view raw text
GOSSIP OF THE TURF. The Seagram string, twenty-two strong, has arrived at Little York, Canada, in charge of trainer B. T. Littlefleld. There are eight Kings Platers in the lot, the only absentee being Eastern Prince. The string is composed as follows: Foreign-breds. Coburg, br. g, 6, by Him-yar Grace Lee. Far Rockaway, ch. h, 5, by Faraday Slipaway. Gold Cure, ch. c, 4, by Goldfinch Allanah. Dramatist, ch. c, 3, by Racine Rosebud. Merry. England, ch. c, 3, by St. George We Know It. Pan Zagloba, ch. c, 3, by Faraday Safety. Pan Lougin, gr. c, 3, by Faraday Katy Did. Healing Salve, b. f, 3, by Dr. MacBride Faverel. Retire, b. c, 3, by Juvenal Curfew n. Canadian breds. Fly-in-Amber, b. m, 5, by Prisoner Glycera. Elcho, b. g, 4, by Egmont Bonnie Ino. Nitor, b.g, 4, by Saragossa Glycera. De Sarano, ch. g, 3, by Saragossa Maiden Bold. Ego Nosco, blk. g, 3, by Egmont Bonnie Ino. War Medal, b. f, 3, by Golden Badge Athena m. Safe Haven, ch. f , 3, by Morpheus Alsatia. Perfect Dream, b. f, 3, by Morpheus New Dance. Two-year-olds. Gold Stick, ch. c, 2, by Golden Badge Bonnie "Vic. Conspiracy, b. f, 2, by Connoisseur Mischief Maker. Signet Ring, ch. c, 2, by Ornament We Know It. Poppy Leaf, gr. f, 2, by Morpheus Wreath. Chestnut colt, 2, by Faraday The Squaw HI. Of the Kings Plate entries it will be noticed that Eastern Prince is an absentee, but with eight others eligible the black and yellow jacket is still strong enough for all practical purposes. Three of the two-year-olds are home-bred, by Golden Badge, Connoisseur and Morpheus. The Ornament colt Signet Ring, another case of neat nomenclature, is a half brother to Merry England. Two grey horses are in the lot, Pan Lougin and the Wreath, two-year-old. The foreign bred horses of the older division suffered from a slight epidemic of pneumonia during the winter. The outlook for a grand meeting at Nashville this spring was never brighter, and horsemen are of the opinion that it will excel from a racing standpoint any of its predecessors. Up to last season the association had striven hard to make the sport a paying investment, without results, but there was a turn in the tide, and persons who had never before seen a race course gave it their support, which demonstrated the popularity of the sport and encouraged the New Tennessee Breeders Association in offering more money to bring the best horses in the country there. The course has been improved considerably, thereby making it one of the best in the country. Five additional stables have been erected, giving the association 700 stalls on the inside of the park: The track has been placed in first class condition. At various points new soil has been placed on it, and today there is not a hole of any kind, to be found. The clubhouse, grandstand, betting ring and fences have received a new coat of paint and many flowers have been set out on the lawns, giving the course a very artistic appearance. Onatas, Mr. J. E. Maddens crack three-year-old, has been sold to Mr. E. R. Thomas of New York, a new comer on the turf. The price paid is not known, but it is generally believed to be a handsome one, as Onatas was, up to the present time, the favorite for the Kentucky Derby. Onatas will not start in the Kentucky Derby, according to the plans of his new owner, but will make his initial race this year in the Brooklyn or Suburban. If his performance justifies, he will be sent on for the American Derby. The colt will be shipped east at once. He is by Top Gallant Sister Molly. Mr. Thomas is a son of the late General Samuel Thomas, of New York. Mr. Madden has also sold to H. Knapp, of New York City, a bay yearling colt by Sand-ringham Benita Brush, sister of Ben Brush, winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1896. He also sold to J. James, of Windsor, Canada, the three-year-old Needful, by Mirthful Nellie Osborne. . After thorough inspection by the contractors last Monday the new racetrack at Jamaica was officially declared ready for delivery to the Metropolitan Jockey Club on Monday. Racing could commence at the new track today. There is a grandstand of 6,000 capacity, a fieldstand of nearly 3,200 capacity, and an absolutely safe fast mile track equipped with a five-furlong and a six-furlong chute. All is in readiness for Superintendent James Murphy to receive the track on Monday, and the finishing touches for the opening, April 27, will be pushed forward. With the addition of the Jamaica track the Metropolitan Jockey Club has added a racing plant to the east which in many respects excels and in not a few equals other eastern racecourses. It