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FAVORITES STRATEGISTS— William C. Bill Winfrey, trainer of Native Dancer, and Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, owner-breeder of champion Polynesian colt. Vanderbilt Takes Success in Stride Marylanders Career Includes Virtually All Phases of Sport Was Lucky at the Start When He Bought Discovery But Has Had Reverses, Too By EVAN SHIPMAN j JAMAICA, L. I., N. Y., May 1.— Certainly for the next few days and very possibly for the next few months, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt will be known to the great public that follows sports in this country as the owner of a gray colt, his name following that of Native Dancer in public print as a form of identification rather less important than the pedigree. As long as the unbeaten champion preserves his status, it will be a matter of complete indifference to the man who bred him and in whose colors he races that the glory, with its golden tinge, in which he will be basking is merely a reflection. If Vanderbilt were not perfectly conscious that such publicity crosses the vague line separating notoriety from fame, he would willingly, one suspects, hand the whole business on a figurative platter to Bill Winfrey, the trainer who "made" Native Dancer and the other fine thoroughbreds from this highly successful stable. Vanderbilts whole career — not so long in terms of years, but covering just about every phase of the sport of thoroughbred racing — is testimony to a marked and settled version to personal aggrandizement. Placing himself at least one remove from his various achievements, his attitude has been aloof, if not diffident, as if to say that what he has done will speak for itself in any case. What he has attempted during 20 years of close association with the Amer-1 ican turf can, perhaps, be symbolized by this same colt, now awaiting his great test at Churchill Downs. Native Dancer then could represent racing for racings sake, the epitome of the sport, the standard of excellence toward which horsemen strive. A satisfactory justification of work, and time, and money. Experience Beyond His Years Intelligent effort, time and money have all contributed to Vanderbilt present position as a leader in the sport. Just over 40, he has already played more various roles than any other present day figure in racing. Owner, breeder, member of The Jockey Club, steward, president of several of our most important racing associations, first president and one of the founders of TRA, large stockholder in Maryland tracks —his activity, as you can see, is circumscribed, but within these obvious limits it has certainly been pervasive. Inherited money saved Vanderbilt a lot of time in getting where he wanted to go. Once there, only intelligent effort could distinguish him from other sportsmen equally wealthy and with equal opportunities to exploit their enthusiasm. As a boy at St. Pauls, Vanderbilt was already fascinated by racing, and the story is that careful perusal of Daily Racing Form was a help there to his acquisition of mathematics. Later, he abandoned his course at Yale in order to devote himself frankly to his racing stable, a gift from his mother, Mrs. Margaret Emerson, who had campaigned under the nom de course of the Sagamore Stable. It would not be correct to say that Vanderbilt was lucky "from the start," since that implies that his luck held, and it did not, but it is certainly exact to say that the young owner was lucky "at the start." On the advice of his trainer, "Bud" Stotler, he bought Discovery at the close of that colts two-year-old season for 0,000, and Discovery turned out ► to be one of the all-time great horses of the American turf. Stotler did a lot for young Vanderbilt, disclosing to an apt pupil all the lore of the backstretch, but if that expert horseman had never done anything else than suggest the purchase of Discovery, he would still have earned undying gratitude. Discovery chased Cavalcade in the classic races for the 1934 season, but the next year, as a four-year-old, this chestnut son of Display really came into his own, and for several seasons he was the undisputed leader of the handicap division. Dancers Dam Is by Discovery Discovery, who is, of course, the sire of Native Dancers dam, Geisha, excelled as a weight carrier, his feats under heavy burdens rivalling if not surpassing those of such horses as Exterminator, Sir Barton and Assault. He won the Brooklyn Handicap three years running, his final score in that fixture being under 136 pounds and conceding 26 pounds to Good Gamble and 10 to the redoubtable Roman Soldier. He won the Merchants and Citizens at Saratoga under 139 pounds, conceding 22 to both Stand Pat and Top Row, but those are just scattered samples of the kind of race this iron horse showed week after week at track after track. It took the han-dicapper, and working overtime at that, to beat Discovery. Maybe it was the phenomenal weights assigned Discovery that influenced Vanderbilt to inaugurate a championship contest at strict weight-for-age when, a little later, he became "master of ceremonies" at Pimlico. As