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ADVANCE GUARD GUARDUp Up in Canada they think pretty well of Ad ¬ vance Guard in fact have an assured notion that ha is about the best race horse of the day Concerning this sturdy campaigner a writer says through the Canadian Sportsman Some Canadian turfmen are of the opinion that I overrate the quality of Advance Gnard belonging to Carrathers Shields of this city and refer for proof to his campaign a year ago on the Eastern tracks I will admit that if his claims to greatness rested on his races around New York he would not scale first class but he was nothing like near his proper form in any of the races on the Metropolitan tracks tracksAfter After his return from California last spring he was only rested up for a few days at Detroit after which he was shipped to the Ontario Jockey Club meeting here Judged by what he has dont Advance Guard is a top notcher Since he became the property of Carrathers Shields at tho end of September 1899 he has started in eighty races Of these he won twentysix was twenty times second and thirteen times third In the accomplishment of this he has traveled over 20000 miles I am not going to discuai the question whether he would have been a still greater race horse if his owners had only raced him in the summer season and rested him up daring the winter months bat 1 wont hesitate to say that I doubt if there are six trainers in America who can get as much oat of a horse as Alex Shields and break down as few in doing it Advance Guard cant beat a secondclass selling plater on a heavy track but on a fast track I dont be ¬ lieve there are eix horses in America weight for age that can beat him over a distance of ground say from 1 14 to 2 miles This is not a hasty conclusion but it is one arrived at after a careful study of his performances and for the benefit of those turfmen who look for proof I direct attention to the following somewhat stubborn facts These are a few of his races as a threeyear old 118 miles in 1531 118 miles with 127 pounds ap in 1541 118 miles 110 1521 114 miles 127 2081 118 miles 109 153 1 mile 1391 7 furlongs 120 127 1 mile 119 140 1116 miles 108 146 118 miles 118 153 This year as a fouryearold he has not dete ¬ riorated with 118 pounds up he won the New Years Handicap at San Francisco 1 18 miles in 1521 1 mile and 70 yards with 119 in I Mi 1 18 nilefl with 121 in 153 1 118 miles with 125 ap im 147 1 12 miles with 122 in 233 A number of other races could be quoted bat these are quite sufficient to prove hia high qual ¬ ity and that weight does not stop him himOld Old fogie idead trainers who start a horse eight or ten times in a whole season and are ready to fly off the handle at anybody who dares to hint that such methods are only en ¬ titled to respect OH account of their age are requested to note the fact that Advance Guards race in the Great Western Handicap at Wash ¬ ington Park Chicago 1 12 miles 122 pounds up in which he defeated Terminus 3 108 the horse that was second in the American Derby Star Chamber 4 107 Six Shooter 3 97 Robert Waddell 3 122 Sidney Lucas 4 120 Vesuvian 4 114 Bohul 4 100 Oar Nellie 5 96 and Brutal 3 96 was won in 235 eased ap at the finish as there was nothing behind him able to drive him out and this over a slow track as evidenced by the fact that as good a horse av Vulcain took 142 to go 1 mile and this race after a campaign of one year and nine months without more than two weeks rest In the autumn of 1899 he won 900 for the stable last year 15200 and this year up to date 12750 a grand total of 28510 in one year and nine aaonlhs
