view raw text
f-- - - . , . . . . , . , Kentucky Breeding- Establishments No. 21 j j By THOS. B. CROMWELL, j j The twenty-first of a series of articles containing information concerning ownership, location, acreage, equipment and horse population of thoroughbred breeding farms in Kentucky, follows. WOODFORD COUNTY. LEXINGTON, Ky., March 31. Hartland Farm, which Hon. Johnson N. Camden, former United States Senator, former chairman of the Kentucky State Racing Commission, sold to Silas B. Mason when he and Mrs. Camden decided to make their home at Run-nymede Farm in Bourbon County, was discussed in the ninth article of this series, covering Mr. Masons six farms, embracing 4,341 acres in Fayette and Woodford Counties. In the thirteenth article there was an account of Roy Carruthers Sycamore Lodge Farm, also in Woodford County. Other farms in that "asparagus bed of the Blue Grass," on which thoroughbred horses are produced, are an even dozen. BOSQUE BONITA FARM. John H. Morris, the dean of Woodford County breeders, is the master of Bosque Bonita Farm of 121 acres, located three miles from Versailles on the Midway Pike. At the present time Mr. Morris does not have a stallion. In other years he .had Knight of the Thistle, Trevisco, Escoba and Baigneur. Since the death of Baigneur, he has been altogether patronizing stallions on other farms in the Blue Grass region. At the present time there are thirty mares and twelve yearlings at Bosque Bonita. The yearlings are to be sold, as usual, at Saratoga in August. Bosque Bonita was established by the famous Gen. Abe Buford prior to the war between the states. The only season that imported Leamington ever made in Kentucky was at Bosque Bonita in 1866. Enquirer was raised and trained at Bosque Bonita; Mannie Gray, the dam of Domino, was trained and foaled there. Salina, Nellie Gray and Hollywood were three queenly daughters of Lexington to have had their place at Bosque Bonita. McWhorter, Good Night and Fostress were also raised at Bosque Bonita. At the sale of Colonel Bufords horses and land, this farm was purchased by a Mr. Gil-more, who was in the wholesale whiskey business at Cincinnati. Later it was sold to George Watson who bred trotters there. He built the present residence after the original home had burned. Mr. Morris bought the farm from Mr. Watson and he there raised for the late R. H. McCarter Potter the Kentucky Derby winner Worth foaled at Woodburn Farm, Spring Station, son of Knight of the Thistle, which, ridden by Carroll Schilling, triumphed under the colors of the late H. C. Hallenbeck in 1912. Escoba, which finished second to Exterminator in the Kentucky Derby of 1918,. was also raised by Mr. Morris at Bosque Bonita for the late Kenneth Alexander. Gentility and Polly McWiggles dam of Kerry Patch were two of the best mares to have been produced at Bosque Bonita in Mr. Morris time. Star Ballot, a son of Star Shoot, which finished second in the Futurity, also was raised at Bosque Bonita. PARRISH FARMS. J. W. Parrish, Midway banker and farmer, is one of the most successful of the present day breeders of thoroughbreds in Woodford County. He has three farms combining 1,200 acres. His stud of thoroughbreds at the present time embraces the stallions Rolled Stocking and Percentage, fourteen mares, twelve yearlings, eleven two-year-olds, and six older horses. His training is done by John M. Goode and his son Jack Goode. Mr. Parrish has spent the winter in Florida while some of his horses have raced at Hialeah and Tropical Parks. Mr. Parrish bred both Rolled Stocking and Percentage, and they were good race horses for him. Mary Belle, the dam of Rolled Stocking, was one of the best mares he has ever owned. She won twelve races and produced regularly and successfully. AIRDRIE FARM. Airdrie Farm of 1,300 acres is the"" property of Mrs. Augustus B. Gay, whose mother, Mrs. W. E. Sims, was a daughter of the late A. J. Alexander, founder of the famous Woodburn Farm at Spring Station. Airdrie Farm is that part of Woodburn on which Mr. Alexander bred many famous thoroughbred horses, among them five winners of the Kentucky Derby, namely: Baden Baden 1877, Fonso 1880, Joe Cotton 1885, Chant 1894 and His Eminence 1901. Worth 1912 was another winner of the Kentucky Derby foaled on this land. It was at the time that John H. Morris had this part of Woodburn under lease, prior to his purchase of Bosque Bonita Farm. Worth was the property of H. R. McCarter Potter, a distinguished eastern owner whose horses Mr. Morris kept for a number of years. Worth won the Derby under the colors of the late H. C. Hallenbeck. None of the five winners of the Kentucky Derby bred by Mr. Alexander carried his colors in that famous event. Baden Baden raced for Daniel Swi gert, Fonso fof J. S. Shawhan, Joe Cotton ; for James T. Williams, Chant for Lee and Rose, and His Eminence for F. B. Van Meter. It would take many pages to recount the activities of A. J. Alexander as a breeder : at Woodburn and the triumphs of the horses produced there. The stud of thoroughbreds i at Airdrie Farm is in the ownership and under the management of "Gus" Gay, a very popular and intelligent young horseman and : farmer, who has had more than