[QUOTE=SportArab;7872035]
There was a book that chronicled the tale of how the murder of a candy heiress led to the exposure of a horse murder for hire ring. Title escapes me at the moment. Will post later.[/QUOTE]
I think it was Helen Brach: Gone But Not Forgotten by Mark Gribben?
[QUOTE=rcloisonne;7872150]
I think it was Helen Brach: Gone But Not Forgotten by Mark Gribben?[/QUOTE]
“Hot Blood?”
[QUOTE=SportArab;7872035]
There was a book that chronicled the tale of how the murder of a candy heiress led to the exposure of a horse murder for hire ring. Title escapes me at the moment. Will post later.[/QUOTE]
The term “connections” is a broader term in the horse industry than most realize or want to admit. Who would have ever guessed that Rielle Hunter would be connected to a family on the seedier side of overall industry? What good parent would have his child’s horse killed over money. No wonder Rielle turned out “****** up.” The Hunter/Edwards affair was seedy enough without later learning of what appears to be a tragic childhood for her. TMI.
As an avid reader of Thoroughbred history, I’m often astounded by the breed’s history as it is connected with the trappings of world affairs. There is a estate (Oak Ridge) about 7 miles up the road from our farm. It was owned and developed in the late 1800’s by Thomas Fortune Ryan, a “robber baron” character of sorts, who was involved in both TB and harness racing. Had his own train station, racetrack, et al and made his great fortune in NY financial markets like the Phipps and Whitneys etc. Well come to find he was also an early member of the JC. He owned a stakes winning colt named Coalizer along with about 200 other racehorses on the thousands of acres of rolling hills and pasture that once was the center of our county. Oddly, upon my further investigation I couldn’t find any scandals about him. Much of the estate, under new owners, has been renovated and the track was rebuilt and is operational though unused. Sad.
I bought your book. Looking forward to reading it. Particularly because I was a big fan of HAIL TO REASON and his Harbor View Farm connections. No offense. It’s an age thing. I’ve not checked but I wonder if Patrice ever wrote about her life and experiences being the daughter of Hirsh Jacobs and her later involvement with the FL racing industry and TC. Maybe you made reference to her in your book.
As I recall, Hirsh Jacobs was partnered with a gambler and they made the exciting and very profitable claim of Stymie for $1500. A story right of tales of horses going nowhere in their juvenile and derby years and a tidy profit of $900K. Quite a sum back in the days following WWII.
[QUOTE=Shammy Davis;7872156]
“Hot Blood?”[/QUOTE]
Yes, that was it. “Hot Blood: The Millionairess, the Money, and the Horse Murders”
[QUOTE=Shammy Davis;7872212]
The term “connections” is a broader term in the horse industry than most realize or want to admit. Who would have ever guessed that Rielle Hunter would be connected to a family on the seedier side of overall industry? What good parent would have his child’s horse killed over money. No wonder Rielle turned out “****** up.” The Hunter/Edwards affair was seedy enough without later learning of what appears to be a tragic childhood for her. TMI.
As an avid reader of Thoroughbred history, I’m often astounded by the breed’s history as it is connected with the trappings of world affairs. There is a estate (Oak Ridge) about 7 miles up the road from our farm. It was owned and developed in the late 1800’s by Thomas Fortune Ryan, a “robber baron” character of sorts, who was involved in both TB and harness racing. Had his own train station, racetrack, et al and made his great fortune in NY financial markets like the Phipps and Whitneys etc. Well come to find he was also an early member of the JC. He owned a stakes winning colt named Coalizer along with about 200 other racehorses on the thousands of acres of rolling hills and pasture that once was the center of our county. Oddly, upon my further investigation I couldn’t find any scandals about him. Much of the estate, under new owners, has been renovated and the track was rebuilt and is operational though unused. Sad.
I bought your book. Looking forward to reading it. Particularly because I was a big fan of HAIL TO REASON and his Harbor View Farm connections. No offense. It’s an age thing. I’ve not checked but I wonder if Patrice ever wrote about her life and experiences being the daughter of Hirsh Jacobs and her later involvement with the FL racing industry and TC. Maybe you made reference to her in your book.
As I recall, Hirsh Jacobs was partnered with a gambler and they made the exciting and very profitable claim of Stymie for $1500. A story right of tales of horses going nowhere in their juvenile and derby years and a tidy profit of $900K. Quite a sum back in the days following WWII.[/QUOTE]
Both John Veitch and Patrice Wolfson were quite generous with their time as we did research for the book. And certainly there is no way you can tell the full story without including Hirsch Jacobs, Stymie, and Hail to Reason.
Hope the book brings your memories of the time back to life. 
[QUOTE=gumtree;7870457]
Calumet has/had been around for along time. Been painted many, many times. Lead paint wasn’t banned until the late 70’s. And we all know horse like to chew things in their stall. Unlike most barns at Calumet things didn’t go un painted for very long.
