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Jabneh Sale on Belmont Eve Follows Custom of Lawrence Famous Sportsman Retains 4 Fillies Rather Than Colts; Expert on Young Bloodstock By BOB HORWOOD , Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, N. Y., June 16. Laudy Lawrence, who sold Jabneh to Mrs. Eugenia Bankhead of Wilmington for an undisclosed sum on the eve of the Belmont Stakes, followed what has become a custom for him when he disposed of the colt; he has always been more interested in retaining fillies than studs. Lawrence, an International sportsman, is in Fiance at the moment so he had to root for his erstwhile colorbearer by remote control. Conversely, when his Le Petit Prince won the Prix du Jockey Club French Derby at Chantilly last year, Lawrence was in the wilds of Montana. Following his triumph in the French Derby, Le Petit Prince suffered an ankle injury and was sold to the Argentine government. However, Lawrence has a great eye for yroung bloodstock, and this is exemplified by the role he played in bringing Alibhai tothe United States. In 1939 he was associated with Louis B. Mayer, who asked him to purchase some mares and yearlings for him in England. Lawrence paid 2,000 for a gray yearling later named Alibhai, who -was shipped to California and put into training. Unfortunately the youngster bowed on the Santa Anita track and never got to the races. Mayer sent him to stud and he developed into one of the greatest sires on the West Coast and later was sold to ,a Kentucky syndicate for 00,000. A graduate from New York University circa 1920, where he majored in law and football, Lawrence went to France in 1925 for the then newly formed Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer film company as manager of all that firms European interests. It was not long before he became interested in French racing. Though he raced some stake horses in the late 1920s and early 1930s, it was not until Lawrence acquired the brilliant Belgian stallion, Prince Rose, that he became "big time" as a thoroughbred breeder. Prince Rose was the only N horse to beat the great French filly, Pearl Cap, in her three-year-old year, accomplishing the feat in the Grand International dOstende. Prince Rose is best known in this country as the sire of Prince-quillo, a fine cup horse and even better stallion. Prince Rose at Stud in Normandy Lawrence stood Prince Rose at his farm in Normandy, but his haras was in the direct path of the German artillery and the stallion was killed by gun fire, along with several other horses, while the balance of the stable was confiscated by the Germans, despite the fact that they were then in their trainers name. Only a few of these horses were recovered at the conclusion of hostilities. Prince Rose, however, sired Prince Bio, who, in turn sired Le Petit Prince and was ! also the sire of Prince Chevalier. Both of these stallions were sold by Lawrence, according to Goldsmith, who believes that Lawrence bred one of the two successful sires-, but is not sure just which. Soon after the outbreak of World War TJ., at a time when it was still being called a "phony war," Lawrence sent five fillies to this country. Four of them were Dona-trice, Rosary, Donnamarie and Winkle and not long .after their arrival in the United LAUDY LAWRENCE States they were sold to Louis B. Mayer with the proviso that Lawrence was to get their first filly foals. Donatrice produced the stakes winning Bellesoeur, who is the dam of Jabneh, while Rosary threw the speedy La Liberte. Since the end of World War H., Lawrence has raced successfully both in Europe and the United States, being particularly fortunate with such English fillies as Hero, Rose OLynn and Maitrisse and such American distaff runners as Bellesoeur and La Liberte, as well as the French colt, Buisson dOr. Lawrence was in the news last winter through the sale of Nahar n. to a Kentucky syndicate. He had owned and raced this horse in partnership with Prince Aly Khan. Most of his European stock has now been sold to Prince Aly and his father, The Aga Khan. The Internationalist now has eight mares at Elsmeade Farm in Kentucky, including Bellesoeur, "La Liberte and Hero. He also retained four services to Nahar n. and has shares in the English stallion, Palestine, and Black Tarquin, who has been returned to Europe. Lawrences daughter-in-law is Andrea Mead Lawrence, one of the worlds outstanding woman skiers. Mrs. Lawrence this year won the National Downhill, Slalom and combined titles at the North Conway, Vt., championship meet. In the 1952 Olympics she won the Slalom and Giant Slalom titles for the United States team and also captured the American Downhill, Slalom and combined championships. In 1950 she was awarded the American Ski trophy. Her husband, David Lawrence, too, is a skier of note, and was an alternate on the 1952 U. S. Olympic team.
