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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. One of the biggest deals of the season in thoroughbreds was closed Tuesday at Lexington, Ky. John E. Madden, of Hamburg place, for a private but low price, sold to William McQuigan, of Little Hock, Ark., his first partner in the racing business, fourteen head of yearlings, which will race as two-year-olds in 1903. The list consists of sons and daughters of such famous stallions as Masetto, sire of Tommy Atkins ; Plaudit, winner of the Kentucky and Oakley Derbys ; Russell, sire of Miss Bennett ; Hermance, sire of Hermis; Galore, Boanerges and Mirthful. The buying of these youngsters does not signify the return of this veteran turfman to the turf, as he bought the band for his nephew and namesake, William C. McQuigan. The latter was with his uncle when he raced Ben Eder, Lady Inez and other stars a few years back, and the young man thus formed a liking for the business. He will train his own string of horses this year and campaign them in the east as well as on the western circuit. The yearlings have been shipped from Lexington to their new training grounds at Little Sock, Ark. Since the fire which devastated the Buchanan bomestead at Breastwood, Cal., the jockey has "been fretting sorely. Several days ago he importuned DurnellandHerz for a fortnights vacation in -which to visit his mother in California. Instead, his employers presented the jockey with a one-thonsand-dollar bill, at the same time insisting -that he should remain at New Orleans. Last Wednesday Buchanan telegraphed the ,000 to his another "just to cheer her up," as he expressed it. Jockey Eddie Donnelly probably will be a good jockey next year, and so far as performances go, 3reen B. Morris lightweight has something to recommend him. Donnelly will ride for Sam Hildreth -next year, and as the latter has a chance to go back -to eastern tracks in 1903, Donnelly may ride against the best jockeys in the east next season. Donnelly as a good finisher, having shown ability on Qravina and Antolee recently at Frisco. At the coast tracks Donnelly will have the mount on both Green iMorris and W. L. Olivers horses. At the dinner of the Gimcrack Club, at York, "England, on November 28, the well-known English racehorse trainer, John Porter, said he was sorry to say that the starting gate, which had had a fair trial, was not a success. He also said that the five rpounds apprentice allowance should cease after a lad had ridden twenty winners. He could see no barm in betting so long as one did so within his means. "Doping," he asserted, was in vogue in England, and he advocated that it be made a penal offense. The Gimcrack Club has been in existence since 1767. It was founded to commemorate the exploits of a famous gray racer of that name, which was foaled in 1760, stood only fourteen hands lrigb, and in 1766 won a match in which he was "backed to run twenty-two and a half miles in an lour. According to an eastern exchange there will be -no "off days" on the metropolitan courses during the racing meetings of 1903. Time was when Mon--days and Fridays were blue days in the eastern racing calendar, when programs for these dayB were made up with the foreknowledge that only the "regulars" would be in attendance and that it would be a waste of good money and of good sport to prepare stakes for them, when purses and selling -races would answer the purpose just as well. But -with the improvement in race horses and race cources, and. above all, in racing conditions, has come a great change. The interests of the horse owner and of the horse breeder in their relation to successful racing are receiving merited attention, and the consideration of paramount importance ia held to be that the public which supports racing as an institution is entitled to and must receive full value of good, clean sport every day in the week and every week in the season. So there is to be no more slurring or curtailing of programs. Under the old regime the interests, financially speaking, of the local associations were of first and almost of sole importance. Under the new regime the theory that to be wholly healthy a body must be nourished and attended equally in all its parts is being worked out sensibly and systematically, if gradually, with the result that the popularity of racing as a sport and as a spectacle has never been so great as at present and that it is steadily growing greater. Quite a controversy has arisen over the control of jockey W. Hicks services. Hicks is the apprentice now riding at the Fair Grounds, who good judges pronounce the most promising colored jockey since the days of Isaac Murphy. Flick. and Wright claim to have a contract on Hicks, and it is said that they are endeavoring to take the boy away from Hatfield and Ownbey. Tom Ownbey asserts that a third interest in the contract which Flick and Wright hold on the boy was assigned to him last spring on the condition that Hicks ride all tho horses in his stable. Jockey Hicks is a Louisiana pickanniny, and was born and reared on the Gaudchau plantation, about forty miles from New Orleans. Several amendments to the racing rules were adopted by The Jockey Club at its regular meeting Thursday. One amendment provides for the ruling off of "any person who shall have administered a drng or stimulant into, internally or by hypodermic method, prior to a race or who shall have used appliances, electrical or mechanical, other than the ordinary whip or spur." It waB decided that "Whenever husband or wife is in the forfeit list all disabilities shall