, it being Mr. Ten Broecks intention to ship the horse over in 1S55 and to lace in 1S5C, Lexington got out of his box and gorged himself With feed .in the night. He was discovered by some of the stable boys and returned to his box. In the morning nothing was said to his trainer by the boys and Lexington was sent out and worked strongly. He finished in such a distressed condition that he came near dying. His trainer was at a loss to account for this distress, but was told by a fellow trainer what had taken place. This, of course, compelled a letup in Lexingtons ti-aining and he was sent north to New York and thence to Saratoga for the j benefit of the water and air. He was in the charge of George Rice, who afterwards was famous as a. trainer. After a stay at Saratoga he was sent to Charles Lloyds place at Holmdel, N. J., and there galloped again. He was doing well when he got the better ! Continued on twelfth page. ENGLISH TURF .INVASION s Continued from first paso. tl of his rider and, running away, injured himself. s Through this injury, coupled -with his g gorging himself in the summer, he was so 0 of out of. condition that he went blind and was thrown out of training and was sent E to Kentucky, where, in 185G, he made his first season at the stud of the farm of the j, lute AV. 32. Harper, between Midway and y Spring Station, ICentucky. g This disaster caused a change in the plans j, of Air. Ten Urocele and his trip abroad was j postponed. I. rir.ST siiiioiext in is.-g. Tn September. 1S3G, Mr. Ten Broeck sent a to 32ngland, via Scotland, by the Cunard c 3ino from I.oston, the horses Prior, Le- t conipte and 3riorcss. 1rior was foaled in 1S52 by Glencoe n Gipsey sster to lUedoc, by American s 32clipse. lie was a high-class winner at all fi distances. s Locomptc was foaled in 1S50 by Boston c the famous 3 ted. by Glencoe. 3 To was a noted I winner at all distances and had the honor of j being the only horso that ever defeated Lexington. 3Morcss was foaled in 1S52, by Sovereign i Itcel, dam of f.ecomptc, etc. The horses were sent over in charge of o David I"almer, who trained for Mr. Ten 1 Brooch, and arrived safely and were put in 1 slow work. The band became acclimated and a were largely entered in all the prominent I stakes and races for which they were eligible, f The first start made by Ihe American 1 horses was at "Glorious" Goodwocd on July c 30, 1S57. for the Goodwood Cup, two miles 1 and a half. 1rior, 121 pounds, ridden by Charles 3-,ittIelield. and Prioress, 109 pounds, 1 ridden by Gilpatrick. started and were nn- 1 placed. The race was won by Count F. de 3i Granges Monarquc, five years old, 121 pounds. The winner, Monarque, was destined to play an important part in English racing, as he sired the mighty Gladiateur. which avenged "Waterloo by winning the Two J Thousand Guineas, Derby, St 3eger, Ascot. Gold Cup and other races. Gladiateur was the second horse to win the Triple Event and the first foreign-bred horse to win tin ; famous blue ribbon of the English turf, the 1 Epsom Derby. I-ecompte only stirted once and was third to Fisherman for the Warwick Cup, three miles, and died shortly afterwards. Trior also died and thus the stable was reduced to IMoress. Shortly after Goodwood, when the entries for the great fall handicaps were made, Prioress was named for the Cesarewitch and also for the Cambridgeshire Handicap.. When the weights appeared, it was found that rrioress had been given only ninety-three pounds in the Cesarewitch and when the odds were long against her the bulk of the money of Mr. Ten 3iroeck who was a great bettor; was carefully put on at the odds of over 300 to 1 and in some cases at 150 to 1, sis the bookmakers thought it was finding money to lay against U12 American mare. iMuoitESS wixs Tin: cesaiiewitch. The race was run October 1.1. 1S57, over the Cesarewitch course, two miles and 4SG yards, thirty-four starters, among . them Warlock, Fisherman, Saunterer, Gunboat, Odd Trick and Tasmania. Prioress, ninety-three pounds, ridden by Tankersley an American at 30 to 1; 321 Hakim, three years old, ninety-three pounds, at S to 1, and Queen Bess, three years old, sixty-six pounds, 30 to 1, ran a dead heat. The owners all insisted on a runoff and here was where the American system of training came into play, as Prioress had been trained to run heats. She was cooled off by Palmer and Littlefield j and cariie to the post in line condition, with the. famous George Fordham in the saddle. 