25 years ago

• Changes continued at Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Md., when it was announced that three new stallions would stand at the legendary property in 1988.

The farm, purchased by Baltimorean Jim Ward earlier in the year, added to the roster millionaire Roo Art, established sire Baederwood and Grade 1 winner Believe the Queen. Already in the stallion barn were Salutely (whose first crop were 3-year-olds) and Exclusive One, a son of Exclusive Native. Roo Art would be the greatest money-winning horse to stand at stud in Maryland. The multiple Grade 1 winner by Buckaroo earned $1,011,723 during his career.

Sagamore also announced the retirement of 27-year-old Restless Native from commercial stud duty. The son of Native Dancer had a long and distinguished career, and sired the likes of top distaffers Twixt and Dismasted. His breeder and former Sagamore Farm owner, Alfred Vanderbilt, was considering breeding a few of his own mares to the aging gray stallion the next season.

• The cold war was thawing?–?for the first time in 21 years, horses from the USSR would ship to America to contest the Washington, D.C., International-G1. 

The race carried a two-tier purse structure, with nominated runners competing for $750,000, and invitees, of which Laurel could add a maximum of three, racing for $400,000. For the invitees, Laurel paid transportation costs of the horse, trainer, groom, jockey and other employees, as well as living expenses in the U.S. The Russian entrant was an invitee.

• Classic winner Caveat got his first winner when his 2-year-old son Eudaemonic led all the way to score in a 51?2-furlong maiden special weight at Monmouth Park in August for owner Scott Savin and trainer Sonny Hine. 

Getting his first stakes winner was champion Deputy Minister, when Silver Deputy captured the Swynford Stakes for 2-year-olds at Woodbine. 

Both Caveat and Deputy Minister entered stud at Windfields Farm in Chesapeake City in 1984. Winner of the 1983 Belmont Stakes-G1, Caveat stood the most recent season for $20,000. Deputy Minister, the Eclipse Award-winning champion 2-year-old of 1981 and Horse of the Year in Canada, stood for $25,000.

• The best sprinter in England was Northern Dancer’s 3-year-old son Ajdal, who followed a victory in the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket with a dominating score in the William Hill Sprint Championship-G1 at York in August. The Maryland-bred campaigned for Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, who purchased him privately following the 1985 Keeneland Select Yearling sale after breeder Ralph Wilson bought the colt back for $7.5 million. Ajdal was out of Native Partner (by Raise a Native)