STORY OF EPINARD

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 145, 16 December 1924, Page 12

STORY OF EPINARD

BRED FROM AMERICAN MARE

NOTABLE RACING CAREER.

The story of Epinard is one of the fascinating romances of thoroughbred breeding. While Pierre . Wertheimor had been racing horses as early as 1909 in partnership with his brother, it was only just before the war that he made up his mind to start breeding horses of his own. On the advice of the late Cheri-Halbroun, great expert in horse breeding, he took two shares in a syndicate of breeders which had imported into France from the United States Rqck Sand, the English stallion, win-' ncr of the Epsom Derby in 1903. Unfortunately, says a writer in the "New York Times," Bock Sand died two'years after his arrival in Prance and the war •practically piit a. stop to 'racing activities. ...'.'" \- . . ' ■■ ..■■•• Breeders and race, horse owners had to face a very, serious situation. Fqodstufls for their animals, when obtainable, were-very expensive and there'was no return in view of their outlay. Then game the German advance ofl9lß, which compelled many; breeding and racing establishments to remove their horses to the south of France. ... • Aaguefc Belmont, who Has raced and pi-eed horses in France for a number of years, decided at this time to remove the bulk of his horses to the 'United btates, leaving those that remained to be sold in Paris. The cata]6gue of this sale fell,into the.hands of Mr. Wertheimer, who was then serving with the French Army near Paris. The young sportsman had two particular ideas about breeding. lie believed in the Rock Sand blood, as shown by his sub-scription.-for the importation 'of that horse; also in the rejuvenating of the old Frenclv-.blood by a judicious admixture of foreign blood,' especially American. He had observed the successes on the French turf of horses owned by W. K. Vanderbilt and H. B. Duryea; most of which were bred alon°- these lines. . --V- ■ .■■"/■

Mr. Wertheimer instructed a friend to bid for twq of the mares in the Behnont sale; One was Bivouac, and old American mere by Ethelbert and Hastings, the dam of a very" successful horse in the Belmont stable, Bayard 111. The other was Epine : 3lanche, a daughter of Rock Sand, out of an American mare, White Thorn," by Nasturtium. Bivouac was purchased for 350 dollars and Ep'ine -Blanche for 400 dollars.

Epme Blanche was sent to Badajoz; which belonged to. a, relative of Jlme. Wertheimer, Michel Lazard. The stallion Badajoz; by Gost—Selected, was a very .fair performer on the Turf, but1 had proved only a moderate success in the stud. . " •■.-■■ , .

Epine Blanche,- in foal to Badaioz, was sent to the Haras "de Bessan, the new Wertheimer stud j,farm in the southwest of France, 30 miles- fromBordeaux. It was a rather daring ex.penment for the young breeder to start an establishment far away, from all the fashionable studs. . Nevertheless, the Bessan pasture grounds already haye proved priceless- for breeding, horses Owing especially to an outcrop of calcareous substances it was 'soon discovered that a common feature in-all animals fed on Bessari grass was an abnormal strength of bone. . ■ • ' As Epine Blanche as a brood mare was still an unknown quantity Air Wertheimer did not tfifnk it worth while to enter her colt in the classic races, with the exception of the Poule d'Essal . At the end of 1921 Epinard had mown into a fine big yearling of a rich chestnut colour. He was sent, together with another yearling, to be broken at a small training establishment at the Pins i'rancs, near Bordeaux, in, charge of a local trainer, G. Sibe, a very careful 4man. ■ ' • . s ■ - *

Early in 1922 Mr. Wertheimer received most encouraging reports about Epinard and he went'one day to Bordeaux, taking with him his jockey, Everett Haynes. xHayness opinion, after a ride on the colt, confirmed the earlier ' reports: Jipinard was then sent to the Wertheimer racing establishment at Maisonsbafntte, under the management of the American trainer, Eugene Leigh Although Epinard fell off slightly at first because of the change of climate, Leigh was soon able to assure Mr. Wertheimer that he had something out of the ordinary in the colt. He was' a smooth-tempered animal, built on, tremendous v powerful lines and" in his nome gallops had shown great speed Epinard was started in his first race at Deauville in the Prix Yacowlef a maiden race of 1000 metres' for two. yeaj-olds_ Starting at 6 to 1, Epinard made a show of his field, winning by five lengths. That, was the beginning of a notable racing career. :