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EASTERN TUKF TALK. "The wind-up of the meeting at Bennings on Saturday marked the end of the most successful turf season on record in the east. Every racing association under the jurisdiction of the Jockey Club enjoyed phenomenal success. Tho amount of money paid out by them in stakes and purses was greater than ever before, while the attendance figures eclipsed all previous marks. From the opening of the Aqueduct track last April right up to the last day of the season the attendance was a record-breaker. Although no official figures are available, it is estimated that the daily average paid attendance, exclusive of Saturdays and holidays, at all tracks in the Metropolitan district was about 6,0C0, Tvhile the Saturday and holiday average reached 20.000. The largest crowd of the season gathered on Futurity Day at Sheepshead Bay, when more than 40,000 persons paid admission, while probably 5,000 more got in on passes and complimentary "badges. There were tremendous crowds, too, on Brooklyn and Suburban Days, but they did not equal the Futurity crowd by a long way," says the New York Sun of Monday. " Although it never can expect to draw the crowds that patronize the Metropolitan tracks, the Saratoga Racing Association, with William C. Whitney at the helm, has already opened the books and also closed the entries for some of the richest stakes that have ever been run on the American turf. These events have not only filled well, but they have also shown that the breeding industry has de-Teloped gradually into a wonderful business, in which not only millionaires, bnt persons of ordinary means are deeply interested. For the 5,000 Spinaway Stakes for two-year-old fillies the principal nominators are August Bolmont, whose list includes youngsters sired by Henry of Navarre and Hastings; J. N. Camden, Jr., O. H. Chenault, Mrs. Thomas J. Carson, who bred Eugenia Burch ; J. B. Haggin, with a lengthy list sired by the great Sal--vator, Bathampton, Juvenal, Order, Ben Holladay and Raffaolo; James R. Keene, with the get of Kingston, Ben Brush and St. Simon; John E. Madden, with a lot by Plaudit, Hamburg, Sandringham, Himyar, Meddler and Hastings; S. Sanford and Son, depending upon their stallion Clifford once more; Milton Young, with as many nominations as anybody, the leading sires being Mirthful, Pirate of Penzance, The Friar, St. Florian and Lamplighter; and last, but not least, W. C. Whitney, with twenty-four nominations by Hamburg, Meddler, Lissak, Sandringham and Plaudit, the dams being York-ville Belle, Ruperta, Martha II., Poetess, Admiration, Mannie Himyar, Vespers, Mary C, Florrie, Mountain Range, Buela, Faithful, Handspnn, Tara Blackburn, Harmonica, Xola, Elusive, Souffle, Peg Woffington. La Sylphide, Nihil, Clementina, Urania and Daisy F. "For the Great Republic of ,0C0, one mile and a quarter, to be run in 1905, the entry list just closed shows a remarkable array of owners and nominations: "With even greater liberality have the breeders sont in their nominations for the 0,0.0 Hopeful Stakes, for two-year-olds, to be run in 1905. The largest nominators for this event are August Belmont, S. S. Brown, J. N. Camden, Jr., Mrs. T. J. Carson, David Gideon, H. P. Headley, J. B. Hag-gin, F. B. Hitchcock, James R. Keene, John E. .Madder., H. T Oxnard, E F. Clay, S. Sanford and Son, W. C. Whitney and Milton Young. Mr. Whitney has seventy-five nominations and Mr. Young has 131, heading the list. Entries for the National Stallion Stakes, to be run in 1904, probably at Belmont Park, will close a voek from tomorrow. The stallion entries already received include such famous sires as Hastings, Henry of Navarre, Ben Strome, Sir Dixon, Handspring, Atheliig, His Highness, Golden Garter, GoldfiDch, Star Ruby. Watercress, St. Gatien, Bathampton, Ben Holladay, Juvenal, Salvator, Ornament, Kingston, Ben Brush, St. Leonards, Himyar, Masetto, Sandringham, Plaudit, Mirthful, Sir Walter, Knight of the Thistle, Kantaka, Hamburg, Meddler, Lissak and Albert. Entries for the Seventh Matron Stakes, to be run in the fall of 1905, at Belmont Park, also close one week from tomorrow. "It is now said that the Metropolitan Jockey Club, controlling the so-called Sullivan-McCarren track building near Jamaica, may not receive a license from the State Racing Commission for the reason that it has made no arrangements to hold stake events, calculated to further the breeding interests and for that matter has not even made an application for dates. According to the way the Metropolitan Jockey Club people aro conducting their affairs, things seem to be at a standstill, although it can be said that the promoters of the project fully expect to receive recognition from the racing authorities. The building of Belmont Park will not interfere with the dates of the other racing associations, for the reason that the new track will undoubtedly receive the allotment that the West-" Chester Association has had all along at Morris Park. Engineer C. F. Leavitt, Jr., who has undertaken to build Belmont Park, says that he expects to let the various contracts out before the end of the present year and that ground will probably be broken the middle of January or the first of February; The work of building thy tracks and the chute will be begun first, the construction of the huge grandstand and other pavilions to follow. By next November, Mr. Leavitt says the work will have progressed so far that there will be only a few finishing touches to be applied before the opening of the track in May, 19D4. Patrons of the turf were astoundod when they learned that Belmont Park in area will be three times as large as Morris Park and that there will be seating accommodation for nearly 20,000 persons. Such a racecourse, before the plans had been actually drawn, was always regarded as a dream, but it remained for the members of the Westchester Association .to convince the public that the days of dreams have passed. "Johnny Reiff rode the largest number of winning mounts on the French tracks this year. He had 116 victories, Milton Henrj being second with ninety-four. Unless there is some conclusive evidence of guilt againt these boys, these records ought to carry considerable weight with the French turf authorities when they come to reconsider the expulsion of Reiff and Henry from the turf."
