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, , i i . i i ; . I . i s j t r GOSSIP OF THE TURF. Certain owners of certain horses are in a , predicament that has a touch of the amusing j to people who are familiar with the lights and , shadows of the seamy side of the turf. The case is thus defined in the San Francisco Examiner of last Monday: "Three horses, barred by the Oakland judges, are entered today at Ingleside, Personne, Cromwell and Don Luis have been barred from the privileges across the bay. and are in the same list with Myth, Hugh Penny and a few other acrobatic performers. The two last-named have done no more to offend the Ingleside judges than the three horses in the list of entries today, but they cannot race on this side because the judges on the other side have asked that their entry be refused. The owners of the horses barred from one track are probably taking a chance to run on the other and are wisely holding a silent tongue until told their enquines are not wanted. In the meantime the people in control of Myth and Hugh Penny are scurrying about trying to learn why their horses are not allowed the same privilege as other horses punished for in-and-out running across the bay." If the horsemen of Pennsylvania and Illinois want equitable racing laws they mnst be up and doing. Both states have for years been persecuted by two elements equally bad, the Puritanical zealot, who wants to stop all honest sport, and the gambling freebooter, who wants to race all the time. As a result high-class sport has almost become a thing of the past. The Washington Park Club, the greatest racing organization in the west, closed its gates for several years, while the big trotting meetings at Philadelphia and Chicago have ceased to exist. Unfortunately the laws in both state have utterly failed in their purpose, as outside of Philadelphia and Chicago, public sentiment has been so strongly opposed to their -enforcement, that they have been continually violated. The result has been to close up the gates of responsible associations where the public were fully protected and where clean, honest sport was guaranteed, while outlaw organizations flourished. The racing laws now before both legislatures for consideration will remedy this unhealthy state of affairs. In both cases winter racing is prohibited, the length of meetings is defined, pool-selling ie prohibited except at 1 race meetings on events then in progress. That most pernicious of all modern gambling inventions, the foreign book, will not be permitted and in Illinois there is a re-venue feature of five per cent, on the gate , receipts which goes to the state. Every breeder . in the two states should support these bills. Every racing and trotting association should through its officers give their active support, The leading business men of Philadelphia and Chicago should make their influence felt to place two laws on the statute books which can be enforced and which will at the same time encourage the great breeding interests of the two states. Spirit of the Times. For the meeting of the country Club to be hold at Brookline, Mass., May 2730, some fat events are offered for the jumpers. Prelimi-i nary entries close Wednesday, March 15, to the following events: Country Club Steeplechase, purse ,000, about two miles and a half; Myopia Steeplechase, purse 50, for hunters registered under tb,e National Steeplechase and Hunt Association Rules, about two and one-half , j , 1 , . miles, and hurdle race, purse 500, one and one-half miles, over six hurdles; The Dukes Cup, ,000, handicap steeplechase, with purse of ,200 added, about two and one-half miles; Challenge Cup value 50, purse, 50 added, about two and one-half miles, and hurdle race, purse 500, one and three-quarter miles, over seven hurdles. All entries should be addressed to G. T. Dexter, Clark of the Course, Brookline, Mass. King Barleycorns good race at New Orleans yesterday will serve to make him one of the favorites for the Crescent City Derby. It is worth noting that Mr. Vosburg has handicapped this colt to be within five pounds of Jean Beraud in the assignment of weights for the Metropolitan Handicap at Morris Park, and sets him to give weight to such good ones as Heliobas, Cormorant, Filigrane, Frohsinn, Formeru, Black Venus, Dr. Eichberg. Mr. Clay, Toluca and Mc-Leod of Dare. Only Jean Beraud, Autumn, Ethelbert, Kingdon, W. Overton and Alpen, of his own age, are handicapped above him. Of an incident of Thursdays racing at New Orleans, the Picayune says: "In the first race E. Burtonniere and Co. claimed Guide Rock for 650, but subsequently returned him to his owner, J. W. Johnson. The latter positively declined to give up the -horse, saying he was willing to take the consequenses, even if they were a ruling off, for he said: I would be happier rnled off with the horse than in good standing without him. The claimants were evidently touched by the old mans devotion and his gray hairs and agreed to forego their claim." A project to construct in Jacksonville, Fla., a first class mile track is under discussion, and C. H. Howard, W. B. Owen and J. S. Smith have been appointed a committee to secure the names and addresses of breeders and owners of running and trotting and pacing horses. In a let-tar to us Mr. Howard says : "It is our intention to have quite an extended meeting for the winter months, during the season in the south when it is impossible to work horses on northern tracks." The club will organize with a capital stock of 00,000. Turf , Field and Farm. The dates for running off the stakes at Aqueduct areas follows: Carter Handicap, April 17; Rose Stakes, April 20; Arverne Stakes, April 22; Canarsie Stakes, April 25; Ozone Stakes, April 27; Rockaway Stakes, April 29; Jamaica Stakes, May 2; Flushing Stakes, May 4. Owing to the large entry list in the Carter Handicap Superintendent Tucker talks of widening the track at the seven-furlong pole, so as to permit twenty horses or more to start. Garner and Slaughter are among the late ar-. rivals at Little Rock. They brought in a string of seven from Dallas. They are: The Trimmer, 3; J.E. Cline, 3; Gustave Cook, 6; Chang, 4; Eitholin, 4; Banana, 3, and Sylvain, a 2-year- old by Wadsworth. j 1 , 1 ,
