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SIRES AND DAMS By Nelson Dunstan Another Imported Group to Be Sold at Spa Twelve Yearlings From England and Ireland ; Hyperion Is Magic Name at Sales Pavilions Infusions of Foreign Blood Good for Breed NEW YORK, N. Y., June 28. Of recent years, much has been written about International racing. While that has been slow to come, there is more international activity in the sale of yearlings than has been the case in this country. For weeks, we have heard that the Aga Khan would sell 20 youngsters at Saratoga. Yesterday, were were at "Shipwreck" Kellys farm on Long Island, for our first look at these colts and fillies. Not far from Kellys attractive little farm near Huntington, is Louis Ledyards White Hackle Farm at which are 12 yearlings who will also be sold at Saratoga in August. Although these youngsters arrived in New York last February 28, Keith Freeman, of Newmarket, f England, and William Miles, of Oyster Bay, L. I., have just announced that these youngsters were brought here for sales at the Spa. i i i i i i i The group is. comprised of eight colts and four fillies who were foaled in Ireland or England. They were selected from hundreds of weanlings inspected last October and November bjj Freeman, who is one of the largest thoroughbred brokers in the world, besides being a breeder and owner in his own right. For the past two years, he has been the English representative of turfmen in more than 15 countries. His partner, Miles, was formerly manager of Mill River Farm and has broken yearlings for such prominent trainers as James "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons, Frank Kearns, Norman Tallman and Horatio Luro. The partnership of Freeman and Miles have grouped a select band who should find favor in the eyes of Spa bidders. Four of the yearlings are by sons of Hyperion, who is generally regarded as the foremost British sire of recent years and who is now represented by no less than 15 sons in this country. In their carefully selected group, is an im-, pressive looking dark bay colt by Borealis out of Kindy, a daughter of Nearco. A rather astonishing fact regarding this colt is that his first six dams are stake winners. And stake producers. He has one of the most impressive pedigrees of any foreign colt to be sold here this year, for his sire, Borealis, traces male line to the immortal Teddy and, besides the latter are found in his pedigree the names of Hyperion, Nearco and Blandford who, at one time or another, were regarded as the worlds greatest stallions. We have mentioned this consignment here only as an announcement and in later weeks will go more completely into detail regarding the other colts and four fillies that complete the group. Miles has asked us to say that visitors to White Hackle Farm are welcome until the consignment is moved to Saratoga. Through the years, the Claiborne Farm of Arthur B. Hancock has been one of the foremost consignors to the sales at Saratoga and Keeneland. This year, Arthur Hancock, Jr. has, in this writers opinion, one of the finest groups that the famed Paris, Ky., establishment has ever sent to the salesring. The Hancock consignment includes colts and fillies by Jet Pilot, Count Fleet, Fighting Fox, Faultless, Alsab and many others and there are also youngsters by such imported sires as Ambiorix, Blenheim n., Black Tarquin who raced in England, but who is American bred , and Shannon n. This week, three colts and a filly arrived from England and they will be included in the Hancock sale at Keeneland late in July. A colt and a filly by Solar Slipper, a colt by Petition and a colt by Nasrullah out of Nova Puppis, by Hyperion, make up this quartet of importations. This is the only colt by Nasrullah who will be sold in this country during 1952 and while we have not seen him, his pedigree, in itself, is sufficient to draw a legion of lookers at both the farm and the Keeneland paddocks. Nasrullah is one of the many stallions now standing at the Hancock farm, but his first crop in this country will not go to the sales until 1953. While Hancock, Jr. has only four weeks to prepare the imported youngsters for the Keeneland sales, it would not surprise this writer if he was one of the most sought. . The name of Hyperion has a magic that is as strong in this country as it has been in England and Ireland. Larry MacPhail will send an impressive band of 27 colts and fillies to the Spa sales and in his consignment is a chestnut colt by Hyperion Miss Trig, by Trigo. Just as Hancock has the only Nasrullah colt, so has MacPhail the only Nasrullah filly and she is a chestnut out of the mare Feale Bridge, by Cold Bridge. Then there is the veteran breeder Col. Phil T. Chinn, who will sell a large group of yearlings at Keeneland. One is a bay colt by Donatello II. out of Dancing Sunbeam, by Hyperion, and another is a bay colt by Tehran Trial Ground, by Fair Trial. These foreign yearlings are highly attractive in pedigree and there will, naturally, be much interest in the Tehran colt, as he is by the sire of this years Epsom Derby winner. All the colts mentioned would be ideal stallions, if they make good on the jrace course, as they would serve as outcrosses for the mares of our own American lines. MacPhails Hyperion colt has been seen by many veteran horsemen, and they tell us that his conformation is in keeping with the pedigree. That being the case, he will create considerable interest when on inspection at the Spa. More than 40 yearlings will be sold at Keeneland and Saratoga, who were foaled in England and Ireland, and it has always impressed itself on this writer that the number of colts and fillies by imported stallions has played a definite part in the sales down through the years. This year, there is hardly a consignment that does not contain one or more youngsters by Mah-moud, Alibhai, Ardan, Shannon n., Rico Monte, Priam XL, Heliopolis, Nirgal, Ambiorix, Goya n. and many others. We have always contended that fresh infusions of blood are always good for the improvement of the breed and anyone who wants to laugh at that expression can go ahead and do so. We believe that breeders in this country are now producing yearlings that match those of any country in the world.. And, we also believe that the importation of foreign sires and dams are important to the de- velopment of our thoroughbreds. While there has been some objection to foreign yearlings being brought to this country for sale, we see no just cause for complaint -when there will be on 40 of approximately 750 at the two major sales centers. In fact, we believe the international phase will manifest itself more through the importation of yearlings than in obtaining foreign horses to come here to race, or, our horses going abroad for the same purpose.
