view raw text
Kentucky Breeding Establishments No. 23 By THOS. B. CROMWELL. j !L -4 The twenty-third of a series of articles containing information concerning ownership, location, acreage, equipment and horse population of thoroughbred breeding farms in Kentucky. JEFFERSON COUNTY. LEXINGTON, Ky., April 21. Louisville Kentuckys most important city, particularly in the matter of population and manufacturing, is the seat of Jefferson County, which extends westward from the line of Shelby County to the Ohio River, or rather to the low water line on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. Many years before the time to which the memory of this writer runneth, the breeding of thoroughbred horses began in Jefferson County. It was, however, years after the production of running horses had been inaugurated in the country about Lexington. By comparison with such activities in the Blue Grass region, breeding operations in delightful Jefferson County have never been upon an extensive scale. Neither have the horses of Jefferson County been bred by timid souls. Jefferson County is less abundant of limestone than breeders generally believe necessary to the production of superior race horses, and that, perhaps, has deterred numerous horse-loving men and women from trying to produce sterling campaigners in the Bear Grass section of Kentucky. This writer does not wish to leave the impression that good horses have never been produced in Jefferson County. The contrary is the fact, but they have not been numerous, nor has the percentage been as great as that maintaining in the Blue Grass section. One of the earlier breeders in Jefferson County was the noted Richard Ten Broeck, whose exploits on the turf in America and in England have illuminated the annals of racing. Mr. Ten Broecks first visit to England was in 1856, and in his string were Lecomte, Pryor and Prioress. They did well in contests on British soil, and afforded the encouragement for other campaigns on the part of their owner. After the war between the states, when there came a revival of racing in America, Mr. Ten Broeck settled on a farm of 800 acres near St. Matthews, eight miles east of Louisville, on the road to Lexington, and called it Hurstbourne. From England he imported Phaeton, by King Tom, and placed him in the stud at Hurstbourne for the seasons of 1869 and 1870. The following season, however, saw Phaeton standing at Lexington. It was then that he begat the famous f our-miler, Ten Broeck, from union with Fanny Holton, and it was at Lexington that Phaeton gained his triumphs in the stud. However, he breathed his last at Hurstbourne and was buried under a great forest tree, of which there were and still are many in Jefferson County, the woodlands of which have scarcely known the ravage of the tobacco planters axe, that the "weed" might grow in soil that hitherto had afforded succulent pasturage for live stock under the foliage of great oaks, hickories, poplars, hackberries, ash, elms, walnuts and gums, such as were ruthlessly cut out of the Blue Grass country during the last half century. In 1885, Captain J. L. Harris bought Hurstbourne and, with the stallions George Kinney a great race horse; son of Bonnie Scotland, Neptune and Saracen, lesser lights of the turf, and a band of good mares of that time, undertook the breeding of horses to be sold as yearlings. With the passing of Captain Harris five years later. Hurstbourne Stud became the property of his son Norven T. Harris, and he for several years followed the plan of his father, but with no success such as was enjoyed by contemporary breeders in the Blue Grass. George Kinney failed to "carry the line" of Bonnie Scotland. That was left for Bramble, through his mighty son, Ben Brush, the sire of Broomstick and Sweep. The name of George Kinney seldom, if ever, appears in the pedigrees of race horses of today, and one never sees mention of Neptune and Saracen. The most noted stud of all time in Jefferson County was that of the late George J. Long. He called it Bashford Manor and at his death it was dispersed by his heirs. In Bashford Manor three winners of the Kentucky Derby were bred. They were Abra 1892, Manuel 1899 and Sir Huron 1906. Azra and Sir Huon won under Mr. Longs colors, while Manuel, which had been sold, won for A. H. and D. H. Morris of New York. Another Jefferson County winner of the Kentucky Derby, which event has attracted more people to that county than anything Louisville has ever known, was Look; out 1893, foaled the property of Scoggan Brothers who set up as breeders in .the eighties and sold to Cushing and Orth, whose horses under the training of Henry McDan-iels brotfier, William, had such phenomenal success that year. THE AXTON FARM. The most pretentious stud of recent years in Jefferson County was that of the late Wood F. Axton, noted tobacco manufacturer of Louisville, at Wildwood Farm of 430 acres, near Prospect, on the River Road some eighteen miles out of Louisville. Wood F. Axton died April 4, 1935, and bequeathed his farm and horses to his brother E. D. Axton, who has since sold off the horses in training and reduced the mares to twelve. He retained, however, the stallions Monks Way, In Memo-riam, Ormont and Nicodemus, and twenty-one foals, now yearlings. There is a six-furlongs track, but Mr. Axton does not intend to have any horses trained on it. He will do no racing, as did his brother. He is too busy with the tobacco enterprise. He intends to sell the produce of the establishment as yearlings. Paradisical, Hank MacTavish and