Converse In-Breeding i8j 



We have seldom had a better (if as good) stallion in America than the honest old 

 bay horse that was mercifully destroyed at the Rancho del Paso in May last. I say "if 

 as good," for the simple reason that he is the only stallion in history to get the winners 

 of over two hundred races in one season ; and the only horse, within my knowledge, 

 to surpass all others in a given year, not only in the amount of moneys won but in the 

 number of races won likewise. Sir Modred's sons do not show up for much as sires, 

 but his daughters are among the best in the land, one of them having produced Water 

 Boy, the best handicap horse in America in 1903, by several pounds. Now look over 

 the pedigree of Sir Modred and you will see that Idalia (by Peruvian out of Musi- 

 dora by Meteor) is the fifth dam of Sir Modred and the dam of his third sire Panta- 

 loon, whom Admiral Rons styled "The Fifst Gentleman of Europe." Pantaloon was a 

 chestnut in color and Sir Modred of that rare tint known as "Claret Bay," but he was 

 a perfect Pantaloon horse in conformation and a thorough "gentleman," if ever I saw 

 one. Whether he ever got a first-class horse is open to dispute, Tournament being the 

 only one to approach that standard. But in the matter of horses capable of winning 

 from $8000 to $12,000 in a single season, I never saw nor heard 01 his equal unless it 

 was the marvelous Lexington, who was, like Sir Modred, a Herod horse, but from the 

 No. 12 family, while the great Maori horse was from No. 17. Peace to his ashes and 

 honor to the man whose sagacity led up to his importation. 



There are families which in-breed well and other which do not. Here is an example 

 for you : Glencoe was by Sultan, out ofTrampoline by Tramp, from Web by Waxy. Bay 

 Middleton, also by Sultan, out of Cobweb (the Oaks winner of 1824) by Phantom 

 (Derby of 1811) from Filagree by Soothsayer (St. Leger of 1811) from Web by Waxy. 

 Hence Glencoe was an alleged uncle to the Derby winner of 1836. There is no blood in 

 the world, of the same date as Glencoe, unless it be Touchstone, that in-breeds as well 

 as his has done. Yet Bay Middleton's blood never in-bred well as a rule and, as late as 

 1885 the great Australian stallion, Maribyrnong, was the only successful stallion in the 

 world that had two crosses of Bay Middleton. One of these he got through the grand- 

 dam of his sire, Fisherman ; and the other through Flying Dutchman, the sire of hig 

 dam, Rose de Florence. When Oatcake (afterwards re-christened Mariner) was im- 

 ported to California in 1885, I asked an Australian why they let so fine an individual 

 leave their country. "He had two crosses of Bay Middleton, and that is one too many," 

 was his answer. Of late years, however, I have noticed the pedigrees of several good 

 sires with two crosses of Bay Middleton. Imported Goldfinch, a great sire, if we have 

 one in America at all, has two; and I would like to buy a horse capable of getting me 

 a filly as good as Tradition. Gold Spinner by Goldfinch, has four crosses of Bay 

 Middleton. He was a good performer, yet nothing has come from him of any note, 

 but he is still a young horse. Indio, sire of Hurstbourne, who is probably the best 

 second-class horse in America, has two; and Golden Garter, Star Ruby and St. Gatien, 

 three of Mr. Haggin's best stallions, have none at all. Watercress, the sire of Water 

 Boy, a long way the best horse of 1903, has two, and if there is a better sire in all 

 America, I have yet to hear of him. 



MARGRAVE, St. Leger winner of 1832, was imported into Virginia in 1836 and got a 

 great many stout horses. He came from Bruce Lowe's No. 2 family, which also pro- 

 duced Sir Hercules, Harkaway and Voltigeur. His daughters furnished to the Ameri- 

 can turf some of the best horses that ran prior to 1870, yet the only great racehorse that 

 I know of having two crosses of Margrave, was Foxhall, who won the Grand Prix de 

 Paris, Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire of 1881 and the Ascot Cup of 1882; and if 

 ever there was a worse failure at the stud than Foxhall, I would like to know where? 

 And where was there a horse that got any stouter ones than Margrave? He got six 

 good four-milers and one three-miler (Brown Dick) the very best of his day; and be- 

 fore leaving England he got the dam of Sir Tatton Sykes, who won the Two Thousand 



