the effects of politics on racing and breeding

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anti-racing legislation, august belmont, Daily Racing Form, elmendorf farm, fasig-tipton sales, hughes act, influence of american bloodstock abroad, james b haggin, mcgrathiana stud, morning telegraph, politics and horse breeding, reductions in bloodstock, reform legislation

The closure of the New York racetracks due to the Hughes Act that outlawed bookmaking just over a century ago had a massive ripple effect on breeding the racehorse, as well. The legal restrictions in New York and other states that came with a wave of righteous reform laws shut down racetracks, as well as their suppliers, the breeding farms.

A sizable portion of the best American-bred Thoroughbred stock was sold off to the Argentine, Germany, Russia, France, and to a much lesser extent, even to England.

The largest American stud, and the source of many of the exports, was Elmendorf Farm, owned by James B Haggin. From 1908 through 1911, Elmendorf sent large shipments of mares, yearlings, racehorses, and stallions around the globe.

Haggin did this in direct response to the repressive Hughes legislation in New York, which outlawed gambling. In the Morning Telegraph of November 7, 1908, the writer said: “The prices realized for the horses sent abroad by JB Haggin in September, together with the re-election of Governor Hughes, have caused the master of Elmendorf to decide to send another big consignment to the Argentine Republic, and plans are in the making at the farm for shipment from here about November 10.”

Likewise, Col. Milton Young’s McGrathiana Stud, Millstream Stud, EC Cowdin, August Belmont, and other prominent breeders were reducing their bloodstock inventories. And for an upcoming Fasig-Tipton sale, the reporter noted that “There will be practically nothing of the inferior grades offered at this sale. Nearly all of the weeds or culls have been sold out of the state. In the past six months, over 2,000 have been shipped away to western and southern points, and the majority them will never be heard of again in racing.”

The writer goes on to note that there is a strong demand for “young mares and geldings suitable for officers’ mounts,” and that is clearly where a large portion of the surplus racers ended up.

By early 1910, Elmendorf had slashed its broodmare band from 475 to 175. Haggin continued to reduce his bloodstock and racehorse holdings, and in June of 1911, he sent abroad another large collection. A reporter at the Daily Racing Form wrote: Haggin has “bred thousands of Thoroughbred race horses and they have been marked for good values, many of them for record prices, in this country, in England, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Argentine Republic, but he probably never sent abroad a better collection of individuals than the 34 colts and the 19 fillies that left New York today aboard the Minnehaha for England to be sold at Newmarket during the second week in July. They are all bred in the purple, being by the stallions and out of the mares that Mr. Haggin reserved after reducing his extensive stud as a result of the passage of repressionary racing laws in a number of the states of this country.”

In addition to Haggin’s 53 head, James R Keene sent 30 yearlings on the same ship to the same auction. By the end of 1911, Haggin had reduced the mares reserved for breeding Thoroughbreds to 42, and DRF reported on Dec. 4 that Haggin “may decide to send the 42 selected mares and the stallions Watercress, Waterboy, Star Ruby, and Galveston to a farm in France” for the 1912 breeding season.

That apparently fell by the wayside, but by the time that legislation in New York and other states allowed gambling on racing through pari-mutuel wagering, the massive Elmendorf breeding operation was all but gone. Haggin died in 1914, leaving an estate of $15 million and a legacy for having bred or raced some of the best Thoroughbreds of the early 20th century, including Salvator and Firenze.

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big prices for old horses

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american racing manual, august belmont, bold venture, equine sales, flying fox, king ranch, nearco, ormonde, rock sand, stallion values, tracery

In his response to a comment in yesterday’s post about the price that August Belmont II paid for English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand, Observer asked about record prices for horses a century ago and thereabouts.

Although it’s a bit sticky to evaluate prices from that far back because of the changes we’ve seen from inflation and changes in currency valuation, prices from around 1900 through the 1930s were fairly comparable.

