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I NEARCO. | HYPERION. . hail Nearco, Hyperion8 Grlihdsons Four Sons of Noted English , Sires Win Five 1954 Classics! Preakness Only Event Among Triple Crowns Here, Abroad Not Falling to Noted Line By LEON RASMUSSEN Staff Correspondent It is generally conceded that the six most important races in the English speaking turf world are Englands Triple Crown of the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, the Derby at Epsom, the St. Leger at Don-caster and the United States Triple Crown of the Derby at Churchill Downs, the Preakness at Pimlico and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont. These half-dozen classics, designed for the sports most exciting division, the 3-year-olds, under scale weight conditions, are so majestic and statuesque in their tradition, so vital in their importance to breeders and so rich in their rewards to owners that all the skill and knowledge possessed by the people involved with the candidates is funnelled into complete, unreserved efforts to win one or more of these prizes beyond price. Considering the avid concentration of hundreds of breeders and owners with their hundreds of Thoroughbreds on these "pieces of six," is it not highly remarkable that in 1954 five of these turf treasures were won by four grandsons of just two sires — :Nearco and Hyperion. Darius, Nearcos grandson by Dante, won the Two Thousand Guineas, while Never Say Die, Nearcos grandson by Nasrullah, won the Derby and St. Leger; Determine, Hyperions grandson by Alibhai, won the Kentucky Derby, and High Gun, Hyperions grandson by Heliopolis, won the Belmont.. Only the Preakness escaped, and there Hasseyampa, another Alibhai, was a close third. If one chooses to ir elude *two other "Derbys" of significance, the Santa Anita and the Flamingo, both worth 00,-000-added and both run at level weights, then the 1954 score for Nearco and Hyperion shows that five of their grandsons won seven of these prominent fixtures — Determine having captured the Santa |] Anita in- addition to the Kentucky Derby, while Turn-to, a grandson of Nearco, by Royal Charger, annexed the Flamingo. This is clear, pure, positive proof — factual eloquence — of the pervading influence of these two mighty sires in the highest echelons of racing. Nearco More Colorful •Despite their similar talent for transmit-ing intrinsic quality to their offspring, Nearco and Hyperion had quite divergent backgrounds. Nearcos is, perhaps, the more colorful, having some Algeresque components, while Hyperion, born with a silver bit in his mouth, simply made the best of his many advantages. Nearco, bred by Italys . late master breeder, Frederico Tesio, was foaled in 1935 at Dormello, Tesios home on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy. He was by Pharos, a son of Phalaris out of Scapa Flow, the great daughter of Chaucer who also foaled the classic-winning Fairway. His dam was Nogara, a "brilliant and invincible" miler, winner of Italys 1000 and 2000 Guineas, and one of the most superlative of racing historys magnificent matriarchs — deserving of four stars along with Plucky Liege, Gondolette Continued on Page Twenty-One Win Five of Six .Classics Preakness Only Event Among TripleCrowns Here, Abroad Not Falling to Noted Line Cwrtforatf frtm Pa§e Thrf Lady Josephine and a few others. Nogara was by Harversac n., for 10 years Italys leading sire and a grandson of St. Simon, and out of a daughter of Spearmint named Catnip, whom Signor Tesio purchased at an English sale in 1914 for 75 guineas. Although World War I. was then on, and at a grim stage for England, it is unlikely that Catnip would have been so lightly considered had she not been out of Sibola, an American-bred New JerseyX mare proudly possessing a generous dose of the "tainted" blood of Lexington and tracing in tail-female to the Cub Mare, the "grandmother of the American Thoroughbred." Sibola did her racing in England, winning the Thousand Guineas and finishing second in the Oaks. Irrespective of these classical performances, the stuffy FngHsft attitude toward her suspect heredity permitted Tesio to acquire a pearl at a cut-glass price. Foaled Eight Consecutive Winners Nogaro came along in 1928, "small, rather lightly-made but well-balanced with magnificent action." After her racing established her as best of her sex, she became a matron, foaling eight consecutive winners, the last seven all winners of classics. Of Near co, Signora Tesio noted in the Dor-mello stud book, he was, "Beautifully balanced, of perfect sise and great quality. Won all his 14 races as soon as he was asked. Not a true stayer though he won up to 3000 meters Gran Premio de Milano and the Grand* Prix de Paris. He won these races by his superb class and brilliant speed." Three thousand meters is equivalent to a mile and seven furlongs, so Near-cos class and speed did carry him a very long way. In his international conquest in Prance, Nearco whipped 16 of Europes best horses with aplomb, including Carnot, Bois Roussel and Goya U. Shortly after his Grand Prix triumph, the undefeated Nearco was sold by Tesio to the English breeder and bookmaker Martin Benson for 00,000, quite a profit on the 75 guineas paid for his grandam. Nearcos progentive star rose in the breeding firmament with the same swift ascend- ancy and brilliance as did his competitive star on the track. He was champion stallion of England in 1947-48-49, second in 1951, third in 1945, and 1950. Additionally, he