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Fair Play
Sire Line
Matchem
Sire
Hastings
Stromboli,
by Fair Play, & Samuel Hildreth
Mad Hatter,
by Fair Play
Display,
by Fair Play
Discovery, by Display
Chance Play,
by Fair Play
Chance Shot,
by Fair Play
|
Fair Play ch c 1905
(Hastings - Fairy Gold*, by
Bend Or).
Sire Line Matchem.
Family 9-e. Bred and owned by August Belmont II
he was a a half brother to the Ebor Handicap
and Queen's Vase winner Golden Measure (ch c 1902 Florizel) and to the Belmont Stakes winner Friar Rock (ch c 1913
Rock Sand). His dam Fairy Gold won
the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom defeating Desmond (bl c 1896
St. Simon). Standing 15 hands 3
inches he was described as a "very stylish, bloodlike colt," and was
thought to resemble Hermit (ch c
1864 Newminster) by several observers in
England. Although not an overly large horse, his trainer Andrew D Joyner
suggested that he was "plenty big enough".
Although a winner at two, he was
better at three, then setting track records at Belmont Park and
Gravesend, conceding as much as thirty pounds to some of the field in the former.
He had the misfortune to be of the same generation as James R Keene's
undefeated Colin (br c 1905 Commando), however, Colin retired early in
their three year old season due to a bowed tendon. Fair Play was said to
have given Colin "the race of his life" in the Belmont since like all
Hastings stock he liked heavy going and made up much ground on Colin in
the last half mile, the "desperate struggle" leaving both horses
thoroughly spent.
Fair Play was said to have
developed temperment issues towards the end of his three year old
season. Along with many other horses who were sent to run in England due
to the ban on betting at New York tracks he travelled to England in the
autumn of 1908 and ran there in 1909. However, his "mulish" tendencies
prevailed and he came no nearer than a single fourth. In all he started
thirty-two times, winning ten, placing second eleven times and third
thrice, earning $86,950.
In the Belmont stud he was a tremendous
success getting numbers of winners, notably the legendary
Man o' War (ch c 1917). He was
thought to cross remarkably well with Rock Sand (br c 1900 Sainfoin) mares. Following the death of August
Belmont he was purchased at the Nursery Stud dispersal sale in 1925 by
Mr J E Widener for $100,000. He was a leading sire in 1920, 1924 and
1927 and a leading broodmare sire in 1931. In 1956 he was inducted into
the Racing Hall of Fame.
Fair Play had apparently been in
excellent health but died suddenly in his paddock following a short
gallop in December of 1929.
| Fair
Play |
Hastings |
Spendthrift |
Australian* |
| Aerolite |
| Cinderella* |
Tomahawk |
| Manna |
| Fairy
Gold* |
Bend
Or |
Doncaster |
| Rouge
Rose |
| Dame
Masham |
Galliard |
| Pauline |
|
| Race Record |
In 1907 he
finished 4th in his first start. Won an overnight
race at Brighton Beach, in a canter by 3 and a half
lengths, setting a new track record. Won the Montauk
Stakes two weeks later, leading the entire way. Won the Flash Stakes at Saratoga,
beating F J Farrell's Jim Gaffney (b c 1905 Golden
Garter*) whilst conceding him 5 pounds. Finished 2nd
by two lengths for the Hopeful Stakes at the same
place to Jim Gaffney whilst conceding him 10 pounds. Finished 3rd
for the United States Hotel Stakes, won by J R
Keene's Restigouche (br c 1905 Commando), with Jim
Gaffney placing 2nd. Finished among
the field for the Futurity Stakes at Sheepshead Bay,
which Colin (br c 1905 Commando) won by 4 lengths,
followed by H P Whitney's Bar None (ch g 1905
Nasturtium) and Fred
Burley's Chapultepec (b c 1905 Gerolstein*). Finished 2nd
for the Produce Stakes at Brighton Beach, which
Colin won by 5 lengths "eased up". Finished 2nd
for the Matron Stakes at Belmont Park, which Colin
won by 3 lengths whilst conceding 7 pounds to Fair
Play. Five days
later finished 3rd for the Nursery Handicap, won by