321 Hakim wrs the favorite at C to 4, Prioress at 2 to 1 and Queen Bess at 3 to 1. Fordham made a waiting race and won by a length L and a half, thus bringing off the first of Mr. j Ten Broecks famous coups. j . Mr. littlefield was at the finishing pest with rrioress clo.hing and was jubilant over the victory, as he- had a soverign on at 100 , to 1. as also did lilmer. the trainer. The victory in the Cesarewitch was memorable on account of its being the first . dead heat made for the event and the only time in its history to date in which three v horses made a dead heat for it. 3t was also j noteworthy as it represented the first victory by an American horse in England. Mr. Ten 35roecks winnings were large. Prioress started for the Cambridgeshire Handicap with ninety-eight pounds up and was unplaced. Odd Trick winning. Irioress was a good bread winner for Mr. ; Ten Broeck. as she also won in 1S5S the Great Yorkshire Stakes over the St. Leger course at Doncaster, one mile, three-quarters " and 132 yards, and a number of matches ? and Queens Plates. Prioress and The Brewei 1 ran a dead heat for second place in th 1 Cesarewitch in 1S5S, won by Itocket, and she was third to The 3"romised Land for tils Goodwood Cup of 1SZ0 at two and one-half miles. In 1S5S and later on Mr. Ten Broeck added to his stable Satellite formerly Sherritt, o 5 good winner in America by Albion out of a J mare by leviathan, which won the Stamford I Plate and Plates at Ascot, Brighton and 1 Newmarket, and was second for the Goodwood " Cup. Starke, by AVagner Beel, which won in 3839 the Goodwood Stakes, two and one-half miles, the Bentinck Memorial Plate, ; three iiniles and five-eighths at Goodwood, and the AVarwick Cup, three miles, and in II ISfil won the Goodwood Cup, two and one-half - miles, the Brighton Stakes, and was second for the Goodwood Stakes. U.Mlini: lAILS IX THE DE31IJY. Umpire, by Lecompte Alice Carneal, was s heavily backed in the yearling books to win ii the Derby of 18G0 for a large fortune at long g odds. Umpire won three races at two years s old and was well backed for the Derby, for r which he started at C to 1 against, with the e AVizard favorite at 3 to 1 against and Thor-manby - at 4 to 1. Umpire ran seventh in a a field of thirty, Thormanby winning. The AVizard ;- second and Horror third. The late G. 33. 31ruee of the Live Stock Bec-ord, :- Lexington, Ky., was in England in 3S60 0 and saw the 3erby run and told me the following 1- story: L,ord Glasgow an eccentric c nobleman, who afterward bred the famous s Musket, was fond of makinjr freak bets. He, j, knowing Mr. Ten Broeck stood to win several l1 hundred thousand pounds, said to Mr. Ten n 3lroeck that he would bet him 500 guineas s that he, Mr. Ten Iiroeck, would not whistle e God Save the Queen as the horses passed the e s tl s g 0 of E j, y g j, j I. a c t n s fi s c I j i o 1 1 a I f 1 c 1 1 1 J ; 1 j L j j . , . v j ; " ? 1 1 o 5 a J I 1 " ; II - s ii g s r e - a a :- 0 1- c s j, l1 n s e e post. Mr. Ten Broeck took the bet and Mr. Bruce, who stood at Mr. Ten Broecks side, said Mr. Ten Broeck was whistling God Save the Queen as Thormanby flashed past the post and he saw his fortune vanish. Umpire won many races for both Mr. Ten Broeck and Lord Coventry, who purchased him. On going into the stud Umpire was successful, : getting many winners and was a famous sire . half-bred hunters and jumpers. Other American horses that Mr. Ten t Broeck raced in England and won with were Annette; by Scythian Alice Carneal, Lex- ingtons dam ; Echo, by Bevenue Sarah ? AVashington, by Garrisons Zinganee ; Mag-giore, by Decompte 32vergreen, by Glencoe ; : Novice, by Ivnight of St. George Sister to Pryor No. 3, by Glencoe: Olive Branch, hy ; Lexington Sarah AVashington ; Itubicon, by Lexington Bay Leaf, by Yorkshire ; Sum-merside, by Lexinton-Sister No. 2 to Pryor, and Optimist, by I..exington marc by Glencoe, out of Jeannetteau, which won the Palatine Cup at Chester, Ascot Stakes, many Queens Plates and the Stamford Cup, three miles. The object of art going with the stakes was an elegant candelabrum, heavily gilded, which afterward came into the possession of the late Major 3!. G. Thomas and often graced the table at the famous Dixiana House at Lexington, Ky. JiEMAKKABLE CAItEEll OF OPTIMIST. Starke was sold to the Prussian ment and was a successful sire in Germany. Optimist, which Mr. Ten Broeck considered one of the best of his horses.