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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. It was announced at Gravesend last Monday that C. F. Dwyer of the Hampton Stable had again become the possessor of Rightful, the three-year-old son of Pirate of Penzance and Early Morn, that has recently been racing in the colors of Matt Dooley. This colt was highly tried by John W. Schorr, the Memphis turfman, before being taken east in the spring. His season was far from being a successful one, and he did not fulfill any of his promises held out in his two-year-old year. Trainer Miller will take him in hand early in the spring, and still expects him to develop into a useful racing tool. The Ormonde filly Honiton, last of the racers kept by W. OB. Macdonough, has been sold to P. Ryan for 57,000. She had not started for more than six months, and at her first essay recently dashed off seven furlongs in 1:26, carrying 109 pounds. Honiton won several high-class races at San Francisco last spring, and at one time ,000 . -was refused for her. That Macdonough will ; buy the filly back when her racing days are over is a probability. Those who expected to find the track at the New Orleans fair grounds deep and holding last Wednesday werp disappointed. True, the going was far from being good, but was not what could be called heavy. With the change in the conformation of the track the much tabooed "path" has been eliminated and the soil which now forms the top dressing appears to be just the proper thing. With the system of tiling, which has been placed about three feet below the surface, the track now dries out much quicker than heretofore and the expense which the club incurred seems to have been money well spent. In its present condition the Crescent City track is an ideal one for winter racing, and for the first time in the history of the sport there horses were permitted to gallop around the track on the day following a heavy rain. "It would not surprise many horsemen if it developed in 1904 that the Hampton Stable had a three-year-old well calculated to occupy the same proud position as that filled by Africander during the racing year that is gone," says Morning Telegraph of Dec. 2. "The colt which is looked upon with such favor at present is Wotan, the bay son of Wagner and Undecided. Wotan was purchased comparatively late in the season by Messrs. Deimel and Dwyer, but he handsomely won himself out before being retired to winter quarters at Gravesend. Since the close of his racing career the colt has thrived remarkably, and, with his known gameness and speed, it is promised that he will be the chief stable dependence in the big three-year-old fixtures in which he is engaged. Before Highball reached the very top of his division in public performances there were many horsemen who looked upon the son of Wagner as the better colt, and frequently, while they were both in the charge of J. W. May, he demonstrated in morning work that there was little to choose between the pair. They both came to hand late in the season, and the three-year-old career of both will be watched with interest. Wotan has grown and filled out remarkably in his comparative idleness, and if conformation is to be the test he will certainly belong in the front division of the new three-year-olds when the bugle calls them to the post next spring. Africander, the hero of so much turf history since the metropolitan opening this year, is also in excellent condition, : and there is every present prospect of his being the same high-class performer when he again goes to the races. His retirement, made necessary by a leg injury, has resulted in his being restored to perfect health, and galloping about in his paddock in the Gravesend infield he is a picture of good health and high spirits." Of an incident of the racing at Oakland last Saturday, the San Francisco Bulletin says: "The military of Uncle Sam turned out 120 strong at the track yesterday. They were guests of the California Jockey Club, and ten were selected from each of the twelve companies of the Fifteenth Cavalry, whose lieutenant-colonel, Alexander Rogers, is an old friend of President Williams. The trip to the course was a treat to the boys, who have been in the Philippines for two years or more trying to beat the brown men and fight off yellow fever, smallpox and other pleasant things. President Williams explained everything about the racing the cavaliers desired to know, and took pleasure in doing so, but would not endeavor to explain how best to pick the winners." Will Shields, acting for John Dyment, has purchased Fort Hunter from William Hues-ton, The price paid was ,500. Dyment hopes for a Toronto Cup victory for his new purchase. The Gorman and Bauer outfit is likely to remain a little while longer at Latonia. It was trainer McMillans intention to move to Oakley this week, but as two of his yearlings are in a bad way he will have to remain at the track awhile. The yearlings are the Esher Excellenza colt and the Sir Dixon Sallie McClelland filly. Both had a temperature of 105 Wednesday, and are not expected to recover. James R. Keene has sold to John E. Madden for ,500 the two-year-old brown colt Robin Hood, by Kingston Belle of Maywood. The colt is now racing at Bennings. Jockey Andrew Minder has signed, to ride for J. J. Ogles, the Texas turfman. The contract is to run one year. Ogles has a useful stable, which includes among others Sid Silver and The Bobby.