At the time that Belmont bought Rock Sand, the sum he paid was equal to the second-highest price for a stallion that I could find. Both Triple Crown winners Ormonde and Rock Sand are recorded as trading for that sum. They sat in second place behind the great European racer Flying Fox, who was bought for $189,000. (None of these transactions was in dollars, but for many years, the static valuation of the British pound sterling at $5 to the single pound formed a standard conversion factor.)

The top prices began to inflate somewhat through the 1920s and 1930s. According to the American Racing Manual of 1940, the top half-dozen prices stood at $300,000 for Nearco and Call Boy (Derby winner), $265,000 for Rock Sand’s son Tracery, $250,000 for Mieuxce, Blenheim, and Windsor Lad.

Prices for American stock had plummeted by this time, however, and the sale price in 1939 for the Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Bold Venture was $40,000. Robert Kleberg of King Ranch purchased him, and for that far-sighted sportsman, Bold Venture subsequently sired Triple Crown winner Assault, Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Middleground, and Gazelle Stakes winner On Your Own.

a different perspective on hastings

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august belmont, fair play, hastings, himyar, holy bull, joe estes, man o' war, nursery stud, plaudit

As the paternal grandsire of Man o’ War, Hastings has a lasting spot in racing and breeding history. Perhaps the only other thing that most racing fans know about the stallion is that he was reported to have a bad temper.

Joe Estes tried to set the record straight about Hastings, noting that he was more excitable and territorial, rather than savage or unmanageable.

Legends tend to take on a life of their own, however, and I was intrigued at discovering a 1902 Nursery Stud catalog with pedigree and racing information about the stock that August Belmont II collected at his Lexington, Ky., breeding farm.

This catalog predates the racing career of Fair Play, Hastings’s most famous son and his heir and superior as a stallion. When later retired to stud, Fair Play began with decent regard at Nursery Stud but was rather second fiddle to his sire, who won the Belmont Stakes rather than running second, and both were overshadowed by the English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand, whom Belmont purchased for about $250,000 150,000 and imported to stand in Kentucky.

At the time of the catalog notes below, Hastings stood at Nursery Stud with Henry of Navarre, contemporary of the great racer and sire Domino, and Octagon, sire of the great filly Beldame. The notes on Hastings read:

HASTINGS.

Hastings is a brown horse foaled in 1893. His sire Spendthrift was a grand race horse, winner like Hastings of the Belmont Stakes. In the stud he produced the great Kingston, Lamplighter, Lazzarone, Bankrupt, Pickpocket, Stockton and a host of other good ones.

His dam imp. Cinderella also foaled Glenheim (winner of the Juvenile Stakes, etc., in 1883), Foreigner and Handsome (a brilliant two year old in 1894, being only once unplaced in nine starts).

In the female line the pedigree of Hastings is a fine one, the representatives of the family in England including the great Sweetmeat and in America such good ones as Auricoma, Belinda, Barbara, Madam Dudley, Glen Dudley, Judith, Santa Rita, Virgie D., Brigand, Brown Prince, Ruby Royal etc.

Hastings is a half brother to Plaudit, winner of the Champagne Stakes, Nursery Handicap and Emerald Stakes as a two year old and at three he won the Buckeye Stakes, Oakley Derby, Clark Stakes and Kentucky Derby.

He is also half brother to the superior race horse and fine campaigner, Ferrier, a winner at two years of six races, at three of sixteen races in 1894, fifteen in 1895, eight in 1896, one in 1897 and five in 1899.

The turf record of Hastings was a brilliant one and a brief synopsis is herewith given.

At two, won the Surf Stakes, five furlongs, beating Handspring. Won at four furlongs in 48 seconds, beating fourteen others, won at five furlongs in 1:02 with 122 lbs., and ran fifth in the Futurity.

At three, won the Toboggan Handicap, won the Belmont, beating Handspring and others and ran second in the Tidal Stakes and fourth in the Realization.

