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MAY RETURN TO TURF. "Jockeys commanding 5,000 a year retainers, with 5 for winning mounts and 0 for mounts that do not win, also the privilege of making outside engagements when not needed by their regular stables, are expensive affairs. When, therefore, a man asks one of them to make a contract with him for a year the natural inference is that he has in view an extensive turf campaign. It is safo to bet that he is not flaying," says Daily America. "C. H. Mackay, the head since his fathers death of the enormous banking, railroad, telegraph and cable interests, of what is known in the business world as the Mackay system, was last week seeking the services of George Odom, the youth from Georgia, who recently signed a 2,000 contract with Capt. S. S. Brown, of Pittsburg. This is taken to mean that Mr. Mackay intends returning to the turf sooner than was first supposed next year perhaps. "Odom was in his employ two years ago and was dismissed for alleged timidity and incompetency. He has taken a brace this year, however, and become the premier rider of the eastern circuit. "Other circumstances point to Mr. Mackays early return. The mares Kamara and Trigger, which Mr. Mackay retained at the dispersal sale of his stable, have not yet been thrown out of training. If it were his intention to retire them permanently to be bred to his celebrated stallion Banastar, winner of the Brooklyn Handicap of 1899 and the Metropolitan of 1901, Charles F. Hill, his old trainer, would not be galloping them steadily. " Whether Mr. Mackay intends next spring to resume racing in his own name and colors or in the name and colors of Mr. Hill no one knows, but it appears certain that he is going to resume in some way. No man will be more cordially welcomed back again, because no man who has entered the game these last three or four years was ever more popular. "Its a pity Mr. Mackay felt that it was necessary for him to sell the two-year-olds Acefull and Mexican at Saratoga. They were perhaps the best horses he ever owned and metropolitan turf followers would have liked to see thorn win fame and gold under his turquoise blue and black silks. Their new owners, Harry Payne Whitney and Hermann Duryea and Richard T. Wilson, Jr., are popular enough, but, sinco Mr. Mackay took the chances incident to buying them as yearlings, it was felt that ho was entitled to any glory and money they might win. The most profitable part of the careers of Acefull and Mexican, and of Skilful, another Mirthful colt which began the season in the Mackay colors, are behind them. Under our absurd system of racing a two-year-old is a more valuable racing property than a threo-year-old or an older horse. Perhaps it was the realization of this fact and the impossibility of the Mirthful colts filling their important two-year-old dates which caused Mr. Mackay to sell out at Saratoga. "It is too late in the season for Mr. Mackay to get yearlings at public sales of big breeding establishments. The public sales are all over, but he may acquire a stable of youngsters by private ar rangement, as he acquired Mexican, Acefull and Skilful. "It is hoped that Mr. Mackays failure to secure the services of Odom, which were pledged to the popular Pennsylvania turfman before his agents mentioned the subject to the lad, will not stop him. There are other capable riders in the market."
