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GOSSIP OF THE TURF As stated previously in the Spirit of the Times New Orleans and California are the nursery and incubating plants of many jockeys So far only one new one appears to stand out with any prominence This is ONeil who was said last year to have made 5000 in retainer foes from April 15 to November 1 and will earn more in California between now and April 1 One year ago he was galloping horses for 20 a month Dick Stickney recommended him to Tom Hayes The first I saw of this little boy says Mr Hayes was at Chicago in 1899 Dick Stickney had been handling the George Bennett lot Bennett had just turned his horses over to Henry McDaniels and Stickney thought well of little ONeil and said Tom here is a good little boy to gallop for you I looked at the little lad he weighed sixtyfive pounds then and said Dick that little chap cannot gallop horses Yes he can said Stickney You try him and youll like him I dont want Bennett to have him now I promised Stickney to take the boy and forgot all about it Next day I noticed a bit of a lad lounging about the stable I thought he was a messenger some one had seriandIasked him If he wanted to see me Mr Stickney told me you had some work for me to do said the child for he was no more I was about finished working the string but I had one or two colts to handle so I put the boy up He did all right I paid no special attention to him but I noticed he was never tired working horses When he got through with mine he would help other owners out That fall I took him to the farm in Kentucky He worked for me all winter In the spring his mother wrote and asked saying that she wanted to see him He had been away for a year 1 sent him home without regrets I did not know how good he was until he had departed But he stayed at home all summer galloping horses about St Louis In the fall I made up my mind to gethim and went to Kinloch Park where he was working saw his mother and secured a years con ¬ tract which was renewed this season Spirit of ofthe the Times There was quite a scare among horsemen las week when they heard of Nasturtiums illness in England They instantly recalled the deaths of Tommy Atkins and Killashaudra The latter was owned by W C Whitney and the former by James E Keene Shortly after their arrival in England they were taken ill and died in spite of the tend erest care bestowed upon them The trip abroac was held responsible for the ending of these racers for it was shown to be a strain upon the nervous system of thalthoroughbreds which made them susceptible to any ills that might be lurking in the atmosphere Of course the change of climate fol lowing the rough experiences of an ocean voyage was ascribed as another reason for death in Eng ¬ land so that taking all this into consideration Mr Whitney Jand his trainers decided to observe the utmost precaution against further fatality when they prepared to ship Nasturtium His quart ¬ ers on board the Minnehaha were luxuriantly fittet up so that the 50000 colt made the trip in com ¬ parative comfort and arrived on the other side safe and sound But the climate got in its work anc Nasturtium was caught with a chill The latest report however is to the effect that theJWatercress colt is so much better that he will be able to begin active training for the Derby as soon as Trainer John Huggins arrives in England to take him in hand New York Sun SunCaptain Captain Brown thinks as much of Garry Her ¬ mann the Derby disappointment as did his former owner says Secretary Nathanson of the Harlem Jockey Clnb If Garry does not bleed again ho will be a bread winner for the captain I saw Garry galloping at Louisville and ho looks fine Trainer Bob Tucker has worked him with weight Tip and he shows no sign of a return of his affliction afflictionThe The outlook for twoyearolds from the Ken ¬ tucky farms this season is very pleasing to horse ¬ men I saw many youngsters that looked well and from gossip with trainers gathered the opinion that there would be some wonders John Madden has a big string of twoyearolds and it is safe to predict that he will uncover some grand animals this year Then there is that wellknown turfman J J Mc Cafferty He has a string of about thirty of which several are twoyearolds of promising looks and good pedigrees Up to and including February 1 the horses trained by James Arthur lead the procession at New Orleans in the matter of winnings they having to their credit the sum of 6370 Next comes the stable of A Simons with 5656 and then G C Ben ¬ nett Co with 5492 5492Altogether Altogether 13423650 have been distributed among the owners 175 of them sharing in the spoils and 105 have won 250 or more moreCoburn Coburn still maintains his lead among the jock ¬ eys his score showing fortyninewins twentyeight seconds and twentythree thirds Lyne comes next with twentyfive firsts twentyone seconds and twentyfive thirds Dominick has seventeen firsts twenty seconds and twentyone thfrdsTo his credit Among the steeplechase riders Bartley is first P Dunne has named his twelve twoyearolds which will be campaigned on the Chicago tracks al ¬ most exclusively this year after the Louisville meet ¬ ing In addition to the twoyearolds Mr Dunne has five American Derby candidates inHargis J V Kirby Memnon Henry Zitt and Arian The com ¬ plete string of twoyearolds is as follows Senor br c by St Andrew La Favorita FavoritaAllan Allan b g by St Andrew Allannah Votary b c by St Andrew Beautify BeautifyPennant Pennant b g by Top Gallant Tid Bit BitEarly Early ch c by Troubadour Miss Dawn DawnSardian Sardian b c by Bassetlaw Sardonyx SardonyxBanter Banter ch c by Bassetlaw Marsala MarsalaMaster Master br g by Bassetlaw Maestra MaestraDross Dross b c by Golden Garter Cresset CressetChemist Chemist ch c by Faustus Belle Broeck BroeckSavable Savable b c by Salvator Strathflower StrathflowerPoor Poor Boy b c by Bequital Little Barefoot While crossing the street after getting oil a trolley car in San Francisco last week Secretary Milroy of the California Jockey Club was struck I by a car and knocked to the ground with great force He was picked up unconscious and taken to a nearby hospital where upon examination it was found that he was injured internally and had one leg broken below the knee Mr Milroy has been the secretary of the California Jockey Club for many years An order of Justice Kcogh was filed in the White Plains N Y county clerks office February 5 directing referee B T Morgan to sell the Empire race track at public auction at the Yonkers Manor Hall on February 25 The first sale to F S Farrell for 218000 was set aside on application of Mrs W H Clark the owner on account of inadequacy of price B S Kennell lias already filed a bid of 300000 and bids are expected from a syndicate of wealthy horsemen headed by senator McCarren and Oscar Strauss as well as Phil Dwyer and Farrell There is a falling off in the principal English spring handicaps that is causing a fresh outburst against the excessive racing of twoyearolds Last year the Lincolnshire Handicap and the City and Suburban each obtained seventythree subscribers which have this year been reduced to fiftyfour In the Jubilee Stakes there are fifteen less than a a year ago or sixtytwo in all It is a coincidence that the Chester Cup ties the Lincolnshire and the City endSuburban in numbers but at that there is an improvement of three in the Chester There is a falling off of fourteen in the Metropolitan Handi ¬ cap while the Hurst Park Spring Handicap failed to fill and will be reopened
