view raw text
WILLIAM WOODWARD, JR. — Pays tribute to ..smooth Belqir organization . assembled by his late father, i ■ = ► : YoungWoodward Lauds Bel air Organization Built by Father Says Only Future Plans Stable Has for Nashua Is To Win the Next Race By TOM OREILLY The late William Woodward, Sr., was a personage of considerable dignity and charm. Tall, with a white Peter Arno-ish mustache, he had a regal bearing noticeable in any gathering and was a notorious admirer of the British upper classes. Shortly before his death, at 77, two years ago, he was luncheon host to a group of sports writers at the Racquet and Tennis Club. Many of the writers had teased him, in print, about his old-fashioned ways and devout Anglophile leanings. Rising to address the company, he said, with a smile : "Gentlemen, some of you have accused me of being a Victorian. I am rather inclined to deny that, but" . . . here the smile broadened, as he cocked his head to one side and stroked his mustache, "I must admit I knew the old girl." Earlier this week I subwayed down to Number One Wall Street, where, high up on the thirty-first floor, I found William Woodward, Jr., 35, ex-naval officer, Harvard and Groton graduate, ensconced in a swivel .chair betwixt two desks in his late fathers office. Young Bill is tall six-two, lean and with the graceful build of a tennis piayer. xu iact, tennis is nis iavorite form of exercise, at his home in Oyster Bay. He parts his hair on the side, has pleasant hazel eyes and a strong nose. In the office he was wearing a dark, red tie, with silk socks to match, a steel gray, single-breasted business suit and brown, mocassin-type shoes. He has a ready smile and an easy air of well-being. He also has Nashua, which, as the horsemen say, is "better than an empty stall." Bronze of Gallant Fox on Desk The desk in front of him actually was a mahogany table adorned with a 10-inch bronze of Gallant Fox, a silver inkwell topped by one of the Fox racing plates, two trophies won by Nashua the Flamingos ancient silver urn and the Florida Derbys gilt punch bowl plus another handsome silver bowl filled with packs of cigarettes won by Hyphasis in Garden State Parks Princeton Handicap. I mean he won the bowl, not the butts. Between gaps in this fashionable fence could be seen papers, pencils, pens, notebooks and other office paraphanalia. The desk behind him was old-fashioned with a high back containing drawers. It, too, was laden with paper work. "As you can see," said Woodward, with a half-apologetic smile, "I dont keep a very neat desk." You could also see, however, that these were working desks. The late Mr. Woodward had been primarily a banker. Was young Bill a banker, too? "Well, no," he said, leaning far back in the chair and crossing a leg, "I just try to play around with my own stuff and make an honest buck that I can keep. When I have to sign a form for anything and come to the word occupation, I generally put down finance. That covers a multitude of sins." Thinking of what many young men would do with that kind of money, at 35, I couldnt resist asking a daffy question. Had he ever backed a Broadway show? "No," he said, broadening his smile, "because if you back a hit, everything you make is taxable. If you back a flop, its deductible, of course, but who wants to back flops? The only real reason for backing a show is because you are interested in an actress. Im not interested." Obviously this young man likes to keep his feet on the ground— preferably in the winners circle. At school he had not been athletic or, he says, particularly scholarly. "I was just average and looking back I guess the thing I enjoyed most were those endless bull sessions." -He went directly from Harvard into the Navy, serving as a line officer on carriers, battleships and a flagship. His tour of duty took him from both coasts to the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. He joined as an ensign and four years later came out a lieutenant. Nothing very distinguished there," he said modestly. His extra-curricular interests in the Navy "Well," he laughed, "What do sailors talk about — boats and women." He was in the textile business from 1946 to 50. His father died in 53. He prepared for his present position as the young squire of Belair "through a process of osmosis, I was close to my father," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "and although I was not directly involved with the stable, I couldnt help picking up, a certain amount Continued on Page Fifty-Eight * 1 Young Woodward Lauds Belair Organization Says Was Easy for Him to Take Oyer Stable When Father Died - Continued from Page. Eleven of horse lore andlt was impossible not to contract his enthusiasm." Here he* suddenly straightened up and became