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THE ANNUAL CHAMPION STAKES. Long distance racing is to be a feature of this and the immediately following years to a much greater extent than has been the case during the past ten years. The tendency in that direction is general and popular. It is to the credit of the San Francisco tracks that while their daily programs have provided for as much sprinting as any others their officials have always provided for races over the old time two, three and four mile routes, their reward being that they have always had good fields of starters and the records at two miles, two miles and a quarter and four miles now belong to California racetracks. It is a source of great satisfaction to those who believe that racing programs should cater to stamina as well as speed to note that the eastern clubs are also beginning to provide races of importance over long distances of ground, a movement which the middle western clubs will no doubt join by the coming around of another racing year. Similar steps are being taken in England, where the Jockey Club has set about restricting two-year-old racing and sprinting and has made provision for an increase of racing at distances of a mile or more. To the Coney Island Jockey Club belongs the honor of having instituted in the Annual Champion Stakes a fixture that is bound to become within a few years the leading long distance race of America; one tti at will annually provoke as much interest and anticipation, or more, as a Brooklyn, Suburban or Futurity does now. The Annual Champion Stakes is a guaranteed event of the value of 5,C00 annually. The winner will take 0 000, the second horse ,000 and the third horse 50. The owner of the winner at the time of its entry is to receive ,000, of the second horse, 00, of the third horse, 50 and the trainer of the winning horse is to receive 00. The race is to be run each autumn over the old fashioned cup course of two miles and a quarter, 3-year-olds to carry 116 pounds, 4-year-olds, 130 pound!s, 5-year-olds and upward, 131 pounds. There will be no allowances other than sex and gelding, but penalties up to seven pounds are provided. The distinguishing feature of this great stake of the future is that" a horse once entered is always entered and entitled to start as long as he is able to run. It thus might be possible for a horse of extraordinary powers to capture it for several yeaxs in succession, although such an occnrance is extremely improbable. Nominations are as foals or yearlings, It costs only to nominate a foal each 15th of July. It re- mains in subject to declaration the following 15th of July without further cost if then declared out. Subsequent declaration fees are 5 if declared a year later, 0 if declared the following February, and it costs 50 to stay in and race. For those entered as yearlings the rate of charges, as is usual in such cases, is higher. As the stake stands now itjhas twenty-six foal nominations of 1897 and twenty-three yearling nominations. The foal nominations made July 15, 1898, number 136. July 15 of this year, foals of 1899, and yearlings of 1893 will be entered. It can easily be seen that by this process each years crop of foals is contributing Ub quota to swell the very great list of nominations this stake must inevitably secure by the time of its first running and have always thereafter. Its ihgsniously devised conditions assure that wo will have at least one great longdistance race in which the cracks of tuccessive generations will be sure to measure strides under conditions that will test to the utmost their courage, stamina, speed and power to carry high weight through a long journey.
