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Breeders Have Big Stake in Derby Classic Winners Always Able To Attract Top Broodmares Also Command High Stud * Fees With Books Being Filled Well in Advance CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 6. — Some one has well said that the | Kentucky Derby isnt just a horse race. It j is an annual spring turf festival that is , highly enjoyable to the crowds of 100,000, , and for many weeks it stimulates an interest in the sport in far flung cities and j towns. It seems unlikely, however, that many persons quite realize how very im-! portant the Derby is to the United States . two-billion dollar bloodstock breeding in-i dustry. There was a suggestion of the relation- ship between the Derby and the stud during the war, when the transportation ban brought up a question if the Derby could be renewed. It was the voice of the breeders that urged the authorities to permit the continuity of the race, if that was at all possible, without interference in the war effort. The breeders pointed out that the war-time restrictions on the sport in general and the Derby in particular had cost England much of her supremacy in the thoroughbred world. Because of unsatisfactory tests her bloodstock had depreciated. The esteem in which breeders hold Derby winners as prospective sires is clearly shown by the speed with which their books are filled at high fees and the further fact that their owners often are able to select the best mates for them. For instant there are even now many requests for seasons to Citation, though nobody really knows when he may be retired nor what fee will be asked. Value of Other Foals Increased Naturally, the owner of the Derby winner and the owner or owners of his immediate sire and dam profit most by the result of the race, but the result also enhances the values of the other foals produced by the sire and the dam. For instance, Carrier Pigeon was rater "unfashionable" when ► Old Rockport won the Santa Anita Derby, but his book of 1949 mates increased from eight to about 28 almost overnight. The many small breeders who have yearlings by Carrier Pigeon to offer buyers will realize more for them. The case of this sire is just a random example. In a larger sense certain bloodstock breeding areas stand to profit through the result of the Derby. Not quite all of the eligibles were bred at Blue Grass studs. The exception this spring is Duplicator, who races for Mr. and Mrs. J. Seley and was bred by L. B. Mayer at his Mayer Stock Farm in California. Since the revival of racing in California the breeding industry there has grown to represent an investment of 00,000,000. The native sons one great ambition is to produce a colt capable of beating the best from Kentucky and other states in the ."Run for the Roses." Matter of fact, Mayer stated that was his fondest wish when he made grass for a stud farm grow in a desert. He has sold his breeding stock, hut its possible that Duplicator will gratify his hopes, even if he is to carry anothers colors. Of course, Kentucky is foremost of the breeding states, but it doesnt have a monopoly on the production of Derby winners. For instance, Regret was bred in New Jersey, Paul Jones in Virginia, Elwood and Laurin in Missouri, Morvich in Calif orna, George Smith in New York and Omar Khayyam, Cavalcade and Pensive in England. The last two were imported in utero and under a Jockey Club technicality are U. S. products. Desire to Breed Derby Winner Another of the rivalries among breeders is that between those who breed for the market and those who breed to race. It is said that the greatest pleasure which the Derby holds for the sportsman is to lead in a colt of his own breeding, but then all who assemble racing stables and studs must begin somewhere, and usually it is at the yearling auctions. During the season of 1947 there were 1,465 yearlings sold at auction in the U. S. and three of these have proved good enough to warrant paying ,050 to start in the 00,000 Derby. These are the 2,500 Johns Joy, the 3,500 Model Cadet and the ,500 Jacks Town. At a glance the ratio of Derby horses to sales yearlings seems quite small, but it varies little from the ratio of Derby horses to yearlings bred at home. Many generations of breeders have disputed the relative merits of native and imported sires. In the field" this year are four sons of stallions that were bred abroad, and these include the highly fancied Olympia, who is by Heliopolis. The others are Ponder, by Pensive; Duplicator, by Beau Pere and Johns Joy by Bull Dog. It is a good showing, considering the comparatively small percentage of imported horses at stud. Those who are sticklers for what is called "class in the dam" will be interested that Palestinians dam, Dolly Whisk; Capots dam, Piquet, and Olympias dam, Miss Dolphin, all were themselves stakes winners. Johns Joys dam, My Auntie, was favorite for the Arkansas Derby when she fell lame. If it matters, five of the nine horses who were first, second or third in the last three Derbys were from stakes-winning mares. None of the mares represented by Derby colts this spring is the dam of a previous winner of the stakes, and the same is true of the stallions. Further, none of the thousands of horses now at stud is represented by more than one starter. Breeders represented by past winners are Calumet Farm Citation, Pensive and Whirlaway, Greentree Stud Twenty Grand and Shut Out, and A. B. Hancock, a partner with the late Mrs. R. A. VanClief in breeding Jet Pilot. As you see, the Derby breeders awards of ,000 first, ,000 second and 00 third are only the beginning of the Classics importance to the stud in America.