average , success in the short while in which he has . been breeding, selling and racing thoroughbreds. This season the stud comprises nine mares, which find their mates among the stallions standing on other farms, six yearlings, one two-year-old and four older horses i in training. There is a one-mile track on i the farm and the preliminary training is done there. HURSTLAND FARM. Charles Nuckols, of Midway, is the owner of Hurstland Farm and for some twenty years has been breeding thoroughbred horses. He has 356 acres close to Midway, and at the present time has twelve mares, seven yearlings, four two-year-olds and four older horses. He is not keeping a stallion this season and is sending his mares to sires on other farms. Among the good horses produced by Mr. Nuckols at Hurstland Farm were Little Visitor, Tip Toe Inn and Cousin Jo, all winners of Oaks races at Lexington, Latonia and Louisville. Spanish Play, winner of the Latonia Derby, now standing at Winona Farm near Louisville; Playtime, a good handicap horse; Ramoneur, a very fast horse, and Marche Militaire are other good ones which were foaled at Hurstland. Among the mares in Mr. Nuckols stud are Cousin Jo, Gentle Julia, Anna Horton, Gay Omar, Black Bush and Heterodyne. ROUSE FARM. J. Howard Rouse, one of the younger breeders, has 160 acres near Midway and leases and operates for farming purposes something like 1,000 acres more of land in Woodford County. He gained his initial experience with horses as trainer for J. W. Parrish, and he has been counseled by Mr. Parrish in his breeding activities, which have been on a small scale and successful.. He has a half dozen mares and three yearlings at the present time. He keeps no stallion. FAWN LEAP FARM. W. B. Cogar, former sheriff of Woodford County and one of its most successful farmers, has 260 acres near Midway, which he calls Fawn Leap Farm. He had five mares this season which visited stallions on other farms. He has sold all of his yearlings and has only one horse in training. GLENCREST FARM. Roy H. Farmer is the owner of Glencrest Farm, 225 acres near Midway. He keeps no stallion and this season has eight mares visiting stallions at other establishments. He has sold all of his yearlings and has no horses in training. BUCK RUN FARMS. Frank E. Morancy, member of a noted Woodford County family, is the owner of two farms embracing a total of 450 acres, four miles from Versailles, which he calls Buck Run Farms. He keeps from six to eight mares annually and does not have a stallion. He now has four yearlings and no horses in training. The original Buck Run Farm, until it came into possession of Mr. Morancy, was owned by Logan Railey and after him his two sons, Russell and Irvine. It was one of the most noted saddle horse nurseries in Kentucky. Vhe farm boasts a lovely old brick home which is. in perfect state of preservation, and it is Mr. Moran-cys intention to occupy it at no distant date. He is at present living at Atlanta, Ga., but has lately said that he intends to remove to Kentucky and to expand his operations as a breeder of thoroughbred- horses. BEND VALLEY FARM. Bend Valley Farm of 220 acres, near Spring Station, on the Woodlake Pike, is on the boundary of Woodford and Franklin Counties and is owned by Mrs. Gretna C. Bedford, widow of the late B. Thomas Bedford. Bend Valley Farm was devised by will to Mrs. Sidney Mary Harper Bedford, who was a niece of John Harper who owned and raised Longfellow. Mrs. Bedford has six mares and one two-year-old. No stallion has been kept on Bend Valley Farm since the death of Mr. Bedford. VINE HELL FARM. Jack D. and Joseph Rogers are the owners of Vine Hill Farm, which embraces 1,210 acres, a short way from Versailles. They keep no stallion, but have twelve thoroughbred mares, six yearlings and a dozen older horses, some of which are in training at the farm, though there is no track thereon. Jack D. Rogers is a noted huntsman of this section and is a member of the Iroquois Hunt. In addition to his thoroughbred breeding activities he also breeds and deals in Percherons and other farm horses. MIDDLEBROOK FARM. Norris Royden, noted turf writer on the staff of Daily Racing Form and allied publications, is the owner of Middlebrook Farm of eighty-six acres in Woodford County, eleven miles from Lexington on the Big Sink Pike, which branches off the Old Frankfort Pike. Mr. Royden keeps no stallion, but this season he has eight mares, four yearlings and three older horses on the premises. He is a newcomer to the breeding ranks and thus far has had no runners to represent his establishment. SPRINGSIDE FARM." George M. Hendrie of Hamilton, Ont., Canada, is the owner of Springside Farm of 120 acres, located in Woodford County at the intersection of the Lexington-Versailles and the Pisgah Pikes. It is managed for him by John Walters, who for a number of years trained the Hendrie horses and who now makes his home at Springside, which is not operated at this time as a breeding establishment. After the death of Boniface, Mr. Hendrie had all of his mares returned to Canada and he now sends a few mares each year to Springside to be bred to stallions in central Kentucky, and then returned to Canada to foal.