At four ran a dead heat for the Kearney Handicap with Clifford, won at six furlongs from Ornament and Cleophus, won at five furlongs with 130 lbs., won a Handicap of seven furlongs with 140 lbs., ran second in the Ocean Handicap, second in the Omnium Handicap, second in the First Special, second in the Culver Handicap, second over the Withers mile, 126 lbs., to Semper Ego, same age, 104 lbs., and was unplaced in the Fall and Metropolitan Handicaps.

Hastings gives promise of proving a great sire. He was sent to the stud in 1899, the first of his get running in 1901 and seventeen of them were winners.

Promise is given this year of even an improvement over last season in the get of Hastings: Masterman, out of Lady Margaret having won the Belmont Stakes, duplicating the performance of his sire and grandsire, Spendthrift, and in the two year old division, Mizzen, out of Donna Mia, up to the close of the Westchester Spring Meeting, has shown himself easily the best out so far, having won three stake races in succession, the Juvenile, National Stallion and Eclipse. Rosetint has won five straight races and among other winners are Toscan, Gloriosa, etc.

All the get of Hastings have remarkable constitutions, possessing gameness and ability to race in any sort of going.

The style of writing has a notably 19th century flavor, but the two points that caught my interest were the weights up to 140 pounds that Hastings carried, which indicates he was a rugged beggar, as well as a useful racehorse. In addition to breeding on to the present through his famous grandson, Man o’ War, Hastings had a high-class half-brother, Plaudit, mentioned above as winner of the Kentucky Derby.

In addition, Plaudit is the “other” branch of Domino’s sire, Himyar, and is represented today in pedigrees through Holy Bull and his sons, such as Macho Uno.

more on tracery

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august belmont, derby stakes, international stallions, papyrus, tracery

The Kentucky-bred Tracery (1909 h by Rock Sand x Topiary, by Orme) was bred and raced by August Belmont II. Few horses or men were as well traveled as this classic winner and sire of classic winners.

Belmont sent the elegant colt to race in England, where he made his racecourse debut in the Derby at Epsom. Apparently, his trainer and owner fancied him a bit, and Tracery ran third behind Tagalie and Jaeger. Tracery naturally improved off that form, winning the St Leger, Sussex, and St James’s Palace at 3, then the Eclipse and Champion Stakes at 4, and surely being best in the Ascot Gold Cup, according to Audax.

A victory in the Gold Cup would have made him a winner at the premier level in races from eight to 20 furlongs, a feat of significance even in the early part of the 20th century and nearly unimaginable now.

Tracery went to stud at Southcourt Stud in England in 1914 as a 5-year-old, and his first crop raced in 1917. These were war years, and it is unclear what effect that had on his early stud career, but Tracery sired 2,000 Guineas winner The Panther before his sale in February 1920 to Senor Unzue.

It is not clear why the Argentine breeders took such a liking to Tracery and his sons, but The Panther and Copyright (the sire of Congreve) also were exported to stand there.

In Tracery’s absence from England, Papyrus won the 1923 Derby, and his sire made a return shipment back across the Atlantic. In 1923, a syndicate of 30 breeders agreed to pay 39,000 pounds sterling for the stallion, although the cost was spread over three years at stud.

As fate intervened, Tracery stood only the 1924 season at Cobham Stud before dying of complications from colic in August of that year.

Among his other important foals were Abbots Trace, Obliterate, Grand Prix de Paris winner Transvaal, and Teresina, the dam of the important Hyperion stallion Alibhai.

In a comment about yesterday’s post on Tracery, Garrett Redmond added the following story that I thought was fascinating:

Tracery also left his mark on Irish breeding. His son, Cottage, was a notable of sire of steeplechasers. Among hundreds of winners by Cottage were three Grand National winners: Workman, Lovely Cottage and Sheila’s Cottage.
He also sired the immortal Cottage Rake who won three Cheltenham Gold Cups and was trained by Vincent O’Brien.

That brings in a kind of loop back to Tracery. O’Brien’s daughter married John Magnier, of Coolmore. His father stood Cottage at his place in County Cork.

Tracery left quite a trace.