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THE STORY OF THE SPRINTER XX. By SALVATOR. A week ago, in the last chapter in this s series, was related the establishment of the first real stake for sprinters ever given in America, and run annually for a term of years after the date of its foundation. That was the Congress Hall Stakes, first run at Saratoga in the year 1879, an event for all ages, at six-furlong heats, best two in three. This stake remained a standing feature at The Spa from that date up to and including the season of 1891, making thirteen runnings under the original conditions, with the exception that the endowment was increased from 00 to 00; the largest net to any winner being ,700. In 1892, however, it was changed to a dash race of a mile and a furlong, run once at that distance and then permanently discontinued and passed into history. Before writing into the record the stakes for sprinters that succeeded the Congress Hall, we will double back in this chapter, for the nonce, to introduce the first two real "champion sprinters" in American turf history, both of which had come and gone before the Congress Hall Stakes was founded. Previous to them, while several horses had shown themselves handy at the new short distances, nothing in the way of an outstanding "speed marvel" had appeared, which had focused attention as such, and dominated the events given for horses unable to shine over the longer courses still standard. This memorable pair was Alarm and Rhadamanthus. Alarm was the first of the two to appear and was also, historically, much the more significant. We have already seen what a conspicuous part the get of imported Eclipse played in the introduction of short-distance racing. A previous chapter showed that in a series of twelve historical sprinting events, each the first of its kind ever given in this country, the get of Eclipse had won no less than six, or 50 per cent. This completely eclipsed the pun seems fully permissible all other lines of blood then extant in the demonstration of intense speed at short distances, as a family trait. It is, therefore, not at all surprising to find that Alarm was also a son of imported Eclipse. He was foaled in 1869 and bred by John Hunter at his Annieswood Stud in Westchester County, New York. John Hunter had been one of the pillars of the New York turf for a long period previous to that date and continued to be for years afterwards. He has already figured in this story as the owner of La Noire, the filly that won the first dash race for two-year-olds at a distance of less than one mile ever given in the United States, that having been at Pater-son, N. J., in 1864. The dam of Alarm was the English mare imported Maud, by Stockwell. Stockwell, known as "the emperor of stallions," and today generally regarded as the greatest progenitor seen in England for 100 years past, was renowned for his stoutness over long courses, and so were his get; but Alarm bred after his sire exclusively, it would seem, for he was a pure "speed wonder." He came put as a two-year-old and in his first appearance won a match at ,000 a side against the crack filly, Inverary, bred and owned by Sir Roderick Cameron of Staten Island, and by his great imported horse, Leamington. Inverarys speed was of the lightning brand and she was also, like all the Leamingtons, game as well as swift. The race was at a mile and she obliged Alarm to put forth all his powers to beat her in 1:47 1-4. Never "before had a two-year-old run as fast as that in this country and the next morning Alarm was famous. And then, as is not uncommon, in the elation over his victory, a gross error of judgment was made with him. He was started back the very next day in the Kentucky Stakes before he had recovered from the effects of the match and after a hard race was beaten by both Sue Ryder and Joe Daniels, the mile being run in 1:47 1-4. As a result of this, Alarm got off and was unable to race again until in October, when he was started twice at Jerome Park and ran second each time, being beaten by Joe Daniels in the Nursery Stakes and Inverary in the Dessert Stakes. It was, nevertheless, the impression of the best critics that the speed of Alarm surpassed that of any other colt ever before 1 seen in this country, and that, properly han- died, he would not have lost a race during the season. This opinion he more than verified in 1872, 1 as a three-year-old, when he ran and won five races in quick succession. All were purse events, which were intended to pre- 1 pare him for a number of rich stake en- gagements, and included one at six furlongs, one at a mile and a quarter, one at 1 a mile, another at six furlongs and another i at a mile. In each of them he displayed i speed which left the critics breathless and his opponents staggering. Nothing he met : could live with him, including such colts as : Kingfisher, which had carried Longfellow the first mile of the Saratoga Cup in the 1 then-almost-incredible time of 1:40; Frog- town, which broke the mile and a quar- ter record by running in 2:09 1-2, the first 1 time 2:10 was equalled or beaten; and Fad- ladeen, holder of the then nine furlongs record of 1:56. All of them he would run off their legs and leave dead beat behind him. In his last race, at Saratoga, on July 1-7, i 1872, he ran the mile in 1:42, that being 1 the first mile race ever run in America, in i which 1:43 was beaten. Arrangements were then set afoot for a special between him, i Tom Bowling, Kingfisher and Fadladeen, s but he broke down in preparing for it and 1 never started again. An effort was made to train him in 1873 : but it failed and in 1874 he was taken to i Kentucky and placed in the stud there. Among the first of the Kentucky breeders to send mares to him was Major B. G. Thomas of Dixiana, who, a dozen years before, had managed Alarms sire, imported Eclipse, when he was standing in the Blue Grass. ; With Alarm, Major