Just saying…[/QUOTE]
After the lead poisoning was diagnosed Lundy said Alydar had eaten paint chips. Given how manicured Calumet was, I find it hard to believe there were ever paint chips hanging around.
1 Like
[QUOTE=SportArab;7880938]
After the lead poisoning was diagnosed Lundy said Alydar had eaten paint chips. Given how manicured Calumet was, I find it hard to believe there were ever paint chips hanging around.[/QUOTE]
Calumet had been around for long time post Alydar. The continuous use of lead based products, which there were many - gasoline, paint, batteries, etc; around the farm may have left residue in many forms and locations. Lundy might have been grasping for straws to save his own hind end suggesting paint chips and taking the focus off maliciousness. More likely if lead was found in Alydar it was also in the soil, possibly the wood on fences or stalls, metal services like gates, stall doors, etc. Lord only knows that agriculture and farms are replete with insidious toxins. Look how long it took to get DDT off the market and clean-up is on going today.
Here’s an interesting study that might be of some clarification.
http://www.veterinaryworld.org/2008/July/Lead%20-%20An%20Emerging%20threat%20to%20livestock.pdf
A previous post indicated that Lundy had an IQ. You’ve got me there. Maybe it was just his lack of good common sense that was challenged. There’s a guy up the road from us who inherited a $200 million mining company from his father. He got into dispute with relatives and preceded to lose $80 million of it in court before lawyers convinced him to be responsible and settle the issue. Well, he settled but $80 million was down the tubes. I was thinking, after following this thread, that he and Lundy were surely related.
[QUOTE=Shammy Davis;7881016]
Calumet had been around for long time post Alydar. The continuous use of lead based products, which there were many - gasoline, paint, batteries, etc; around the farm may have left residue in many forms and locations. Lundy might have been grasping for straws to save his own hind end suggesting paint chips and taking the focus off maliciousness. More likely if lead was found in Alydar it was also in the soil, possibly the wood on fences or stalls, metal services like gates, stall doors, etc. Lord only knows that agriculture and farms are replete with insidious toxins. Look how long it took to get DDT off the market and clean-up is on going today.
Here’s an interesting study that might be of some clarification.
http://www.veterinaryworld.org/2008/July/Lead%20-%20An%20Emerging%20threat%20to%20livestock.pdf
A previous post indicated that Lundy had an IQ. You’ve got me there. Maybe it was just his lack of good common sense that was challenged. There’s a guy up the road from us who inherited a $200 million mining company from his father. He got into dispute with relatives and preceded to lose $80 million of it in court before lawyers convinced him to be responsible and settle the issue. Well, he settled but $80 million was down the tubes. I was thinking, after following this thread, that he and Lundy were surely related.[/QUOTE]
That may be true (re lead based paints) but given that Alydar was the only one who developed lead poisoning, it makes one wonder. The incident was just a throwaway mention in a feature story about Calumet and Lundy.
I don’t think Lundy was stupid, he just seems to have had a big inferiority complex that he was self medicating with horse purchases, etc.
I don’t know all the particulars about Alydar testing positive for lead. As a farmer, I can think of ten reasons off the top of my head why one individual horse might be exposed or have consumed lead in quantities sufficient to cause illness to include a malicious act. Unless you know for certain that other horses were tested for lead post Alydar, there is really no way of knowing but my point is that “farms” are inherently dangerous because of equipment, machinery, handling livestock.
To your second point, being smart might not have been a deficit for Lundy but whatever personality problems he had was definitely holding his intelligence at bay.
Apparently he had pretty severe symptoms and it was feared he might succumb, but an astute vet recognized lead poisoning. In adults, whether people or animals, it takes quite a bit of lead to produce that level of symptomatology.
Dug out the story from which the lead poisoning account came. It was an LA Times take out on Calumet Farm from April 1985 titled: “The Rivalry: On the Track, Affirmed and Alydar Usually Finished in That Order in Racing’s Greatest Duel; Now the Order is Reversed.”
It is datelined Lexington, KY. Oddly there is no byline, so don’t know who wrote it. But Lundy describes Alydar’s illness: “The horse was sick for a month,” Lundy said. “He acted like he was drunk. I’ve known horses that have died after having the same symptoms. The insurance people came in to look at the horse and acted like idiots. Doc Harthill checked him out, right away said the problem was toxic and began treating him. He might not have made it otherwise.”
Lundy joked about it: “What Alydar is is a breeding machine. Last season he got 97 percent of his mares in foal. Anything between 60 and 80 percent is considered good. Maybe we should give all our stallions a little lead.”
Someone had asked about the status of John Veitch. Tripped over this while looking for something else:
http://www.kentucky.com/2014/11/28/3564382/legal-battle-not-over-for-hall.html
SportArab: Started reading your book over the holiday. Enjoying it very much. There is nothing like reading about TB racing history. No doubt all its success and much of its failures is based on fate.