Dorante (b c 1905 Pessara) who received 32 pounds
from Fair Play and won the next year's Travers
Stakes. (10-3-3-2,
earning $16,735) |
In 1908 he
finished 2nd over 5.5 furlongs at Jamaica, won by
Fleming (ch g 1904 Rensselaer), after Stargowan (b c 1905 Star Shoot*)
was disqualified from 2nd. Finished 2nd in
his next race to John Madden's King James (b c 1905
Plaudit) who won by a length. Ran 2nd for the
Withers Stakes, won by Colin, beating King James. Finished 2nd
for the Belmont Stakes by a neck, won by Colin,
beating King James. Finished 2nd for the Brooklyn
Handicap at Gravesend, won by Celt (ch c 1905
Commando), beating Sam Emery's Master Robert (ch c
1905 Mazagan*) and King James. Won the
Brooklyn Derby (now called the Dwyer Stakes) at
Gravesend, beating King James by 2 and a half
lengths. Finished 3rd for the Suburban Handicap, won
by J R Keene's Ballot (ch c 1904 Voter*), with
King James placing 2nd. Won the Coney
Island Jockey Club Stakes, equalling the track
record and giving 10 pounds to Hessian (b c 1905
Watercress*), King James and Dorante. Won the Lawrence
Realization Stakes in a canter by 3 lengths, beating
King James, Dorante and Alfred Noble (b c 1905 Garry
Herrmann). Won a handicap at Saratoga carrying 127 pounds
and beating Dorante by 4 lengths. Finished 2nd for
the September Stakes to T H Williams's Big Chief
(ch c 1905 Pontiac) who received 15 pounds. Won the 10
furlongs First Special at Gravesend carrying 122 pounds and
setting a track record, beating King James who
received 4 pounds. Finished 2nd for the Oriental
Handicap to Tommy Hitchcock Jr's Angelus (br c 1905
Sandringham*), who received 18 pounds. Won the Jerome
Handicap at Belmont Park, setting a track record,
beating Angelus who received 14 pounds, Master
Robert who received 19 pounds and Gowan (ch f 1905
Armeath*) who
received 30 pounds. Won the
Municipal Handicap, beating Master Robert by a
length whilst conceding 24 pounds. Finished 2nd for
the Autumn Handicap, won by Master Robert.
(16-7-8-1, earning $70,215) |
In 1909 he
was unplaced for 6 races in England, including the
Kempton Jubilee Handicap, Manchester Cup and
Goodwood Cup. (6-0-0-0) |
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| Notable Fair Play
Mares |
| |
| 1. |
Misplay (ch f 1911), bred
by August Belmont and owned by W W Darden, Nashville,
Tennessee, 2nd
dam of the stallion Neddie (bl c 1926 Colin), sire of Good Goods
(b c 1931), sire of Alsab (b c 1939), the latter a champion colt at two and
three years of age and worthy stallion.
Family 6-a. |
| 2. |
Eulogy (b f 1913), 2nd
dam of Alsab (b c 1939) a notable racehorse and stallion
inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1976.
Family 27-a. |
| 3. |
Masda (ch f 1915), bred
by August Belmont, Nursery Stud, Lexington, Kentucky, full
sister to Man o' War (ch c 1917), 3rd dam of the King Ranch's
triple crown winner Assault (ch c 1943 Bold Venture), champion
colt and Horse of the Year in 1946 and inducted into the Racing
Hall of Fame in 1964. Family 4-c. |
| 4. |
Beautiful Lady (ch f
1916), bred by the Gallaher Brothers, dam of Willis Sharpe
Kilmer's Sun Beau (b c 1925 Sun Briar) thrice a champion
racehorse and inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1996.
Family 4-r. |
| 5. |
Mlle. Dazie (b f 1917),
bred by August Belmont, dam of George D Widener's Grand Union Hotel Stakes winner
Jamestown (b c 1928 St. James) a champion colt in 1930 and sire
of Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Johnstown (b c
1936), the latter inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.
Family 9. |
| 6. |
Oval (ch f 1921), 2nd dam
of Greentree Stable's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner
Shut Out (ch c 1939 Equipoise).
Family 16-g. |
| |
| Notable Offspring |
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| Stromboli (USA) |
ch g
1911 (Fair Play - St. Priscilla, by Rayon d'Or). Sire Line
Matchem.
