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IP? * iiiiMiiffwHii ;%!-anda- ; - wmewTL* ""-1 #00 Wk jk m lily -:*B Hlgfrff ~*m* JH 1 Mand illii.Sfik Hi HP miNi ADMIRAL AND MRS. GENE MARKEY Calumets Leadership Without Peer Mrs. Markeys Great Interest In Racing, Breeding Pays Off Americas Foremost Stable j Has Sent Seven Homebreds Out to Gain Derby Honors By JOE HIRSCH CHURCHILL DOWNS, Louisville, Ky., May 1. — A high standard of leader from the toil has played an important role in the remarkable success of Calumet Farm, the greatest name in American racing for almost two decades. The late 7arren Wright, who built Calumet swiftly, surely and solidly, supplied that leadership until his death in 1950. Since that time, his gracious and charming lady, now Mrs. Gene Markey, has been no less knowledg-able and forceful in her guidance of the extensive operation of one of the worlds great" stables. Mrs. Markeys contributions toward Calumets continued eminence in the fields of racing and breeding are considerable, conducted with a confidence born of her long association with the sport. A native Kentuckian, she personally supervises the schedule of matings which have produced champion after champion in Calumets famed devils red and blue silks, arranges for the trading of seasons with outside stallions so that these new crosses may bring vigor to her stud, sells thoses race horses and mares she feels have no place in the overall picture, and of course is the final arbiter in major decisions affecting both the farm and racing stock. Hiring Joneses Greatest Contribution "My greatest contribution," Mrs. Markey has always maintained, "was persuading Mr. Wright to hire Ben and Jimmy Jones in 1939. No stable has ever had finer trainers and developers of young horses than Ben and Jimmy, and I hope theyll be with us as long as there is a Calumet." Whirlaways tremendous victory in 1941 — the first of a record seven triumphs in the Kentucky Derby for Calumet — is recalled by Mrs. Markey as the greatest thrill she has known in racing. The first race she remembers seeing was Reigh Counts Derby in 1928. when she was becoming interested in the sport. Shortly after, in 1931, Warren Wright inherited Calumet on the death of his father, William Monroe Wright, who loved harness racing and who had been extremely successful in raising and racing trotters. Warren Wright had little interest in standard breds, decided to sell his fathers trotters and enter the thoroughbred sport from scratch. With his wife at his side following his activities intently, Wright built a great stud in a remarkably short time. Placing emphasis on the acquisition of top broodmares, Wright never hesitated to open his checkbook when good bloodstock was available. His close friend and business associate, John Hertz, was instrumental in his purchasing the Preakness winner, Nellie Morse, for ,100 from cartoonist Bud Fisher, and this hardy daughter of Luke McLuke — La Venganza produced Nellie Flag. Nellie Flag was Calumets first ► homebred stakes winner, was fourth in the Derby under Eddie Arcaro and was the dam of another stakes winner, Mar-Kell. Mar-Kell produced, among others, the fine race horse, Mark-Ye-Well, while both Nellie L. and Sunshine Nell also stemmed from this brilliant bottom line. On another occasion, during World War II., Wright went to great lengths to purchase the Hyperion mare, Hydroplane n. abroad. After a long boat trip to this country, Hydroplane n. gained ever-lasting fame as the dam of the Triple Crown winner, Citation. George D. Widener, chairman of The Jockey Club, once estimated it requires about 20 years to establish a successful stud. Warren Wright cut that figure in half. In 1941, some 10 years after he entered thoroughbred racing, he was the countrys leading money - winning owner with 75,091, and that same year was the countrys leading money-winning breeder with 28,211. Since 1941, Calumet has been the leading stable in money won 11 times, and the leading breeder in money won 13 times, including a string of 11 consecutive years. All Homebred Winners Calumet has won seven Kentucky Derbys with homebred horses — Whirlaway 1941, Pensive 1944, Citation 1948, Ponder 1949, Hill Gail 1952. Iron Liege 1957 and Tim Tarn 1958. Whirlaway and Citation won the Triple Crown, while Whirlaway twice, Citation, Twilight Tear and Armed gained additional laurels as Horse of the Year in the annual poll conducted by these newspapers. When Warren Wright died, his wife courageously decided to carry on, announcing "Im going to keep the stable together. I feel Warren would have wanted it that way." It was an imposing task she was undertaking. There were decisions to be met and responsibility for increasing I financial obligations. But she had come to love racing as her late husband did; it was a way of life too precious to surrender. For her outstanding work since assuming command of Calumet, Mrs. Markey has been honored by many of the turfs most important organizations. In 1954, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders Associations awarded her its coveted ladies sportsmanship plaque, while both the New York and Florida Turf Writers Associations have saluted her on several occasions. With Admiral Gene Markey, whom she married in 1952, Mrs. Markey has summered abroad in recent years, yet still is active for Calumet. Last year she sold the Derby winner Iron Liege to France for stud duty, and also acquired a number of excellent broodmares, two of whom are slated to visit the court of the undefeated Italian champion, Ribot. She has frequently seen the Epsom Derby and the Grand Prix, is almost as familiar with European bloodlines as she is with native American stock.