Thomas mated his fa- i mous Lexington mare, Hira, and the result- 3 ing foal was no less than Himyar. another 1 speed marvel and the sire of a still greater 3 one, Domino, an epochal horse and the founder of the foremost family of pure speed s 1 1 1 1 i i : : 1 1 i 1 i i s 1 : i race horses of modern times. Otherwise, Alarm begot many noted winners, including Danger, Gabriel, Parthenia, Breeze, Startle, Gunnar, Illusion, Flight, etc., etc After the death of Leamington he became the head of the great Erdenheim Stud, near Philadelphia, now the property of. Mr. George D. Widener, breeder and owner of last seasons sensational sprinter, Sation, whose dam is by the inbred Domino horse, TJltimus. Rhadamanthus was three years younger than Alarm and was foaled in 1872. He is often referred to by turf writers and historians as the first "champion sprinter," though as a matter of fact he was preceded by Alarm and was not so fast a horse. But Alarm ran but nine races all told and faded from sight in July of his three-year-old career, while Rhadamanthus raced on season after season until he had become a familiar, standing public favorite, while over and above that he is famous as the first horse ever raced by the Dwyer brothers and the one that laid the foundation for their unprecedented successful career as Americas premier winning owners. Rhadamanthus was bred by the same man that bred Alarm John Hunter, of the Annieswood Stud. His sire was imported Leamington and his dam, Nemesis a brilliant race mare before being put to breeding, was a daughter of the inevitable imported Eclipse; which again gives the reader an indication of the wonderful part played by that progenitor in the production of- intense sprinting speed and a family of horses preeminent for success over short courses. As a yearling Rhadamanthus a beautifully named horse for a son of Nemesis, as his namesake was the god of "rigorous judgment" was bought by the first August Belmont, in whose colors he made his debut as a two-year-old, winning the Grand Stakes, at Saratoga, one mile, in 1:46, then very fast time, second in the Special Sweepstakes there, and third in the Nursery Stakes at Jerome Park. At three, Rhadamanthus began well by running second to the great Aristides, the first Kentucky Derby winner, in the Withers, at a mile, with a lot of good colts behind him, but when he tried his luck in the Belmont, at a mile and a half, he was unplaced, following which "he ran second to Grinstead in a purse, heats of nine furlongs. Taken to Saratoga, he there showed what his real forte was by forcing Madge to run six furlongs in 1:15 then sensationally fast. His first win that season was at nine furlongs, in the deep mud which he reveled in, but from a poor field. He next ran second at the same distance to Brigand in 1:56 near record time. Mr. Belmont then decided that it was time to turn him adrift. That gentleman wanted only stake horses and it was evident that while "Rhad" had all kinds of speed, he could not go far enough to be of any use in the great events for his age. So he was sold out of the stable for a small price to G. Langstaff, for whom he quickly won himself out, beginning in his hands the career that made him famous. Running third the first time out, he won five of his next seven races, being unbeatable save when he was raced at distances like two miles. By the end of that season the black colt , had definitely established himself as possessed of meteoric speed, gameness as far as he could go, and consistent form. But the mistake was made, in the early part of 1876, when he was four, of again trying to win with him over long courses, which was again a failure. As soon as he was put back over the short ones he began to accumulate brackets and it was then, at the second Saratoga meeting of 1876, that he again : changed owners, the young Brooklyn "butcher boys" first buying an interest in him, it is said for 00, and then becoming j his sole owners. He ran first in their colors of "red and blue" at Saratoga on August 15, and again on August 17 winning, well backed, both times, though one race was really beyond his 1 tether, being at a mile and a quarter. Twice j more he "brought home the bacon," but was -beaten three times, twice in long races in , which, with curious persistency, he con- tinued to be started, under the belief that his great speed would pull him through in moderate company but it didnt. Had the Dwyers known as much about ; the game at that time as they did later, : they would have won many more races with Rhadamanthus than they did. He should have been kept at sprinting exclusively but again in 1877 he was repeatedly pulled out to go distances beyond his limit. The -handicappers also gave him the hot end of it, and as a rule he was asked to give his competitors many pounds. That season he ! won six times in fourteen starts. By 1878 he was six-years-old and with four campaigns behind him. His legs were be- ginning to show wear and tear, nor was his speed what it had been but he was ground through the mill sixteen times to win only four. The next season saw his final efforts, four starts, of which he won two. Rhadamanthus was definitely ahead of his i time. His career fell during a period when events for pure speed horses were still com- ; paratively few and their values small, which was one reason why he was so often raced over too long courses. Later on, under : changed conditions, he would have accom- plished far more. But as it was he left a permanent impression as the "champion sprinter" of the metropolitan tracks, with t whirlwind speed surpassing that of all his t rivals. After closing his turf career he was placed 1 in the stud, but came to a tragic end in the spring of 1881 when he was cremated in a burning stable. He left a very few foals, but one of them, Pegasus, was for several sea- sons a brilliant performer over short and l middle distances. - 5 r i - I t 1 ; . .