was champion sire of dams of winners in 1952, second on the list in 51 and third in 1953. Moreover, his son Nasrullah led the English list in 1951. Other Nearco sons who have made good are Royal Charger, Nimbus, Sayajirao and Dante, while his daughters include the 05,000 broodmare Mazaka, Neasham Belle, infatuation, Rivaz and Neocracy, dam of the 00,000 Tulyar. One English turf writer ventured to say that Englands importation of Nearco served to "rehabilitate" the English turf at a time when it was, indeed, needed. This was an exceptionally frank expression of praise for an Italian-bred horse whose American-born great grandam could trace her American lineage back for over 100 years. Hyperion Almost Taken for Granted " Then there is Hyperion. Oh, yes, wonderful, inestimable Hyperion. "A legend in his own time," as Charles Hatton artfully says of him. A thoroughbred whose greatness is so vast that he is almost taken for granted; His influence has so permeated the worlds bloodstock that one can visit almost any racing country and say, without being facetious, "Which son of Hyperion is the leading sire .this year?" For example, in 1954, while Hyperion himself was heading the English and Irish sire list for the sixth time, his sons Heliopolis, Alibhai and Khaled were one, two and seven in the United States; his son Ruthless was the leader in New Zealand; his sons Helios and High Peak were two and four in Australia; his son Aldis Lamp was the top sire of winners in Belgium— and there are other countries to be heard from. Nor is that all. Four times he has been second on that important list, while he has also been runner-up four times on the list of sires of dams of winners and leader of that list in 1948. like Nearco, Hyperion has gained most of his fame as a. sire of sires who seem to breed on, but his daughters, generally, showed more class on the race track and many of them are the "flowers of the flock" as broodmares. Hyperions daughters have foaled our own Citation, Alycidon, Supertello and a passel of other crack performers. So, no matter which side of the pedigree Hyperions name appears on, the horse, it would seem, is better off for ! having it.- ;: Hyperion, bred by the late 17th Earl of "J Derby, was born in the classic tradition, ; the colors of the Derby family having tal- ■ lied in the Epsom Derby no fewer than 13 J times. Thus, Hyperion had to have the genetic ingredients from which classic per- : formers are formed. He was by Gainsbor- * ough, the placid, sensible Triple Crown ■ winner of 1918, out of Selene, a small, all- quality mare, by Chaucer, who also gave • racing the brothers Sickle and Pharamond . n. who have made such a lasting impres- " sion on American breeding. On his sires ; side, Hyperion, whose golden chestnut coat J has changed to almost a chocolate color, traces to Bend Or, whose famous spots he has also inherited. Selenes grandam was Gondolette, like Nogara, one of the "grand dames" of bloodstock history, and thus Hyperion, the product of superimposing the strong male lines of Hampton through Gainsborough and St. Simon through Chaucer, sire of Selene on the marvelous Gondolette family, most happily, inherited the desirable genes in this pattern of mat- ings and has had thejairf world using ornate superlatives ever*since he came to the races in 1932. Although beaten at two, Hyperion was unconquerable at three, proving one of the most imposing Derby and St. Leger winners of the century. In this piece on Hyperion and Nearco, one cannot help but ease back into a soft chair and dream of a make-believe race between the two. What does your dream reveal? Mine shows a dead-heat. Both Hyperion and Nearco stamp theit get unmistakably in most cases, with most Hyperion being chestnuts, full-bodied and of medium height usually possessing one or more white feet, and most Nearcos brown, quite elegant arid racing-like. Both impart soundness or they wouldnt be where they are. There is a difference in temperament, however. The Nearcos, as Continue* on Page Thirty-Seven Nearco, Hyperion Grandsons Win Five of Six Classics Continued from Page Thirty-Six descendants of the nervous Phalaris, are susceptible to moods of sulkiness. Nasrul-lahs irritability may have cost him a Derby, and it certainly cost "s son Zucchero several important English races, while Nashuas disposition has worried his connections more" than they -are to admit. On the other hand, Hyperions chief characteristic and it goes well with his noble eye is the kindness of his behavior. According to Walter Griffiths, stud groom for Lord Derby, Hyperion "adores company and thrives on admiration. He could stand this by the hour, and if any of his visitors request him to put his tongue into their hands he at once complies. "He needs no silk hat and stick to make him wha. he is, a perfect gentleman!" Most of his offspring show the same cheerfulness in their racing. Today, when the Kentucky Derby, Americas greatest sports spectacle, has its renewal, it will be late evening in Newmarket, England, where Hyperion and Nearco stand within a short distance of each other. In their quiet stalls they will not be aware of the clamor and excitement so many thousand miles away which, in a way, is a testimonial to their greatness, for one of their grandsons or great grandsons seems almost a "mortal" to capture Mr. Corums 25,000 skirmish. If and when it happens, what is there left to say but congratulations, and that one cannot have too much of a good thing.