deadly serious. "You see Im very fortunate in having a first class organization all set up to run things. These people are alj tremendously competent. Supposing I have to get a new man for Fitz- a,new man for Bull Hancock who has the mares down in Kentucky; a new man for Bill Davidson at Belair, or a new man for John Ludwig who runs the business end of things in this office? Where would I be? In an awful fix. It took many years of hard work and" experience to get this organization together. "It was unbelievable luck that we should turn up a horse like Nashua in the first year I took over Hes a dead ringer for Johnstown, his paternal grandsire. The greatest thrill Ive had in racing so far was his futurity. Three of them were nine lengths in front, of the pack — Summer Tan, Nashua and that good horse Royal Coinage. Then Nashua pulled right out from the middle. Its a shame papa wasnt there to see it." If his father was alive, however, wouldnt Nashua be racing in England? "He certainly would," said the young man proudly, "and I think hed have won this years Derby he pronounced it the English way — "Darby". Comparisons are odious, I know, but I dont think the English Derby field was too impressive this year. Goodness, I hope that comment doesnt offend anybody." Would he send Nashua abroad next year? "No," he shook his head seriously, "There arent enough four-year-old events to his liking over there. They have the Ascot, the Queen Elizabeth, the Donc*aster and weight-for-age races that are different to what we are accustomed to here. Besides, shipping a horse in training across the ocean puts the animal under a terrific handicap. Father did it with Omaha in 1936 and just missed the Ascot Gold Cup by a whisker." This was a race that many Americans claimed should have been called a dead heat. Without the aid of a camera, Quashed was acclaimed the victor. Omaha Sent Oyer Months in Advance "However, father had to send Omaha over there many months in advance. I think he sailed in March and raced at the end of June." John, he called into an outer office, "when did Omaha go to England?" In a moment John Ludwig, blue-eyed, pink-cheeked and with a snouty mustache exactly like that of his late employer, came in to announce cheerily, that Omaha, had sailed January 8, 1936. "You see," continued Woodward, "Nashua would lose perhaps six months of racing just getting acclimatized. Its very difficult. The horse must get used to the change in temperature, hours, food, the way hes ridden and many other things. No, I dont think wed ever send Nashua abroad." Is there a possibility of Nashua racing on grass in this country? "Id have no hesitation to race him on grass if a worthwhile event came up at the proper point in his schedule. All horses race pretty good on grass. You must remember, however, that a grass course, set up inside a one-mile track, is actually only seven-eighths of a mile around. This makes the turns exceptionally sharp and the stretches short, a physical arrangement that might handicap a big horse." What are his present plans for Nashua? Here he smiled broadly, "To win the next race." This was just four days before todays Belmont Stakes. "You never can go beyond the next race in planning for a horse," he said sagely. "After the Belmont, Fitz, myself and the people concerned will hold a conference and decide what to do. If you make fancy plans beyond rt horses . * "i next race, the animal may hurt himself or bow, and you find it was all a waste of time. How about the rest of the stable? "Well it is our idea to maintain about 25 mares in Kentucky. These should produce 15 or 16 foals each year. We will race these, of course. We will also keep a sharp eye on the mares, weeding out and replacing the ones who dont produce." Leaving the office, I couldnt help but smile at the catholic taste shown by Mr. Woodward, Sr., in the pictures on his walls. In addition to photographs of various Belair champions, there were steel engravings of bewigged British jurists and, right next to a photo of Woodward, Sr., and Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons — sitting on Fitz* favorite bench under a Belmont paddock maple tree — was an impressive engraving* of a cassocked cleric, bearing the Latin inscription, "Jacobus Beningus - Bossuet Episcopus." "I think papa got his name for the horse Bossuet from that picture," said young Bill. If, as I suspect, "Bossuet Episcopus" means "bishop of the region," it must be admitted that the horse wound up in a beautiful trinity. He finished with Brownie and Wait A Bit in the Carter Handicaps famous triple dead heat of 1944. Obviously, the affable young squire of Belair has a grand old tradition to maintain and plenty of thrills ahead of him. Giddap, Maud, it looks like rain!