is not of the magnificent proportions of several of the other prominent racing properties, but its size is ample, and in its confines there is compactly contained all the attributes of the most modern and approved comforts as well as necessities. It is of particularly easy access by way of the Long Island Raliroad and the Brooklyn surface and elevated railways, and in this respect the facilities are better than is found about many of the New York tracks. The Bennings stewards last Tuesday continued the investigation of jockey J. Jones accusation against W. Barrett, the trainer of Meistersinger, and it did not take them long to find all the evidence they needed. Their decision is that Barrett be denied all the privileges for the remainder of the meeting, and with this finding his case is passed up to the stewards of the Jockey Club for final action. This means practically a ruling off, for it is hard to see how there is to be any change in the finding after the matter is discussed at turf headquarters. The feeling among horsemen is that the affair will be a lesson to others, and if some more boys can be found with courage enough to come to the front and show up the tempters it will rid the turf of many unscrupulous owners. Capt. S. S. Brown, of Pittsburg, has bought of Col. C. F. Clay, Paris, eight choice yearlings by Sir Dixon and other great sires, paying for them probably the best price paid for a similar bunch of yearlings in Kentucky at private sale in several years, the figures being quoted as 5,000. Year before last the Runnymede and Raceland yearlings averaged about ,000, but last year they dropped down to ,500, and on this account the Bourbon county turfman has decided to sell in Chicago. The brother to Blues and Blue Girl is not included in this number, but Capt. Brown has a deal on for this youngster at a fancy figure. The preparations at Aqueduct this season are more elaborate than ever before. In fact, Superintendent Reilly has several surprises in store for the patrons and horsemen who visit Aqueduct Park. In addition to thoroughly renovating and painting the grandstand, clubhouse, stables and other ap purtenances, a new elevated board "lawiF has been built, which slopes from the grandstand to the track rail. This space, immediately in front of the grandstand, is invariably referred to as the lawn. In England, where there are seldom more than three or four days racing to a meeting, a lawn is permissible, but in this country common sense has demanded that the grass in most instances gives way to a board, concrete or brick pavement. It is wood at Aqueduct, but until this season It was not inclined, so those who fringed against the rail were the only ones who could catch a glimpse of the finish of a race. Renald, the four-year-old son of Salvator Scotch Fir, by Scottish Chief, which won the Spendthrift Stakes for J. B. Haggin last year, is now at the Kentucky Association track in the hands of John Stevens. Stevens says so far this spring he could not ask a horse to do better, and it is no secret that this colt is the Haggin hope for big eastern handicap honors. Mr. Haggin now has some sixteen horses in training in Stevens care. The latest addition to the stable is the highly tried two-year-old filly of last year, Berylline, now a three-year-old. This daughter of Star Ruby was sent to Elmendorf Farm last year to go into the stud, but she has wintered so well that Manager Enright has decided to give her another chance on the track. John E. Madden is going to train jumping horses on a different plan than has ever before been followed in this country. For this purpose he will establish a school for jumpers at his farm, Hamburg Place, and this season will see the beginning of his experiments. Madden will take big, awkward two-year-olds and give them a taste of the jumps as soon as they show that they do not have a turn of speed sufficient to make them big winners on the fiat. Once they learn the jumping game they can be allowed to mature and then be schooled once more and sent out for the stakes. Thus they will be developed gradually and be healthy, sound animals instead of broken-down racers. The first product of the Madden system is Auto, a horse that will start in the east this year. He was a big colt and wanted to jump over the fences from the start. Since learning the game he has filled out until he is seventeen hands high and well muscled. Jockey Henry has announced that he will ride for Durnell and Herz this year. They arrived at an understanding last Wednesday. Henry is to receive a retainer of ,000 a month for his services.