Family 2-n. Bred and raced by August Belmont he ran more than 60 races
winning the Manhattan
Handicap, Jerome Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap and Suburban
Handicap among many others, defeating such horses as Belmont
winner The Finn (bl c 1912 Ogden), Dwyer winner Chicle (b c 1913
Spearmint) and his long time rival, the great handicap horse
Roamer (b g 1911 Knight Errant). When Mr Belmont gave up racing
for war work Stromboli was acquired by Samuel Hildreth for use
as a hack. As it turned out a back ailment kept Hildreth from
riding and instead he spent two years bringing Stromboli back to
racing form, resting his tendons and citing nature and patience
as the best medicine. Despite the back stretch ribbing about the
old horse he won two of his three final races and lost the third
by a "short nose". A great favourite of Hildreth's Stromboli
retired to the comfortable paddocks of the Rancocas stud farm in
New Jersey where Hildreth declared that the grand old fellow
"should never want for a home".
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| Mad Hatter (USA) |
bbr c
1916 (Fair Play - Madcap, by Rock Sand). Sire Line
Matchem.
Family 4-r. A champion racehorse in 1921 he was bred by August Belmont II
and campaigned by Mr Sinclair. He was described as a
"beautifully made horse on the leggy order," and retired sound
after eight years of racing. Despite his wayward tendencies
he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup twice, the Metropolitan Handicap
twice and the Suburban Handicap. He started 91 times and it was
thought that he could have won many more races than he did but
for his "diabloical manners at the post". Nevertheless he was
the 4th leading money earner to that date in America at the
close of the 1924 season. A "magnificent stayer," he also won at
six furlongs and as an eight year old he gave pounds to everyone
else and still won the Suburban. His legs were said to be
seemingly made of "wrought steel" as he carried high weights for
so far and so long whilst routinely abusing his underpinnings
with his antics. Purchased by Mr Whitney for the stud he got
The Nut (br c 1926), his best son, a good racehorse and winner
of the Lawrence Realization but said to be aptly named.
Others of his offspring also inherited his opinionated
behaviour. He finished his stud career as a remount stallion.
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| Display (USA) |
b c 1923
(Fair Play - Cicuta, by Nassovian). Sire Line
Matchem.
Family 2-u. Bred by Walter J Salmon of the Mereworth Stud in Kentucky he
earned the nickname "Iron Horse". He ran for 5 years starting
103 times, winning 23
times, including the Belmont Stakes in which he beat Blondin (b
c 1923 Broomstick), the Washington Handicap, Toronto Cup (twice), Pimlico
Cup, Baltimore Handicap (twice), Ontario Jockey Club Cup and the first Hawthorne Gold Cup.
He was said to have inherited his sire's temperment. His most notable son was Discovery (ch c 1931), a
remarkable weight carrier who started with 135 pounds or more on
eleven occasions, and although he left no sons who lived up to
himself he was the damsire of such horses as Bold Ruler (bbr c
1954 Nasrullah),
Native Dancer (gr c 1950 Polynesian) and Intentionally (bl c
1956 Intent). Display died in 1944.
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| My Play (USA) |
b c
1919 (Fair Play - Mahubah, by Rock Sand). Sire Line
Matchem.
Family 4-c. Bred by August Belmont II he was a full brother to Man
o' War (ch c 1917) and won nine races, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Aqueduct
Handicap. In the stud he got R L Baker's champion colt and
Preakness Stakes winner Head Play (ch c 1930).
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| Chance Play (USA) |
ch c
1923 (Fair Play - Quelle Chance, by Ethelbert). Sire Line
Matchem.
Family 3-c. Bred by August Belmont II he won the Jockey Club Gold Cup
and Aqueduct Handicap and was champion racehorse and Horse of the Year
in 1927. He covered at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and
got, among others, the Hopeful Stakes winner Psychic Bid (ch c
1932), the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes winner Grand Slam (ch c
1933) and the Futurity Stakes winner Some Chance (ch c 1939) all
later stallions. Chance Play also got the champion filly Now
What (ch f 1937) herself the dam of the twice champion filly
Next Move (br f 1947 Bull Lea). He led the sires list in 1935
and 1944. Chance Play died in 1950.
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| Chance Shot (USA) |
| b c
1924 (Fair Play - Quelle Chance, by Ethelbert). Sire Line
Matchem.
Family 3-c. A full brother to Chance Play he was bred by August Belmont II
and ran in the colours of J E Widener. His major win came in
the Belmont Stakes with other victories in the National Stallion
Stakes, Saratoga Special, Withers Stakes, Merchants' and
Citizens' Handicap, Saratoga Handicap, Freeport Handicap and the
Ramapo Handicap. In the stud he got the Belmont Stakes winner
Peace Chance (b c 1931) who sired the 3rd dam of Northern Dancer
(b c 1961 Nearctic). He was twice second on the leading sires
list. Chance Shot died
in 1952. |
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