The Newbrook Stable
(Article from the Dec 10, 1930 Horse Review)

What proved to be a most happy and satisfactory arrangement made by Mr. H. Stacy Smith, of Newark, N. J., owner of the Newbrook Stable, was the spending of the past winter at Pinehurst, N. C., the Mid-South Spa, offering varied sports and pleasures unsurpassed at any other winter resort. The Newbrook Stable was really under the supervision of trainer William Hodson, of Hartford, Conn., but owner Smith spent a pleasant and, healthful vacation assisting in the conditioning and training of the horses.

There were ten members of the Newbrook cast a majority of them being trained for the matinees of the Road Horse Association of New Jersey, at Newark, which the Newbrook Stable owner takes a leading part in. The members of the stable to be raced professionally by trainer Hodson were the westernbred and trained gelding Happy the Great 2:041/4, by Peter the Third, and the sensational four-year-old pacer Prince W., 3, 2:051/4, by Prince McKinney, purchased during the winter. They were named in the Bay State and Orange County meetings, Prince W.'s campaign to be governed by his success once the season was started.

And what a season the wiry built four-year-old enjoyed! Starting with the call to the score, be literally strode through the Bay State Circuit meetings without the loss of a heat, not even threatened seriously, his fastest mile in that famous early chain paced at Springfield, Mass., where he won the first heat of the 2:14 class in 2:06.

The Newbrook horses then moved along to the Orange County meetings, starting at Owego, where he won the 2:14 pace, best beat 2:0714. At Elmira, the 2:14 class horses made him lower his winning. mark to 2:051/2, and at Goshen, Cold Cash, 3, 2:02, was dangerous, but unable to bead the Newbrook star, as he won in 2:061/4, 2:051/2, 2:053/4, the easy gaited gelding not losing a heat thus far in eight races. But then, over the very fast track at Middletown, the Prince and Cold Cash staged one of the best pacing races of the year over a half-mile track. Prince W. won the first beat in 2:07, his adversary winning the second round by pacing the last half in 1.00, flat, time of the mile 2:061/2 ; and then, after another blistering heat, Cold Cash cashed in 2:043/4 by a length from the Prince.

Prince W. was 2-2-1 to Margaret Grattan in 2:051/2, 2:061/2, 2:051/4, at Hartford, Conn., the result standing more as a tactical mistake of driver Hodson than a true bill of the merits of the Newbrook entry and the Grattan mare. The Prince next won the Republican purse of $2,000, for 2:14 pacers, at Goshen's Grand Circuit meeting in 2:04, 2:051/4, 2:041/4 ; finishing up his year's program with a hollow victory in the Buffalo Road Drivers' 2:16 pace at Syracuse in 2:033/4, 2:04, 2:031/4.

As further racing would handicap him, so far as classification is concerned another year, he was then retired with an enviable record made in the best meetings of the east. His score was 10 firsts and two seconds in 12 starts and winnings of $8,850, in which he had won 25 heats over the half-mile tracks, in an average time of 2:081/4, and nine heats over the mile tracks in an average time of 2:04 2/3.

Prince W. is one of the best bred pacers living, his dam being Margaret S. 2:263/4 (own sister of Captain S. 2:051/2), by Axworthy; grandam the famous Grace 2:043/4, by Peter the Great.

Happy the Great 2:041/4, also recruited to the stable, made a highly creditable showing, even though he was meeting the sensational Hollyrood Dick 2:001/4 almost every week. Happy raced all through the Bay State and Orange County meetings, also made a side journey to Trenton, N. J., winning four races, six second places, and in excess of $6,385. One of the highlights in his campaign was the winning of the third heat in the $10,000 trot at Avon, Conn., in 2:06, a new track record for trotters. In three starts in the Orange County he was twice second and once first. He also won a handicap race at Goshen's mile track Grand Circuit meeting, trotting in 2:101/2, 2:09, with a 120-foot handicap. He took another handicap at Reading, Pa., in 2:113/4, 2:113/4, 2:12, and at Trenton, over the very sandy track at the InterState Fair grounds, won a sparkling race in 2:083/4, 2:08, 2:09.

Very shortly afterwards he was returned to the Weequahic Park, Newark, track to begin a series of remarkable races and exhibitions in the matinees. He won the free-for-all trots on both Oct. 4 and 11, and must be credited with a great performance when he first won the same class on Newark's Gala Day, Oct. 18, and an hour later was driven by Mr. Smith in the double team exhibition with the three-year-old filly Laurel Leaf (mat. 2:101/2), the pair lowering the halfmile track double-team record from 2:121/4 to 2:101/4 in one of the finest exhibitions seen in many years.. They were carefully rated to the quarter in :34, trotted the next quarter in :311/4, to the half in 1:051/4, stepping the last half in 1:05, for a magnificent mile in 2:101/4. The owner, a 220-pound amateur, received hearty congratulations from many friends fortunate in seeing his splendid work in driving and rating the mile. This exhibition mile made Happy the Great's twentieth appearance of the year, a tribute togood handling, with a full measure of credit to the game gelding.

Another outstanding record made by a member of the Newbrook Stable, over the delightful track at Weequahic Park, was a mile in 2:121/2 by the two-year-old pacing filly Wilma Scott, by Peter Scott, the best for a pacer of her age over the track, which event occurred July 4. Laurel Leaf won the second heat of the 2:15 trot in 2:101/2, on July 19, to become the fastest heat winner of any three-year-old trotter ever to race at Weequahic. The two-year-old filly Allie McElwyn, by Mr. McElwyn, won there in 2:163/4 on Aug. 19. The Newbrook amateur also won with the two-year-old filly Juniata, by Peter Montgomery, in 2:151/2, on Sept. 27, and with the three-year-old Eleanor, by Peter Volo, in 2:131/4, 2:141/4, at the Gala Day matinee. And the same day the handsome chestnut yearling Maid McElwyn, by Mr. McElwyn, was driven an exhibition mile in 2:33, and a few days later was marked in 2:26, the first half in 1:111/4, for one of the smartest performances ever seen at Weequahic Park.

All told the Newbrook Stable won 14 professional races, and approximately 18 matinee events, a world's team record, and so many minor triumphs that the year as a whole will ever be memorable.

The mentor of the Newbrook Stable is, as stated, a leading figure in that famous matinee organization, the Road Horse Association of New Jersey, every season seeing his imprint affixed in the trotting sport at Weequahic Park. It is a pleasure to think that his year of 1930 has been so pleasant, and that the stable is again in winter quarters at Pinehurst. We sincerely hope, in closing, that the season of 1931 will again see the Newbrook Stables colors on top.