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REFLECTIONS I By Nelson Dunstan Many Americans to See Queens Plate Renewal Canadian-American Rivalry Keen Years Ago Man o War, Old Bones Ended Careers in Canada Old Dominion Families Bulwarks in Ontario WOODBINE PARK, Toronto, Ont., May 22. A veteran customs inspector looked over our baggage and asked the customary question, "Why are you in Canada, and how long will you be here?" When we said we were there to you see the running of the Queens Plate, he smiled and said, "I used to go to the races back in the days when Display and Exterminator came up here to win our cups." Canadian racing is more localized today, but through the years, it has always been pleasant for an American who crosses the Canadian border, with no passports required and no suspicious soldiers to ask a thousand and one questions. Probably 40,000 people will be present when the ninty-third running of the Queens Plate is staged, here Saturday, and the throng will include many Americans. The nearest approach to the scene on Plate Day is Pimlico on Preakness Day. But, even so we find considerable difference, for with the members of the Ontario Jockey Club in their cutaways and gray toppers, the bagpipes and the bands and the many trophies on display in front of the roya jj box, an American visitor is likely to feel that part of the old Doncaster track in Yorkshire had been transplanted within the limits of the city of Toronto. Like England, Canada is a country where horse racing is taken for granted as a sport of the people. It is with pride that we Americans tell of the generations of Whit-neys, Wideners and others, and it is the same in Canada. Back in the 1890s the names of Hendrie, Seagram, and [ later, Hatch, were prominent in the sport of Ontario, especially in the Queens or Kings Plate. Today, one finds a Seagram and a Hendrie as officers of the Ontario Jockey Club, while two members of the lateH. C. Hatch family continue in the sport* in a modest way. Many of the older members of these families operated their racing stables and breeding farms on a larger scale than the present members, and often they would send a horse over to this country, as William Hendrie did, to win our own Futurity at Sheepshead Bay, with Martimas. For 30 years Joseph E. Seagram was engaged in breeding and racing, and he imported numerous horses of both sexes from England and crossed them with the best blood to be obtained in the United States. E. F. Seagram, his son, attended the Saratoga sales and it was there that he bought Sir Harry for ,000. In 1927, this racer won the Coffroth Handicap at Tijuana with the winners share of §84,000. Tomorrow, we will tell of the extraordinary feats of Seagram horses in the Kings or Queens Plate. A quarter of a century ago there was keen rivalry between Canadian- and American-owned horses. Display won the Toronto Cup twice, and also the Ontario Jockey Club Cup. Exterminator was the winner of four consecutive Saratoga Cups, and in Canada he won three consecutive running of the Toronto Autumn Cup, and one renewal of the Frontier Handicap, Windsor Jockey Club Handicap, George Hendrie Memorial Handicap and Ontario Jockey Club Cup. "Old Bones" was one of two famous American horses who. ran their farewell race in Canada, the other being Man o* War. Commander J. K. L. Ross, of Montreal, raced Sir Barton, but he also owned Cudgel, Boniface, Milkmaid, Motor. Cop and that popular favorite, Billy Kelly, a winner of 38 races, principally stakes. In addition to his racing stable, Commander Ross maintained stud farms -hr the United States and Canada and, like Joseph Seagram, imported many of his sires and dams from England. Sir Barton, a son of Star Shoot, was bred by the late John E. Madden, and, under the silks of Commander Ross he was the first winner of the American "Triple Crown." As a four-year-old in 1920, he shared with Man o War nationwide publicity. When at Saratoga, both colts ran a mile and a quarter in 2:01%, the clamor for a meeting resulted in the match race for 0,000, and a gold cup at Kenil-worth Park, Windsor, Ontario. Sir Barton was out of condition, and Man o War won easily. Canadian breeders have depended chiefly on sires of American breeding. In 1938, Bunty Lawless accounted for the Kings Plate and since 1942, he has been sending out top runners in the Old Dominion. By Ladder, Bunty Lawless sired Epic, E. P. Taylors winne of the Kings Plate in 1949. He is also the sire of the 1950 Kings Plate winner, McGill, who was also bred by E. P. Taylor. In 1951, Bunty Lawless sired 29 winners, of §72,072 in first money only and this is considerable as the purses in Canada are only a fraction of what they are in this country. This son of Ladder is the only Canadian-bred ever to top the sire list in the Dominion. Taylor, who has become one of the bulwarks of Canadian racing and breeding, was also the owner of Major Factor, last years winner of the Kings Plate. In 1951, however, he had Bull Page, who won the Autumn Handicap and was voted Canadas "Horse of the Year." Bull Page is one of the most, beautifully bred horses ever to stand in Canada, or any other country for that matter, as he is by Bull Lea, out of Our Page, by Blue Larkspur. He was bred by the Woodvale Farm of Royce Martin in Kentucky. Taylor has Bull Page standing with Windfields at his Windfields Farm in Ontario and at his National Stud, the Canadian sportsman also has Fire-thorn, Fenelon, Fairaris, Illuminable, Teddy Wrack and the imported Tournoi. Another fast-growing Canadian breeder is Frank R. Conklin, who has 20 mares at his Midway Farm in Brantford, Ontario. Racings popularity in Canada was never better exemplified than in 1951 when the mutuel totals soared to a new modern high of over 0,000,000, an increase of approximately 12 per cent over the figures of .the previous year. The Province of Ontario contributed over 7,000,000, or approximately 62 per cent, of the Dominion total. The Ontario Jockey Club has always been the leader in Canadas turf affairs, and the cream of the sport is at Woodbine Park, where the Queens Plate is staged annually. Last year, the Fasig-Tipton Company went to Canada for the first time to conduct the sales for the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society and were well pleased with the prices. Frank Conklin of Brantford received the highest price at Cana- Continued on Page Thirty-Three REFLECTIONS By NELSON DUNSTAN • Continued from Page Forty dian sales for the past three years, and last season sold a colt for the high of ,100. Conklin sends most of his mares to Kentucky and, at Cy Whites farm, he now has two sturdy weanlings by Count Fleet. Conklins ambition is to win a Queens Plate, and with his quality breeding should realize that ambition.
