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REFLECTIONS By Nelson Dunstan , J. E. Widener Improved Elmendorf, Not Haggin Elmendorf Changed, but Pete Widiner Didnt Reports of Withdrawal From Breeding Erroneous Now Operates Elk Hill, a Part of Elmendorf "NEW YORK, N. Y., May 28. With the Belmont Park meeting soon to close, this is a good time to write a column about the man whe helped make it what it is today. In fact, the late Joseph E. Widener made a number of things in racing and breeding what they are today, and, in saying that, we include Elmendorf Farm, about which there have been some erroneous reports in recent years. In September, 1950, the surprise announcement was made that young Peter A. B. Widener, DX, has sold 500 acres of Elmendorf to Tinkham Veale, n., and Sam A. Cos-tello, and the impression was created that "Little Pete" did not. share the enthusiasm of his grandfather and his father for thoroughbred breeding, and was selling out to devote his time to the raising of cattle in Florida. As matters developed, nothing could have been more misleading. Despite the years that it took Joseph E. Widener to develop his thoroughbred dynasty, Veale and Costello promptly sold most of the broodmares who had made Elmendorf famous. The one man, as the records today show, who had the foresight to maintain some of the best bloodlines collected by Widener, was none other than his grandson, P. A. B. Widener, DX, whose present Elk Hill Farm comprises 680 acres of the original 1,260-acre establishment of the man who played such a part in the development of Belmont Park, Hialeah and Elmendorf Farm. There will be more about Pete Wideners current thoroughbred holdings in a later paragraph. A few days before this years running of the Kentucky Derby, came a second surprise announcement, that Tinkham and Veale had sold their interest in the Elmendorf property to Max Gluck. More than a year and a half ago in this column, we mentioned that Gluck would some day own one of the big breeding farms of the country. Little did we know, at the time, that the farm he would eventually buy would be Elmendorf. When the report of the sale was made it was stated: "Elmendorf, one of the show places of Kentucky was, in its present form, developed by James Ben Ali Haggin. It later became the property of Joseph E. Widener. Veale and Costello purchased it from P. A. B. Widener,. HI., the grandson of Joseph ErWidener. During the past 25 years, more than 80 stake winners have been raised on Elmendorf Farm." In the main, those details are correct, but that Haggin developed the famous farm is not correct. We must give credit where it is due, but, at the same time, not minimize the contributions to racing and breeding made by the amazing man who owned the fabulous Rancho Del Paso, with its 44,000 acres, 600 broodmares and 40 stallions. When Haggin owned Elmendorf Farm, it was raw, undeveloped land and was not brought to a state of production perfection until after it was acquired by Joseph E. Widener. Widener was an idealist and a perfectionist rolled into one. Whatever he did, he did well, whether it was the beautification of such outstanding race tracks as Belmont and Hialeah, or obtaining the finest stock for his thoroughbred production. His interest in breeding, as a hobby, started about 1908. He owned a few mares of the finest American and French bloodlines. He raced and bred horses in England and France long before he established Elmendorf in this country, and his first breeding farm was in France. In 1930, he purchased a 213-acre tract in Kentucky on the banks of the North Elkhorn. In later years he added 392 acres to his Fayette County holdings, then bought 587 acres from the John T. Hughes estate, and to these holdings he added 346 acres from John Marshall and other owners. After he transferred part of this estate to his newphew, George D. Widener, Elmendorf was composed of 1,297 acres of the choicest land in the Blue Grass section. Since then, 80 stake winners were bre5 at Elmendorf, but what reports failed to state at the time Gluck bought the property was that they were bred by Joseph E. Widener and his son, Peter A. B. Widener. From the time Joseph E. Widener acquired his first broodmare, Martha Gorman, who was by Sir Dixon, out of Sallie McClelland, he made a careful study in three countries of the successful mares, outstanding stallions and their bloodlines. He set himself several very distinct rules to follow in his selection of stock. As an example, any filly or mare he purchased had to be of a strictly feminine type, standing 15.2 hands or a shade taller, good shouldered, roomy body, with good quarters and completely sound of limb. In 1931, he had 44 mares at Elmendorf and half of them were under 12 years. The mare, Black Brocade, by Neil Gow, out of Black Velvet, had been purchased from the Keeneland Stud. One of his finest was the mare, Seven Pines, a well-balanced daughter of the very prolific Haste. When she was bred to Sickle she produced the excellent race mare and splendid individual, Misty Isle. As late as 1949, the Elmendorf producing band included Never Again U., Stepwisely, Gotit, Offensive, Destiny H., Evangelist n., and their colts and fillies brought high prices in the salesring. When: the estate was dispersed, various breeders purchased Elmendorf mares. As is the case in all dispersals, this gave opportunities to breeders who were seeking high-class matrons that could be acquired only through the liquidation of stock from a quality farm. Regardless of the reports that he was changing to the raising of cattle, the man who had the foresight to keep some of the Widener bloodlines intact, was Peter A. B. Widener, BX While he shuns publicity and had little, or nothing, to say when it was thought he was retiring from thoroughbred breeding, he maintained some 12 young matrons for breeding at his own Elk Hill Farm. Today, he has daughters of Seven Pines, Miss Brief, Ap-pian Via, Black Queen, Black Lashes and others. This year, he sent these mares to such high-class stallions as Bull Lea, Jet Pilot, Shannon n., Eight Thirty, Roman and others. Why he went into the cattle business, we do not know, but, we do know that he is carrying on the breeding activities of his grandfather and his father, and that from 1953 on, Widener will again be among those sending yearlings to the market. He has both the bloodlines and the facilities to produce some of the best. The quantity will not be there, but the Widener quality will be the same as it was in the days when 80 stake winners came off the Elmendorf Farm of which Elk Hill is a part today.