apply to both." Another amendment decrees that "By special permission of the stewards of The Jockey Club, or in case of an emergency, the stewards of the meeting or the starter, a race may be started without a gate." The rule thus amended also provided that "Whenever the horses are started by a flag there shall be no start until, and no recall after the assistant starter has dropped his flag in answer to the flag of the starter." s "Capt." W. J. Widener, the Louisville trainer of thoroughbreds, is very much exercised over the report which stated that he would not have a racing stable next season. "I will open a training stable on December 20," said Captain Widener recently, "and I expect to handle some of the best youngsters around Louisville. These stories have been started by people who were trying to injure me. I have trained Joe Stark, Joe Carter, Billy G., Eva K., Annie Smith, Redskin, Samson, Tit for Tat, Official and other good ones, and I expect to develop a few this spring which will be better than any of those metioned." J John W. Schorr, the well-known Memphis turfman, who is racing a string at New Orleans, has telegraphed jockey Bnllman, who is at present riding on the California tracks, to report at the Crescent City track at once. In an interview Schorr said : "I have been looking over the form sheets of the meeting and find that seven of my horses which started have finished second. According to the foot notes on these races my horses lost through bad rides. This set me to thinking, and I thought it would be a wise move on my part to havo Bull-man do my riding. I went to starter Fitzgerald and spoke to him about Bullman. Fitzgerald told me he was sure Bnllman would not cause any more trouble at the post, and as a matter of fact he would like to see him come to New Orleans and ride. When Bullman comes I intend to spoak to him and give him a little good advice. He is a grand rider and vory alert at the post. It is not necessary for him to keop turning and twisting a horse he is riding to get him off in front. He can keep him straight and then beat more than beats him in getting away. Bullman has a knack of getting a horse in his stride quicker than any rider now on the turf. 1 hope he will get along better with the starter this season. Last year when I went east with a lot of two-year-olds I was handi-caped. Woods was a slow boy at the post and lost several races which he should have won." Bullman is expected to reach New Orleans the latter part of next week. Jockey Bobbins, rated ai one of the cleverest apprentice riders in the country, met with an accident at New Orleans Thursday morning while galloping the two-year-old Oronte. The latter is owned by Sidney Bender and was a prominent candidate for the preliminary Derby. It was while receiving hi final preparation for that race that the accident occurred. Oronte iB a hard-mouthed colt and very rank. Going down the backstretch he boltod to the outside and, crashing into the fence, tumbled over it. When he fell he landed on Robbins, and it was supposed that he killed the lad. When help arrived Robbins was unconscious. He was removed to the Touro infirmary and on examination it was found that one of his arms was broken. Robbins is under contract to J. H. Arthur and first came into prominence last fall at the Harlem track, Chicago. He is a bright little fellow and was improving right along. Another accident occurred during the morning which will probably end the days of a useful racer. Lady Sterling, while boing galloped, got the bettor of Jockey Waugh, who was riding her, and throwing the lad ran away three miles. Several rubbers from the Simons stable got out on the track and waved blankets in front of the maro in an attempt , to stop her. This frightened Lady Sterling, and she ran into the outside fence. She struck one of the posts with her knee and tore it open. Dr. Talbot, who treated her, said it took sixteen stitches to sew up the wound. Lady Sterling also fractured her kneecap. This means that she will not be seen at this post again in some time if ever. When Golden Rule, the crack sprinter of the Darnell and Herz string, reached the paddock last Wednesday before the fourth race at New Orleans a large crowd gathered in front of his stall. He was in magnificent condition, and although carrying the crushing impost of 140 pounds he was fancied by everyone who looked at him. "He can carry the 140 pounds and me besides," said Charles Darnell, "and beat everything in this race." His was a wonderful performance. It is said he ran as if he carried 100 pounds and was the freshest horse of the lot when he was led away from the judges stand. Blake, the well-known colored jockey, is spending the winter at his homo in New Orleans. He is a regular visitor to the track, but does not expect to do any riding of eonsequence at the present meeting. G. W. Cook, the Canadian turfman to whom he was under contract last soason and with whom he will probably sign for next year, expressed the wish that he should not ride at New Orleans. He may, however,- take a fow mounts for "Chappie" Frost, trainor for Alderman Thomas Carey of this city. Jockey Henry Spencer, who is the guest of Nash Turner on a hunting tour through the southern part of Texas, reports an abundance of game ducks and quail, good sport and some thrilling experiences killing panthers. Spencer will return to New York city the latter part of December and expects to sail for Austria some time during the following month, but before leaving, it is said, he will be married to a handsome Harlem belle, who is an heiress as woll.
