view raw text
GOSSIP OF THE TURF. After tho last race Monday at Ingleside the jockeys riding there presented starter Dick Dwyer with a magnificent diamond pin. Bullman, who has a -eiy high regard for Mr. Dwyor, was the jockey instrumental in arranging for the present. Ballman, who is continually in hot water with starlers all over the country, manages to get along with Mr. Dvyer without friction. As a matter of fajct, Dwyer imposes fewer fines and less suspension; than any other starter. He, therefore, is extremely populi with the riding talent, both eaBt and west. The starting at the coast this winter has never been equaled. Holtmans success while handling the webbing has been simply marvelous. From November 15 to December 20, during which time 1S6 rccts were run, he made only twenty-one starts -waich could be called poor, and the time taken up at the post during each race averaged a fraction ess than a minute. Since Dwyer ha taken charge of the starting the 1 ti ne consumed has averaged something like two ai d a handA minutes, but his work has been uniformly jrnod. ; Jfimea McCormick, who trains Louis V. Bells ; great colt, Hermis, laughs at the idea of the west-era . crack, McChcsney, making the pride of his stable . race, but for all that he holds the westerner in respect. Mr. McCormick is on the plan of the man , from Missouri. Those who would convince him must first "show him," as the saying goes. Unquestionably . he believes Hermis to be tin greatest iiorse in tho country, but he is not one of those mCn who will set a horse up on a pedeBtal to be . adored. He is too old at the game for that. He knows that there never was, and probably r never will be, a horse so great as to be immune from defeat, whether through accident or for . some other reason. The list of great horses is a . long one. but the list of unbeaten thoroughbreds which have raced with horses of high class, and frequently, is extremely short. In recent years the great Commando has been the nearest approach to j such a horse, and yet Commando was forced to , taste of the bitterness of defeat through an accident maybe but a defeat nevertheless. In trainer f McCormieks opinion the Suburban winner Alcedo, sent to the Willamette Stud, near Lexington recently, was the fastest and best and greatest thoroughbred in the country. He has good reason i for his faith in Alcedo, although the groat majority 7 of horsemen will not agree with him. New York c Evening Sun. Fred Foster has arrived at Louisville, Ky., after a three-years stay in Germany. Mr. Foster goes 3 there after Dr. Bice, the great son of Onondaga Bonnie Lee, and he will take the stallion back to Germany with him to be placed in the stud of Baron l Hanns von Bleichroeder, at Cologne. Dr. Bice, , which won the Brooklyn in 1894, has been at the farm of Mr. Hiram J.lScoggan for several years. . While Mr. Scdggan did not own. the animal, ho had L a breeding interestfin this sire of Frank Bice. Sidney - C. Lovo and other youngsters. The small string of rtlcohorses left by the late trainer James Murphy will be trained by his nephew and namesake, James Murphy Houlihan, in the interest of the dead turfmans brother and sister. There are five head, mostly two-year-olds, and it is s , intended to train them at Latonia the coming soa-s i- son. The young man has inherited the love of his s f: wfcle for the thoroughbreds, and has been about t andftggte enough to get confidence in himself as a a drainer. The heirs, Mrs. Houlihan, of Urbana 0., and Patrick Murphy, of Memphis, believe there is s materiaWn the youngr.ters, and they wish to o them for future turf honors. -- he experiences of American jockeys on the e fd er sid;j, trfmen believe, will gradually con-ce l- riders iiere that it is to their advantage to 1 ; . . , . . r . . j , f i 7 c 3 l , . L - is s i- s t a a is s o e l- to remain on their native heath. Tod Sloan, Lester Beiff. John Beiff, Milton Henry and others who have become entangled on the foreign turf might have been riding yet with prosperity to themselves had they remained in America. But the idea that they could make more money by riding in foreign countries impelled them to cross the ocean. Just now, however, there is just as much money to be made by a first-class jpckey in America as in either England or Franco. James McLaughlin has under his care at Morris Park thirty-two thoroughbreds, not one of which has coughed or shown the slightest ailment thus far. In the lot is a colt called Royal Summons, by Kantaka Himyara. While the property of the Pepper stable he was ill nearly all the season, notwithstanding which the track exports declared that he was phenomenally fast. He was purchased at the sale of the Pepper horses during the Aqueduct meeting, but not until after a "killling" had been made on him, when he was backed from 15 to 1 down to 4 to 1. Speaking of Coburns suspension in Frisco, G. C. Bennett, the boys employer, said recently: "I do not kL oxact.j ,vhat luu Uuuuie wits. Coburu is headstrong, and he may have offended against the rules. I do not think he will come to New Orleans. He would be of no usa to me while under suipen-. sion, and, bosides, his contract does not begin until March 15." Friends of Milton Henry say that the jockey will, on his return to France, withdraw hia suit against tho French Jockey Club and trust to obtain a re-. hearing of his case from the newly constructed Board of Stewards. Since the stir made by the international episode such action as that taken last September will not be repeated without a full and fair hearing of the case by a body re-enforced from the ranks of turfmen of prominence. When Olympian, the Keene colt sent to Newmar-, kot two years ago, and which was brought back from England last Saturday, was seen by several expert horsemen, they marveled much at how badly he looked. Some think that James Bbwe will have a difficult task in winning with him. "Skeets" Martin, who rode him in England, says that he had lots of speed, but would not try at tho critical moment. The successful trainer, J. C. Milam, arrived from. California last Tuesday to take up the big string of horses he will campaign in 1903. His stable this season will be composed of fully twenty horses, headed by Owenton, which has been turned out since last summer, but bids fair to stand training next season and is entered in all the big eastern and western handicaps. The noted Commando, now in his first year of stud service at the famous Keene breeding estab-s lishment at Castleton,, when last weighed tipped the beam at 1,360 pounds, and stands on record aB one of the largest stallions now in America. Ho towers far above the mighty Kingston in height and weight, and even Ben Brush and Voter look small in comparison. Commando and his near relative, Disguise II., are drawing cards to visitors who inspect Castleton. Jockey Lucien Lyne has been compelled to change all his planB and ho will set sail from New York for England, January 14, instead of February 1. Last Wednesday Sanford C. Lyne, the youDg jockeys father, received a telegram from J. R. Keene, Btat- ing that new emergencies had arisen which neceesi- tated his leaving for England before the time pre- viously agreed upon, and asking him to make prep- arations to sail on the above date. Word has been received id this country that Tony Hamilton, who has been riding in Russia, is suffer in j from consumption and has gone to Flor-o ence, Italy. i
