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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. Fire, incendiary or accidental, destroyed the grandstand, paddock and judges stand at the Harlem racetrack Sunday night. Fortunately the stableB were saved. The general opinion is that the fire was the work of miscreants, who should spend the rest of their days deep in the bosom of the Joliet prison; but there is a possibility that it was the result of spontaneous I combustion from oils, paint and waste stored I under the grandstand. With some organizations 6uch a disaster would insure a postponement but representative Chicago push and combativeness is abundantly infused in the i Harlem management and no thought of postponing ■ has been entertained. All that hustling , and money can do to provide means for view-the - races Decoration Day will be called into play and no doubt effectiiely. Such grit and 1 energy deserves generous recognition, and as s Chicago admires such displays in any pursuit t it will almost certainly be awarded. A temporary Btand and other necessary structures, - all of wood, will be rushed up at once and 1 be in readiness for visitors next Tuesday. It t ■will be found surprisingly good and commodious, all things considered. In the meantime a i new grandstand of stone, iron and brick, practically - a duplicate of the handsome structure at the Oakley track, Cincinnati, bas been determined - upon already, and even as early as last l j | j | i ! I I i ■ , - 1 s t - 1 t i - - night workmen were preparing the foundation o for the new grandstand. It will go up with a t celerity that will be surprising even in this a city of rush and hurry. t 1 Among the recent additions to the broodmare r band at Barney Scbreibers Woodlands farm in t St. Louis county, are two of the most noted c producing matrons in the history of the Ameri- s can turf, namely, Agnes, by Gilroy, and the famous Lucy Lisle. Agnes is the dam of Macbeth II., Jacobin, Robespierre and other * famous thoroughbreds, while Lucy Lisle has I given the turf Dollikens, Castaway II., Ragner and Paul Griggs. Agnes is twenty-three years of age, and, although blind, is in good physical condition. She has been bred to Balgowan. This old mare has achieved fame as a dam ! of Derby winners, throngh the success of Mac- 1 beth II. in the Kentucky Derby of 1888, and the victory of Robespierre in the Tennessee Derby of 1890. Robespierre and Jacobin were both sired by Jils Johnson. Lucy Lisle is only seventeen years old and in prime physical con- dition. She has been bred to Sain. Lucy Lisle ! is almost white, but all her famous foals have been bay in color, with the exception of the • speedy Paul Griggs, who is a gray. Paul Gtiggs is by Order, the sire of Ornament. Cast- away II., by Outcast— Lucy Lisle, captured the historic Brooklyn Handicap in 1890. Mr. Schreiber bought these two famous mares from B. J. Johnston, George Hankins old racing partner. Mr. Johnson also sold Jennie McFar-land, dam of Little Land, and Marie Foster, dam of Marie Woodlands, to Mr. Schreiber.— St. Louis Republic. Concerning the Latonia meeting that opeas today, the Enquirer says : "A healthy indication as to the provable improvement in the coming meeting at the Kenton County track over that of last year is to be found in the fact that this season nearly all the best stables at Churchill Downs— and this means the best in the west— will go to Cincinnati. This is in marked contrast with what obtained last season. Then nearly all the desirable stables sought other fields than Latonia after the close of racing at Louisville. The fact that such owners as Hops Laudeman, T. C. McDowell, W. F. Schulte, George Long, Talbott Bros., S. S. Brown, Baker and Gentry, J. D. Smith, Ed Brown, H. J. Scog-gan, Gil Cnrry, R. Tucker, S. K. Hughes and many others whose names cannot now be re called, have applied for stabling accommodations at the Cincinnati track is in itself a healthy sign. Especially is this true in the case of several of those named, as they were. among those who gave Latonia the eo-by last season. The fact that they have decided to come here at this time may be taken to indicate that they count on an improvement in conditions at the Kenton County track, They will bring horses with them that will insure a season of the highest class racing that will be seen in the west. Among other well- known performers that are represented in the stables destined for Latonia are the great filly May Hempstead, who will be in Pat Dunnes charge until after the Latonia Oaks; Corsini, the winner of the Clark Stakes, who will probably be favorite in the Latonia Derby, and who is also bandied by Mr. Dunne; John Bright, the winner of last years Himyar, and as good a horse now as he was that day ; Ways and Means, Goodrich, the McDowell cracks, Batten, Rush and Spiritnelle ; Freak and Souchon, like the last two named. Oaks candidates; Alleviate, Eber-t hart, High Jinks, who has won his last three starts in such easy fashion as to make it un-t certain just how good he is, and other good o t a t 1 r t c s * I ! 1 ! • ones among the older division, and most of the best two-year-olds that have shown there among which are Estell, His Excellency, Lieutenant Gibson, Pride of the Barn, etc. Such horses as those named cannot but make good racing, and the indications now are that La-tonias patrons will be treated to sport of better quality this season than at any meeting in several years," Batten, winner of the Frank Fehr Stakes and the Premier Stakes at Louisville this week, is a product of the artificial impregnation system of breeding, and was named for the veterinary Dr. Batten, who performed the operation, Sudie McNairy, his dam, had been barren for several years, in which time numerous stallions had covered her. In the early part of 1895 Mr. T. C. McDowell bred her to Candlemas, but she failed to get in foal. Dr. Batten persuaded the young breeder to try the artificial impregnation system, with the result that he injected semen from Hayden Edwards. In the spring of 1896 Sudie McNairy foaled a bay colt from this operation and has since been a regular breeder. Batten was foaled strong and vigorous, and although he was hipped in colthood, he is still able to show excellent racing form. — The Thoroughbred Record.
