BH 100: Magazine Forerunner Broadens Horizon

By Edward L. Bowen

The first publication under the name of the Thoroughbred Horse Association Bulletin, a forerunner of Blood-Horse, was dated February 1917. The versatile journalist and bloodstock agent Tom Cromwell was secretary of the association and editor. Front page articles illustrated the comment made many years later by editor Kent Hollingsworth that "the association was the forerunner of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association in that its key aims included wresting sufficient and fair purses and a place at the table in dealing with race tracks." (Actually, the formation of another organization, The Jockey Club, as early as 1894 had similar motives, although maintaining the Stud Book soon became a central mission.)

BOWEN: BH 100 In The Beginning

The THA Bulletin noted that its Tijuana Committee's success in recruiting members was met with opposition by the Lower California Jockey Club, which "resorted to unfair and antiquated practices" in claiming half of certain purse monies for itself. Meanwhile, an unusual situation existed in Ontario. The THA was among elements fearful of too much expansion of racing. The THA declared that its members would not race at any Ontario track not already built. (The Canadian Committee was a strong part of the THA.) Then Thorncliffe Park was built and what might have been seen as a gesture toward idealism was soon overcome by pragmatism. By issue No. 8, the Bulletin was reporting 17 resignations by THA members over the issue. Thorncliffe operated until 1952 and also gave a boost to Ontario harness racing.

Advertising in the early editions for the most part involved stallions promoted via in stark formats. There were 31⁄2 pages of advertising in the eight-page February 1917 number. The stallions stood at farms owned by board members of the Association. THA president Hal Price Headley's Beaumont Farm advertised Uncle among three stallions; Idle Hour Stock Farm advertised three stallions; and Glen-Helen Stud had on hand Donerail and Sweep.

Donerail at the time held the distinction of being the longest-priced Kentucky Derby winner, at 91.45-1 in 1913. A century later he still holds that distinction. Sweep led the sire list in 1925. Glen-Helen was owned by THA board member John Barbee, and the farm's clients included Samuel Riddle, who was destined to fame as the buyer and owner of Man o' War. Riddle was boarding mares at Glen-Helen by 1918, the year he bought Man o' War as a yearling at Saratoga.

Also among the original advertisers were the combined Ellerslie Farm (Virginia) and Claiborne Farm (Kentucky) of A.B. Hancock Sr., also a board member. These ads extolled the likes of Celt and Wrack.

One of the contributions recognized over the years in Hal Price Headley's leadership in racing was his encouragement in that era of Kentucky breeders utilizing the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August sales as the prime marketplace for their annual yearling crops. Early editions included editorial praise of  Fasig-Tipton Co.'s $30,000 improvement, with a hasty effort to place credit in the home team's lap: "It was largely through the influence of the Kentucky breeders who are members of the Thoroughbred Horse Association that the Fasig-Tipton Company made the venture which has provided the producers of young thoroughbreds so excellent a place to market their animals and which affords the buyers the best opportunity they ever had to make comparisons and determine their selections many hours in advance of the sale." Not surprisingly, Fasig-Tipton came on board as an early advertiser in the THA Bulletin.

Fasig-Tipton had not been concentrating on Thoroughbreds until the renovation. Competition for Kentucky yearlings came from the Durland's Sale in New York City and the Powers-Hunter Company, which held sales in New York as well as in Saratoga.

Early editions of the Bulletin began to take on more of the roles associated over the years with periodicals. At the time even a monthly could have the sense of an edge of news, such as a front-page article on the victory of Hourless over Omar Khayyam in a $10,000 match race at Laurel. Soon, sale results began appearing, each yearling identified by sire, dam, price, etc., in a format very similar to that which recent readers of weeklies and daily updates are familiar with in 2016.

Issues of the day included praise of The Jockey Club rescinding a rule against races for 2-year-olds prior to April 1 and a horsemen's plea for the carding of more races exclusively for 3-year-olds.

The February 1917 edition also paused to recognize the importance and relevance of history. A feature entitled "Lest We Forget" centered on the career of the great 19th century stallion Lexington. It included a likeness from one of the representations of the horse produced by the pre-eminent 19th century equine artist Edward Troye.

The THA adopted a bronze membership pin with a likeness of the 1880s champion runner and sire Hanover, but, ironically, the likeness of Lexington was to relate better to succeeding generations. The illustration was based on a painting owned by Mrs. Duncan Gibson of Lexington. The seminal Lexington image by Troye was later picked up as the basis for the club pin and logo of the Thoroughbred Club of America, which still incorporates it in 2016, while it also is featured on various road signs directing drivers along pathways to specific local features. It is incorporated into the logo of VisitLex, an organization to promote local commerce.

Also relevant a century later—and sadly many prior centuries—are the ramifications of warfare. At the time of early THA Bulletins, English breeders announced creation of an organization to try to save their industry in the face of the gathering clouds of war.

Meanwhile, the Thoroughbred Horse Association members took America, and themselves, seriously enough to send a letter to President Woodrow Wilson, who recently had severed diplomatic relations with Germany. The letter pointed out that the association existed to support the "fleetest and gamest of all horses," and the directors "approves of your action in safeguarding the American nation's honor and integrity." Messrs. Headley, etc., further made Wilson's day by pledging support "in behalf of the United States."

In 1918, with the United States then in the war, support took a more concrete form. Kentucky breeders convened by Hancock collectively launched a drive to raise $300,000 for the American Red Cross.