Frank Ormont were perhaps the best horses bred by Wood F. Axton. WINONA STOCK FARM. Another noted and popular Jefferson County breeder who died last year December 31 was William F. Knebelkamp, prominent also as a distiller and owner of the Louisville Baseball Club. He. was a brother to C. H. Pat and Edwaru Knebelkamp, both widely known on the turf. He was the owner of Winona Stock Farm of 144 acres at Prospect, a short way distant from Wild-wood Farm. There he had the stallion Spanish Play and fifteen mares. Breeding operations have been carried on this season by his heirs, but whether or not the stud will be dispersed has not been announced. There are seven yearlings and a dozen older horses. GOLDEN MAXIM PLACE. Mrs. Thomas M. Murphy continues to carry on at Golden Maxim place of 225 acres at St. Matthews, in the heart of Kentuckys greatest potato growing district, a section famed for the quality of that variety known as Irish Cobblers. Golden Maxim Place got its name from the stallion Golden Maxim, whose daughters have proved worthy matrons in the stud in various parts of the country. Golden Maxim Place was founded by Thomas M. Murphy, an important figure in the business life of Louisville, who died on December 12, 1929, and whose stud at that time was headed by For Fair, and where also was the noted old Theo. Cook, son of Ben Brush. Mrs. Murphy sold the yearlings in May, 1930, and dispersed the stud of forty-six lots at the farm on October 14, 1930. Since that time she has conducted the farm as a boarding place for horses belonging to William E. Smith, president of the Standard Oil Company of Kentucky and vice-chairman of the State Racing Commission, and other patrons who are residents of Louisville and vicinity. At present the stallion High Score, fifteen mares, six yearlings and thirty older horses make up the equine population of the farm. Mrs. Murphy resides at 211 Browns Lane in St. Matthews. She enjoys her activities with the horses and has one of the best appointed farms in the state. Her barns are all first class, her paddocks are well fenced and the entire place is in good grass and well kept. SHADYBROOK FARM. Theodore E. Mueller, head of the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company of Louisville and a member of the Kentucky State Racing Commission, is the owner of Shady-brook Farm, near Louisville. He has 300 acres, beautifully kept, on which he has a half mile track for preparatory home training for the horses he races. At present he has the stallion Actuary, six mares, five yearlings, six two-year-olds and eleven older horses. George Brooks is his trainer, and raced the major portion of the string at Miami this winter. BARNESDALE STOCK FARM. On 235 acres known as Barnesdale, on the Brownsboro Road, ten miles east of Louisville, George V. Barnes, who for many years has been identified with the turf as a breeder, owner and trainer, has the stallions Whiskaway and United Verde, eight mares, six yearlings, six two-year-olGs and eighteen older horses. He will have about a dozen to go to the races this year, and the string is now at Churchill Downs. The Barnesdale land is rolling, well grassed, well watered and well appointed. GLENVIEW FARM. Baylor O. Hickman is the owner of Glen-view Farm of 250 acres at Glenview. He doesnt keep a stallion. His mares number six. He has three yearlings and three two-year-olds and ten older horses. Preliminary training is done on the farm where there is a mile track. Mr. Hickman is a Louisville business man and breeding and racing horses is his diversion. His place is well situated and well kept. The farm at one time was owned by the late J. B. McFerran, a noted breeder of trotting horses, and later by John Green, who also had an excellent stud of standard-bred horses. It was the home of Nutwood, Pancoast, and Cuyler, all very successful trotting sires. FREEDBERG FARM. At Buechel, H. Friedberg, widely known in the tobacco manufacturing industry and a great friend of E. D. Axton and his brother, the late Wood F. Axton, has fifty acres on which he keeps eight mares, but no stallion. He patronizes the stallions at the Axton Farm. He has five yearlings and eleven horses in training this year. WEDDING FARM. At Goshen, which is on the River Road out of Louisville, G. G. Wedding, who died October 9, 1935, maintained a small stud, which is now under the management of his brother, C. C. Wedding, for the estate. The place contains 211 acres, well appointed. The stallion Golden Guinea stands there. There are seven mares, one yearling and three two-year-olds to make up the thoroughbred horse population. RUNNING WATER FARM. John L. Allgeier and son, Call J. Allgeier, have eighty-seven acres about eight miles from Louisville on the Brownsboro Road, which they call Running Water Farm. They bought this farm in 1932 from Jack P. Chinn, a grandson of the late Col. Jack Chinn and a nephew of Col. Phil T. Chinn. They have there four mares and two yearlings. This season they do not have a stallion. They had Harry Baker, an English horse, for one season, after which he was sold to W. E. Smith, whose property he died. In the city of Louisville there are a number of business men who own a mare or two and keep them on various farms in Jefferson County, and here and there throughout the county will be found farms that have a mare or two, and now and then one will come upon a veteran of the turf, such as Dan Lehan of Jeffersontown, who indulges his fancy for horses by keeping one or more mares and handling .a yearling or two each season.
