Lovers of the Horse 



93 



JOHN BODEN 



FEW Canadians have had the proud distinction of cHmbing the hidder of success 

 in the turf world as rapidly as John Boden. He is now looked on as a racing 

 authority of the first magnitude, and his advice is sought by nearlv everv rac- 

 ing association previous to its making a venture. His judgment has seldom or ever 

 failed to turn out for the i)est. Mr. Boden is responsible for the organization of 

 more than one joc-key club, and in each case he has put them all on a paying basis, 

 his latest venture being the ^lontreal Jockey Club, which is one of the verv few 

 clubs known to have paid the first season of their career. 



AVhen Mr. Boden, with the assistance of John F. Ryan, another Canadian, told 

 the Canadian public that the time was ripe for 

 another jockey club in Canada, he got little or no 

 encouragement to start with. As the time went 

 along, he ])ersuaded a luimber of INIontrealers to 

 fall in line and the stock was floated with surpris- 

 ing results, far beyond even the ex])ectations of 

 Mr. Boden. This venture, like many others, will 

 stand as a monument to his memory. When 

 Kenilworth track at Buffalo was o])ened for the 

 first season, it turned out to be a dismal failure, 

 and the directors and shareholders lost thousands 

 of dollars. The following season it was purchased 

 by a New ^'ork syndicate and ^[r. Boflen w'as given 

 control of it. Through careful and judicious man- 

 agement he was able to make it a paying venture. 



John Boden has not only great executive abil- 

 ity, but has a love for the thoroughbred which he 

 ac(|uired when a boy attending college, and wliicli 

 he has developed as years have gone by. He has 

 owned, raced and bred horses, knowing every par- j,,,,,^. u,,„j,^. 



ticular of racing and breedin<>- thorouj^hlv. 



John Boden was born in St. John, New Brunswick, in the year l<S(i(). He was 

 educated at the grammar school of tliat j)lace, afterwards taking his degrees as a l>ar- 

 rister at the Jesuit College in Montreal at an early age. He first practised law at his 

 birth-jjlace, and afterward sought a wider field in Xew York City. When leavingCauada 

 he was looked on as a most promising young lawyer. On his arii\al in Xew York he 

 was told he must pass another examination there, which he did not try, and gave up law 

 to take up newspaj)er work. Mr. Boden spent many years on the Xew York press, 

 holding almost every position from ])olitical reporter to managing editor, gathering a 

 thorough knowledge of journalistic work in general. For .several years he was promi- 

 nent in jiolitics at Albany, N.Y., carrying on his newspaper work at the same time. 



