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EASTERN TURF TOPICS. "The success of John A. Drakos stable sinco the Chicago turfman began operations on the metro politan tracks has been so consistent that the pnb lie has learned to follow the turquoise blue when- over a horse carries the familiar colors to the pos It is a fact that the Drake stable provides more T winning favorites than any other of the big con- j corns, and for that reason race goers take their j hats off to both Drake and his trainer, Enoch Wishard, Drake has cleaned up about half a million dollars in bets since he opened with his bank roll at Saratoga. His biggest i haul out of the ring was on Savables victory in the Futurity, but since that time E he has cashed some big wagers on Runnels, ; South Trimble, Conundrum, Vincennes and Articu- late, though the last named horse runs in another owners name. So fit are all the Drake horses when , sent to the post that the owner does not hesitate to plank down commissions ranging from ,000 to 520,000 on each, which is such ft convincing display of confidence that the rank and file of the betting j public follow th9 Drake money with implicit faith, j In short the Drake stable can be depended upon so the sharps say, to run always to win, so that the public, if beaten, can feel reasonably sure that Drake, too, has dropped a good wad in the ring by reason of unexpected defeat or a reversal of racing luck. In spite of his big winnings and the remarkable success of his stable, Drake has not changed his ideas and methods as to the way to conduct his stable and himself. He is one of the most democratic men at the racetrack. He thinks nothing of going into the ring to make his own bets and often watches the race from a place in the crowded lawn, where he is compelled to stand on tiptoe like anybody else. He is a sportsman in every sense of the word, a good loser and a turfman who realizes that the game is not always a bed of roses. If all owners enjoyed as much public confidence as Drake there would never be an opportunity offered to direct shafts of criticism at the methods of handling horses with a view to influencing odds in the betting ring," says the New York Sun of Monday. "Almost any turfman who has been watching the game at Shoepshead Bay and Gravesend will say, when asked for an opinion, that many glanng instances of in-and-out running, together with incompetent riders, have been allowed to pass with" out any evidences of investigation on the part of the stewards. Indeed, the stewards at these meetings have come in for some sharp criticism which hasnot been altogether justly deserved. They have been on the alert and were never more watchful than they are at present, but it appears to be a most difficult matter to fasten guilt of a conclusive nature upon any particular offender. Still, it is believed, that in the course of time, the stewards will be able to place a finger upon somebody and they will then proceed to make such an example of him as will serve as an effective check to others inclined to offend in a similar manner. After Blues race on Saturday the stewards held a long confab, and it was currently reported that they were discussing the colts past performances coupled with certain operations in the ring, but whether this report was based upon fact or not remains to be seen. Suffice it to say that it is just such performances as that of Blues in the Eecond Special that shake the publics confidence in form charts and other moans of getting a correct line on the exact condition of racehorses, and that with the weakening of that same confidence comes an inevitable slump in public interest. The prosperity enjoyed by racing has been almost wholly due to the absonce of scandal and anything that might tend to show there was an undercurrent of dishonesty in the running of horses. To keeo this prosperity, therefore, up to the present phenomenally high standard it would seem to be necessary to take certain evils by the throat, choking the life out of them without ceremony. "The stewards adopted drastic measures when they set Burns and Bullman down indefinitely for constant misbehavior at the post. The fact that there is no appeal from this ruling places the two jockeys in a most embarrassing position. They have lost a chance to clean up about 5,000 a year, if not more, simply bscandusa they steadfastly refused to obey the orders of the starter and the starting judge. Probably they did not believe that the stewards of the Jockey Club would dare to make such a radical move, but now Burns and Bull-man are about the sorrisst boys it would be possible to find anywhere on the face of the earth. They are both penitent and want to get back in the saddle, but it is safe to say that they will be kept on tho ground, for the rest of the year at least. If, therefore, the stewards resorted to such extreme measures in order to preserve decorum among the jockeys at the post, is it I not reasonable to expect them to deal out punishment with a lavish hand whonever they succeed in Binding out that a boy haB not ridden an honest race? But it takes time and much detailed work to fix the crime. Boys who may be tempted, however, are not half so much to blame as the slick gamblers who manipulate the wires for their own financial welfare. There are gamblers at the race track every day who are constantly seen in the T j j i E ; , j j company of jockeys, but what harm is there in that? Not much, except that it does not look well to those who are just a bit sceptical. And just now the gambling end of the turf is attracting widespread attention because of the extensive operations of John A. Drake, L. V. Bell, Pittsburg Phil, Dave Johnson, Senator McCarren and others, all of whom bet heavily and display remarkable good judgment in their selections. Theres always a limit to these things, however. The game is pretty swift just now, but there is bound to be a let-down at no distant day. "L. V. Bell, encouraged by recent successes, notably the killings effected with Captivator, Hermis and G. Whittier, has decided to strengthen his stable whenever the chance offers itself. Jack Joyner on Saturday bought Francesco for Mr. Bell and the latter got a high-class three-year-old in the son of St. Maxim Frances 8. Francescos best race of the year was his victory in the Saratoga Handicap. Mr. Bell, it is understood, will be a large purchaser at the sales to be held later on this fall. He may be a Bidder when Gold Heels and Major Daingerfield are put up at auction a week from next Saturday."
