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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. Out in Frisco, the race in which Survivor beat Sam McKeever last Saturday, caused any amount of excitement, gossip and comment. Garnet Ferguson bought McKeever at Marcus Dalys sale in Montana last summer for 00 and won a number of good races with him. In a three-quarter dash at Oakland the colt forced Fred Fosters crack sprinter Abuse to put forth the limit of his speed to win by a scant margin. This so impressed Foster that he gave Ferguson 5,000 for McKeever before the milo dash in which he played second fiddle to Survivor. Every speculator thought McKeever a "sure thing" and backed him accordingly, Garnet Ferguson wagering ,000 of the money received from Foster on his chances. "Cash" Sloan rode McKeever and lost through bungling work in pulling up and losing ground he could not afterward make up. At first, as is usual in similar cases, the starter was blamed, even the younger Ferguson berating his father for not using the recall flag and thereby saving his ,000. But for once the newspapers were just to "Blue Grass James" and put the blame where it properly belonged, the Examiner saying: "The fault was not Fergusons. Cash Sloan, on Sam McKeever, the favorite, checked his mount momentarily after the field of four had left the gate on fairly even terms. Sloan appeared to think that the recall would be used, but be busied himself in earnest just as soon as he discovered that it was a go. " , , The running of the race seems to show con- clusively that good as Survivor evidently is just now Sam McKeever is his superior and under Fosters skillful training and management is likely to do some notable racing before this year closes. Of the race the Chronicle says: "The mile race for three-year-olds was preeminently the event of the day. Survivor and Sam McKeever came under the wire noses apart. The judges placed Survivor first, but it certainly looked as if Sam McKeever had won by a nose. At all events there was absolutely no doubt that McKeever was the better colt. Cash Sloan, who had the mount, thought that there was to be a recall, and started to pull up the colt before he realized that it was a go. The contretemps at the post cost the Montana-bred colt fully four lengths, which made it an uphill battle, especially against a colt like Survivor, who can run a mile in 1:10K At any rate McKeever persevered, but he never loomed up as dangerous until the stretch was reached, when Sloan began to punish his mount and he gradually gained on the leader. The last furlong was desperately contested, the colts racing neck and neck and eventually passed the judges stand locked together. Survivor ran a most creditable race, but McKeever carried off the honors, although he was placed second." For some time past Hot Springs, Ark., has been the theatre of remarkably heavy batting operations and now a hot poolroom is in merry progress. The whys and wherefores are thus detailed to a Cincinnati newspaper Thursday; "There was a hot time in the poolrooms today. Fred Walbaum, Duke of Guttenburg, opened the Arkansas Club Poolroom and refused to join in the combination which has up to this time fixed the prico3 in the local rooms. He began hunching track prices and all the local rooms followed. The consequence was that the sharpshooters had things their own way from start to finish. The rooms up town were in sharp competition on prices, and Shannons room led in the fight. Takanassee, coming 1 to 4 from the track, was laid 3 to 5, and from that out long prices were laid. Steve LHommedien, of New York; Pittsburg Phil, Coley Ullman and many other sharpshooters were out for the goods, and in several instances landed winners. More money was in circulation in chunks than at any racetrack in the country. The fight is still on and there is no probable end to the war of price hunching." Henry McDaniels has recently received the following additions to his string in training: Hickey Bros. Fannie Taylor, b. f, 3, by Tea Tray Andelia. C. L. Lukes Charlie O., ch. g, 3, by Jils Johnson Bettie Wilson; Fannie Luke, ch. f, 2, by Candlemas Bettie Wilson. J. W. Showalters bay filly, 2, by Likely Sal-lie Marshall. F. P. Kidds chestnut filly 2, by Hanover-Shadow Dance. Stables belonging to Canadian owners fared very well last year. The success of Martimas in the Futurity putting one, Mr. Wm. Hendrie, in among the leaders. Theshowing of the Canadian owners is as follows : Owner. lst.2nd.3rd. Won. Wm Hendrie 15 24 16 1,195 J E Seagram 33 44 20 15,480 Adam Beck 28 26 15 8,610 Orpen and Brennan 15 20 22 5,230 W J Smith and Co 9 11 16 4,835 J P Dawes 11 8 8 3,923 N Dyment 10 12 19 3,867 Alex Shields 10 11 13 3,240 F Martin 8 3 1 1,980 . Campbell and Hendrie 6 3 1 1,385 W Maclean 5 3 4 1,255