I was particularly interested in how “ALYDAR” was named. I never heard the story before and I was somewhat cognitive back then. I think if the television commentators during the TC had told the story about this then I might have “puked.” Such a heroic sounding name to come from the mouths of aristocratic drunks and cocktail conversationlists. Thank the lord, ALYDAR, wasn’t born a filly. It might have been named “Lucilleydar.” Or “Markeywifeadrift.”
Thumbs up so far. Don’t let me down. I just finished a great book on Man o’War.
Yeah, I always thought Alydar was a cool name. I never knew what it meant until I read the recent, long article about Alydar’s death. I thought the meaning and history behind it was kinda disappointing. Maybe it was better not to know! :lol:
[QUOTE=Shammy Davis;7938361]
SportArab: Started reading your book over the holiday. Enjoying it very much. There is nothing like reading about TB racing history. No doubt all its success and much of its failures is based on fate.
I was particularly interested in how “ALYDAR” was named. I never heard the story before and I was somewhat cognitive back then. I think if the television commentators during the TC had told the story about this then I might have “puked.” Such a heroic sounding name to come from the mouths of aristocratic drunks and cocktail conversationlists. Thank the lord, ALYDAR, wasn’t born a filly. It might have been named “Lucilleydar.” Or “Markeywifeadrift.”
Thumbs up so far. Don’t let me down. I just finished a great book on Man o’War.[/QUOTE]
Hope it gets better as the story unfolds and the pace picks up. Glad you are enjoying it!
[QUOTE=ravenclaw;7938674]
Yeah, I always thought Alydar was a cool name. I never knew what it meant until I read the recent, long article about Alydar’s death. I thought the meaning and history behind it was kinda disappointing. Maybe it was better not to know! :lol:[/QUOTE]
I feel the same when the “meaning behind” the lyrics of some of my favorite songs is explained by the band. When Neil Young was asked to explain the meaning behind some of his songs he said something like, “doesn’t matter, what it meant to me is most likely completely different then what they mean to other people. Why would I want to change that? They might be very disappointed”.
Back in the “analog” days when I was learning songs off a record. The music/cords were far easier to figure out “by ear” then the words. It was pretty pain staking to keep picking up the tone arm on the record player and moving it back just the right amount so as to listen again, and again, and again….
Guitar players have it easy these days. Cords and lyrics can be had for free on the internet. When I’ve checked out “my song book” on the internet it’s pretty funny to see what the “real” lyrics verses what I thought they were. Kind of changes the meaning/feel of the song a bit at times. I still play them the way I have always played them.
Some gal called into our local Rock station because she was having an argument with her husband over the words to the Jimi Hendrix song Purple Haze. Wanted to know if he was saying; “Excuse me while I kiss this guy” or was her husband right, Excuse me while I kiss the sky". I had a good laugh because the title “Purple Haze” clearly makes the latter correct. I guess she had never been “Experienced”.
A lot of Paul Simon’s lyrics are based on things, lines he read in the Newspaper or on a menu. Which is where the song, Mother and Child Reunion came from. A Chinese restaurant menu, a dish that was made with chicken and egg and in English was called Mother and Child Reunion.
Names are interesting. I agree that Alydar’s sounds much better than the history. I knew that one already but was fascinated recently to discover in another book the meaning of Nasrullah, which is Arabic for “wrath of God.”
On the other hand, maybe success adds to how a name sounds. When you think about it, Secretariat isn’t the greatest, most heroic and noble-sounding name. Per Bill Nack’s book, it was actually their sixth choice, and it was suggested by the secretary. But I’ve never heard anybody say, “Couldn’t they have done better on that name?” People love it now with the race record attached.
I think one of the least imaginative, letdown names I’ve run into in racing is from fiction. The Black. Loved the Black Stallion series (the ones Farley wrote; it’s gone downhill with his son), but even as a kid, I thought, “Come on, Alec! Surely you could have done better than that! You had plenty of time on the island to think about it.” They apparently even changed his actual name, Shetan, to that after he was officially theirs, as he raced under it.
P.S.: I’m looking forward to your book, Sport Arab, but am on the wait list for it at Paperbackswap.com, which is the source of 99% of my books these days.
One TB name that I always thought was quite clever was Belmont winner Stage Door Johnny (Prince John x Peroxide Blonde). I mean really - Prince and the Show Girl = Stage Door Johnny. I like it.
Re Alydar’s name, once he became famous the Markeys tried to take back the Aly Darling story. But they had told too many people by that time so it was impossible to put the horse back in the barn so to speak.
[QUOTE=Sandy M;7940483]
One TB name that I always thought was quite clever was Belmont winner Stage Door Johnny (Prince John x Peroxide Blonde). I mean really - Prince and the Show Girl = Stage Door Johnny. I like it.[/QUOTE]
One of my favorite names is for a son of Stage Door Johnny–Out You Go named Out Door Johnny 