-came near being killed when he was a few days old at AAood-burn Farm, in ICentucky. AVhcn Optimist was foaled he had unusually long pasterns, both in-front and behind, seemingly inherited from his crand father, "Old AVhite Face," as Boston was familiarly called, which made 1 eight tracks as he walked. Mr. Nelson 33ud- ley, who was superintendent for Air. Bobert A. Alexander, owner of the AVoodburn Stud, , was going to kill him because of the raw and weak condition of these pasterns, which seemed to give the horse great pain. Mr. Alexander would not consent, as he was Mr. Ten Broecks property, and thus his life was saved. Mr. Dudley then had his pasterns -bound up and declared that he never would 1 bo of any account. Optimist outgrew the weakness and won many times, much to Mr. 1 Dudleys disgust and the pride of Mr. Alexander. Optimist, after his racing career, was sent to 3;rancc, where he got many winners, among them Mars, which afterward got ; Jongleur, which won the Cambridgeshire Handicap. Many others were sent to England and were raced by Mr. Ten Broeck and other owners, among them Arcadian and Blan-chette, both by Ivnight of St. Gecrge, dam of Transylvania, a daughter of the famous Pey-tona; Babylona, by Belshazzar, dam, a mare ; by Trustee; Bonita, by Financier Sarah AVashington; Charleston, by Sovereign Millwood; Charmian, by 3Cnigkt of St. George Peytona; Cincinnati, by Star Davis Thea-tress; Des Chiles, by Glencoe Brown Kitty; Illusion, by Revenue Sister No. 2 to Pryor; 3Cnight of the Garter, by Sovereign Levity, by Trustee ; Lincoln, by Belshazzar, dam, a mare by Jordan; Myrtl?, by Lexington Evergreen, by Glencoe ; Olive Branch, by Lexington Sarah AVashington; 3adrona, by Revenue Epiletta, by Stcckwell; Summerside, by Lexington Sister No. 2 to Prior ; Templar, by Ivniglit of St. George Emilia, dam of Australian; AArocdburn, by Glencoe mare by Trustee; AVocdford, by Lexington Ducatoon. These raced up to and including 1SG7, when the American horses dropped out and there were no American horses in 32ngland until the fall of 1S75. when the late M. II. San-ford sent a stable over there which began racing in 1S7G and was fairly successful. Of the above-named horses, Babylon won a race, Echo won six times, two races were won by Lincoln, Olive Branch Avas returned a winner six times, Summerside finished first five times and AVoodburn Avon twice and divided the stakes in another. PURCHASED ECLIPSE IN 1S5S. In 385S Mr. Ten Broeck purchased Eclipse and Barbarity. Eclipse was by Orlando Gaze, by Bay Middleton, and had won the Clearwell Stakes at two years old and at three the Ascot Biennial, a stake at New-; market, made a dead licit, with Beadsman for the Newmarket Stakes, the pair dividing the stakes, and was fourth for the Derby. Barbarity, by Simoon. Barbarians dam was a capital race mare, having won eight races at three years old and six at four years of age. In 1859 they were sent to this country, Eclipse made some seasons at Lexington, Iy., getting a number of good winners. From Lexington he was sent east to Mr. Francis Morris at Throggs Neck, N. Y., where he remained until his death in 1S7S. Eclipse got, among ethers. Ruthless, winner of the first Belmont Stakes, and Alarm, the first horse to run a mile in 1:42 3-4 and sire of many capital winners, among them Him- yar, the sire of the great Domino, the grand-L sire of the unbeaten Colin. I2clipse also sired Fanny Ludlow, the first horse to run a mile and an eighth in 1:56, the record for several years, and granddam of Foxhall, which won in 12ngland two out of three starts at two years, and which ran second at three years old to Bend Or for the City and Subur- ban Handicap in front of twenty-two others. He also won other races, among them the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire Handicaps. Foxhall was the second horse to win the Cambridgeshire and Cesarewitch Handicaps the same year. Mr. AVilliam Day, who trained Foxhall, said that he was fourteen pounds the best horse he ever trained. Fox-a hall also Avon the Grand Prix de Paris at three years old and the Gold Cup at Ascot. Barbarity Avent to Mr. Morris also and Avas ; the dam of the famous Barbarity Batallion, as they Avere called by the late Charles .1. Foster, among them 3tuthless. Stelcntless, Ite-s . morseless, Regardless and Merciless, from whom came many good Avinners. Later on Mr. Ten Broc-ck also sent OAer to i this country Phaeton and some brocd mares, among them Lady Iove, dam of Lisbon, which sired Troubadour, Avhich Avon the Suburban and brought off a grand coup for his oAvner, the late Capt. S. S. Brown, 3f it liad not been for Mr. Ten Broeck. . rhaeton and 32clipse newr Avould hae come over here and the American turf Avould not : haA-e had King Alfonso, Foxhall, Joe Cotton, Fonso, Granada, Himyar, Domino, Cap and Bells, Commando, Colin, Drake Carter, Avhich held for many years the three-mile record. Bertan and the great Ten Broeck, Avhich held 1 at one time Vive American records, Aiz., a l mile in 1 :30 3-4, tAvo miles in 3 :27 1-2, three 5 miles in 5 :2G 1-2, four miles in 7 :15 3-4 and 1 two and five-eighths miles in 4 :58 1-2. Mr. Ten Broeck also selected in England 1 for Major B. G. Thomas, King Ban, Avhich Avas a great success at the stud as the sire of many Avinners, among them Iving lrox, Ban Fox and Queen Ban.


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Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800