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— MmmBmjmLjmmmMm REFLECTIONS — : By Nelson Dunstan Horses, Like Humans, Often Have Bad Luck Consider Case of Mr. Busher, Myrtle Charm Calumet Releases Interesting Brochure Should Sire Get More Credit Than Dam CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 2. Louis B. Mayer is now at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington and will motor to Derbytown on Saturday to join other Cali-fornians who will be. rooting for Your Host in the Derby... Knenrlthriffc Spendthrift toHI will offer offer n a full full sister sister to to Vour Your — Knenrlthriffc Spendthrift toHI will offer offer n a full full sister sister to to Vour Your Host at the Keeneland Sales, while Tyson Gilpin of the Kentmere Farm in Virginia will sell a yearling half-sister to Oil Capitol at the Saratoga Sales in August. ..The "Longden Story," which is based on the life of Johnny Longden, has reached the production stage in Hollywood. . .Easy Lass, dam of Coaltown and Wistful, richly earned the honors as "Broodmare of the Year" which were accorded her by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders Association tion at at a a dinner dinner here here in in Louisville Louisville Tuesday Tuesday tion at at a a dinner dinner here here in in Louisville Louisville Tuesday Tuesday MmmBmjmLjmmmMm night... Much of -the credit for the success of the Keeneland meeting which closed last Thursday must go to W. T. Bishop and John H. Clark... Calumet Farm has sold seven of the 14 yearlings they have been offering privately. They did not consign to the yearling market last year, nor will they this season . . .Even though Hill Prince may not be the Derby favorite, his sire, Princequillo, is the first in history to have a colt so high on the list, along with another colt, Prince Simon, who was second in the Two Thousand Guineas and is now favorite in the Epsom Derby. . .Bull Lea is an example of that old saying, "Nothing succeeds like success," for when he was retired to stud his fee was 00 — now it is ,000, but even at that price it is next to impossible to, obtain a service. Oftentimes discussion of the Derby brings out angles that are off the beaten path. Last Monday, a veteran of the turf was talking of the hard luck that befell Man o* War, in that he was not a Derby starter and therefore not one of the horses now listed as a "Triple Crown" winner. There were many cases of hard luck far more pronounced than that of Big Red. Hardly a year goes by but one or more candidates have to declare out of the Derby due to injuries while racing or in training. An example this year is Russell Firestones The Diver, a promising colt who may or may not have been in the Derby picture. At Hialeah, Firestone, with the idea of protecting players of the future book, announced that his colt had been injured and therefore was declared out of all spring classics. We have always thought that one of the biggest stories of misfortune with champions was associated with Mrs. Elizabeth Graham of Maine Chance Farm. Two. years ago, her colt, Mr. Busher, was among the top members of his division, while Myrtle Charm was declared the two-year-old champion filly. Great things were naturally expected of them as three-year-olds, but as matters turned out neither ever went to the post. Had they remained sound, it is within the realm of possibility that they would have made racing history as three-year-olds. Then again, there was Blue Peter, champion two-year-old of the 1948 season. But he never recovered from his illness and as a result did not get to the Derby post. Calumet Farm has turned out a brochure which will be of interest to everyone who has followed the fortunes of this farm, which outranks all others in the production of champion horses. It is profusely illustrated and gives a clear picture of the many phases of the work entailed in the racing and raising of top thoroughbreds. It discloses that fact that in the past 18 years that Calumet has operated under Warren Wright the stable has won over ,427,800. As we looked around the farm, we could not help but wonder what it has cost annually to raise horses who were capable of winning such a fabulous sum. On one page is a list of stake events they have won, and from the Acorn to the Withers there are few races in America in which they have not triumphed one or more times. There is also a very interesting article on "Breeding Farms and What They Accomplish," and, like so many of our other large breeders, they hold that the foundation of a good breeding farm Is the mares, while second in importance is the studs. We neglected to ask if these books were for distribution to anyone who wanted a copy, but if they are for wide distribution, they are well worth obtaining. Following a Kentucky Derby or an Epsom Derby, the stallion is given far greater credit than the mare of the winner. While William Woodward and other American breeders agree with Calumet in that the mare is the most important, there are many schools of thought that give the credit to the sire. In a recent article, "Blood Will Tell," John Hislop, one of the acknowledged pedigree experts and general manager of the British Race Horse, says, "This suggests that, to obtain quality and stamina in the offspring, it is necessary for these qualities to be found in the sire, and that, no matter how successful a producer and racer the dam may be, unless she is given the assistance of a top-class sire, the chances are that she will not produce a really good horse. That is to say, the sire is the predominating factor in the breeding of a good race horse. This is further borne out by the fact that in the long run it is the breeder having access to the best sires that has the greatest success. When the Duke of Portland had St. Simon at Welbeck, he was supreme. Access to the services of Blandford, Blenheim, Nearco and Bois Rousel has ensured the consistently high position of the Aga Khan since he took up racing in England. The phenomenal chain of successful stallions bred by Lord Derby — Phalaris, Swynford, Chaucer, Pharos, Fairway and Hyperion— caused the long end of supremacy enjoyed by Stanley House." s As one glances through the list of probables for Kentucky Derby honors, he is very likely to think, "What has become of the great American gelding?" It is an old, old story that Regret was the only winning filly of the Louisville event, but it is also true that only seven unsexed horses have been winners. The last of these was little Clyde Van Dusen, who won over a sloppy track back in 1929. Every probable for Saturdays renewal is a colt, and this despite the fact that many of those originally named were geldings. In some of the races for three-year-olds, and notably the. Belmont Stakes, gelded horses are barred on the supposition to the breeding picture. But it does seem that if an owner had a good geldings, he would certainly seek honors at Churchill, Downs.