president of the famous old Maryland track, he offered the sport the annual Pimlico Special, a race where the best performers of each season met in the fall by invitation and on equal terms as far as weight was concerned. The first running of the Special under these conditions turned out to be the memorable Seabiscuit — War Admiral match, a race regarded as deciding the national championship. This innovation was typical of the flare for popular appeal that Vanderbilt was to show both in the neighborhood of Baltimore and, later, on Long Island. Succeeding the late Joseph E. Widener as president of the Westchester Racing Association, Vanderbilt came to Belmont Park just as New York racing was undergoing the transition from the old bookmaking days to the modern era of pari-mutuel wagering. This transition meant a broaden- Contmued on Page Thirty-Six Vanderbilt Takes Success in Stride Was Lucky at the Start When He Bought Discovery But Has Had Reverses, Too Continued from Page Two ing of racings appeal that might not have been understood by a member of the older generation. Vanderbilt was admirably equipped to help the sport bridge the gap existing between the old and the new way of thinking. He had a comprehension of the publics needs and desires, his experience at Pimlico serving him in good stead. Aware of Obligations to Horsemen If Vanderbilt realized racings obligations to the public, you may be sure that he was even more aware of an important associations obligations to the horsemen who "put on the show." During his regime at Belmont Park, the stable area was the scene of general improvements, comfortable, sanitary quarters being built for the men who spend their lives with the horses. The general purse distribution was raised to a figure that may have appeared extravagant at the time, but that was actually in step with the increasing prosperity racing was to know. New stakes, such as the spectacular, long distance New York Handicap, were added to the program, the general aim being to increase racings appeal as a show while insuring that the greatest rewards went to the best type of thoroughbred. Shortly after Americas entry into World War n., Vanderbilt deserted track management for the service. He spent over three years in the Navy, most of his time in the South Pacific as commander of a PT boat. Given his somewhat taciturn nature, details of this period are hard to come by, but an award of the Silver Star for gallantry in action speaks for itself. Out of uniform, he returned to racing, but now he concentrated on his own Maryland farm and on the racing stable rather than on the public presentation of the sport. Obtained Outside Blood for Farm Following the retirement of Discovery, the cherry and white diamonds had not enjoyed much success. No other champion came along to take the great weight carriers place and Vanderbilts preoccupation with affairs at Pimlico, Belmont and Laurel prevented his giving the farm the attention it needed and deserved. Now he set about rehabilitating a somewhat seedy enterprise and there were lean seasons before the young horsemans efforts bore fruit. Discovery, it is true, was a qualified success at stud, but there was need of "outside" blood, and Vanderbilt set out to look for the best. With Stotler now in retirement for several years and after several experiments, Bill Winfrey joined forces with Vanderbilt and it might be said with justice that, from that time on. Bill has been "the best horse in the barn." Gradually, the luck changed. In 1949, a little daughter of Rosement, Bed o Roses, was the best two-year-old filly in America and this hard-hitting trick sported the Vanderbilt colors. And Bed. o Roses had a stablemate the same age but who was not ready to show her best until the next season. This was the Bull Lea filly, Next Move. She was even better than Bed o Roses, and is now ranked as one of the best of her sex seen out in the last 20 years. Loser Weeper, too, was a help, this son of Discovery accounting for both the Metropolitan and Suburban handicaps among other races. When Native Dancer came along last spring, the tide had truly turned, and now, as back in the days when Discovery was a four-year-old, the stable could do no wrong. As all the world knows, Native Dancer has yet to meet his peer, while Indian Land, First Glance, Social Outcast are all frequent visitors to the winners circle. .Through it all, Vanderbilt remains exactly the same. He brings the identical slightly amused detachment to his own triumphs, or rather Native Dancers triumphs, that once marked his reverses. He volunteers very little, but if his opinion is asked, either privately or publicly, he does not hesitate with an answer direct and to the point. Nor, in this respect, does he stand on dignity, either his own or anybody elses, as was remarked a year or so ago at Santa Anita when his criticism of the racing strip grated harshly on certain ears. He is anxious, we are certain, about the result of this Derby. To see him you would never guess it and if this nonchalance is a disguise, it is a perfect one, and not even Native Dancer can ruffle his composure.
