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FUTURITY FEATURES FEATURESTu Tu a gossipy article concerning the Futurity course and some features attending the decision of ofpast past contests for Americas greatep1 race for two yearblds Judgo J J Burke says in Morning Tele1 graph This years Futurity and Flatbush Stakes will bo run over the new Futurity course For the first time in some years the full distance of tho former Tape as originally intended by the brilliant man I who is understood to be responsible for an event which has done so much for the thoroughbred in ¬ terests of the country will bo run runI I refer to tho lamented James G K Lawrence whose memory will always live wherever great racing thrives because of his many suggestions and improvements in horseracing horseracingTo To him wo owe the Futurity tho Realization arid tho Suburban to say nothing of the Great Eastern and so many other famous stakes which serve each year to cause tho Coney Island Jockey Club to become a Mecca for racing pilgrims from all parts of tho country countryIt It was the greed of nearby property owners which caused tho Futurity distance to be cut down to the 165 feet less than six furlongs which it has been now for some years Tho club had not the legal right to use tho ground upon which the start fpr tho full distance formerly was made and rather than submit to imposition and pay exorbitant prices for the necessary land the distance was re ¬ duced reluctantly by the executive committee committeeUnfortunately Unfortunately for the interests of the owner of St Carlo this was not done until after Chaos had won tho Futurity which many good judges always contended Garrison should havo won on Mr Bel monts colt The jockey it is thought forgot that tho finish was beyond the regular point and Fred Day beat him a neck neckSeveral Several other unfortunate things happened when tho finish of tho full six furlongs was wont to bo at about tho point where the clubhouse balcony pro ¬ jects over the weighing room In one contest for the Double event it was always a mooted point as to whether tho colt nearest the judges had been overlooked This and several other unsatisfactory disputes engendered by the riders forgetting that the finishes for six furlong races were not at the old spot finally caused the committee to reduce the length of the Futurity to what has always been re ¬ garded as a mongrel distance distanceNow Now however there will be no more trouble on that score Both the Futurity and that far more deci ¬ sive test of championship the Flatbnsh will bo run over tho full distance on the now course for which the club with commendable enterprise has made the necessary purchases of ground not alone for this purpose but for the new stabling to be put up for Messrs Keene and Mackay MackayIt It is now fourteen years since the first Futurity was run Sam Bryant a man now lying on his sick bed with but poor chances of recovery was the part owner and trainer of Proctor Knott who defeated Salvator and Galon Ono of his partners George W Scoggan is dead but the other Hiram is alive and constantly turning out good racers from his Kentucky farm He it was who bred Frank Rice the best colt seen at tho New Orleans meeting The Scoggan brothers have always occupied n enviable position among the breeders and facing men of this country because they have always striven to give tho public who bet on their horses tho best possible chances to land their bets betsIt It is true that the Futurity of 1883 was won by Proctor Knott but those who saw tho race will al ¬ ways contend that tho other western colt Galen should havo won Ho was trained ind partly ownr ed by Jim Gray and ridden by tho oldfashioued jockey E Turner who so often had tho mount on Pink Cottage and other good performers of that day Tho writer saw that race from one of the box ¬ es of the grandstand through the courtesy of Mr Henry M Hitchcock While Proctor Knott and Salvator wore fighting it out near tho rail Galon was on tho far outside running almost twice as fast at tho finish as were the other two and there was a groan from those who had backed hm on his west era form when they saw that ho could not get up upNot Not alone did Galon finish on the outside but he had run on tho outside almost from tho start and thoso who knew what a bend there was to tho Fut ¬ urity course now a thing of the past can easily figure out how much more ground Galen had cov ¬ ered than had either Proctor Knott or Salvator SalvatorProctor Proctor Knotts jockey wore thesj colors Blue prango sleeves a gamecock on the back of tho jacket Salvators colors were tho famous orange and blue which for years before and after that groat race were formidable at nearly every racing point in tho country I think Galens colors were a combination of purple and white but I am not cer ¬ tain When the Suburban is run this year and some 30000 persons arc assembled in the charming grounds of the club tho only vestige of the Old Fu ¬ turity course will bo a strip of newly grown grass running for a little distance parallel with the new Futurity cqurso and then diverging off where at the stable occupied by Mr Whitneys racers it will end Possibly some now stables will bo located on parts of the old course but it would bo almost a pity to thus shut off from view tho picturesque resi ¬ dence of Mr Whitney and the comfortable home provided for his trainer
