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GOSSIP OF THE TURF. The well-known horseman, J. A. Grey, now at San Francisco, who used to own and train Hermosa, the fast Sir Modred horse, noticed in The Bulletin recently that Ben Strome headed the list of winning stallions in America this season, with over 02,000 to his credit. "I brought that horse to this country from England in 1892," said he, "and here is an advertisement I had Inserted in a New York paper at the time," and, sure enough, he had preserved the "ad," which spoke of the arrival of Ben Strome, Hunciecroft, Simple Simon by St. Simon Lady Gladys, Lunar Eclipse and Radnor by the steamer Tauric. "I bought Strome out of a selling race at Newmarket for 100 guineas, and had an awful rough journey coming over, having to sit up two nights with the horses, all being pretty badly bunged up. I sold Ben Strome to John Campbell for ,200 shortly after my arrival, and he started him in a race and finished third. I never thought hed stand up, let alone getting any of the money. Hunciecroft was bred by the late Queen Victoria. I sold Simple Simon for ,000 shortly after this. I dont suppose you could buy Ben Strome for 5,000 right now. Such are the ups and downs in a horsemans life. I buy a horse for 00 that turns out to be Americas leading sire. He had the blood of old Bend Or, however, and theres no bad ones by the old Derby hero, who got Ormonde, Golden Garter, Order and any number of splendid sires." The interest of breeders centers in two stakes of the Westchester Racing Association just closed. These are the National Stallion, for the spring meeting of 1905, and the Matron for the autumn meeting of 1906, both for two-year-olds. Mares that have been covered in 1903 are eligible for entry to the Matron Stakes. The progeny of stallions nominated on October 1 last, that is, their foals of 1903, can be entered in the National Stallion Stakes. At the time that the nominations of stallions closed it cost 5 to name a horse that had not sired a winner, while others had to pay 0. In all forty-nine were named, the leading nominator being Mr. J. B. Haggin, who offered six from his Elmendorf Stud and ten from Rancho del Paso. Of all the sixteen, the only homebred horses were Kinley Mack, Salvator, Maxio and Montana. Kinley Mack, winner of both the Brooklyn and Suburban Handicaps, was the only one of these to get in the 5 class. The imported stallions named by Mr. Haggin were Dieudonne, 5; Arkle, 0; Bathampton, 0; Greenan, 5; Golden Garter, 0; Goldfinch, 0; Bassetlaw, 0; Toddington, 5; Gerolstein, 5; St. Gatien, 0; Star Ruby, 0, and Watercress, 0. Capt. S. S. Browns two-year-olds, Conjurer and Audience, which are now at Sheepshead Bay in the string that is wintering at the Coney Island track in the care of Kimball Patterson, have been shipped to Memphis. They go there now so that they will be acclimated in the spring, when they are taken up for their southern engagements. Conjurer is pointed for the Tennessee and Kentucky Derbys, in both of which he is eligible, while Audience will be fitted for the Tennessee Oaks. Both youngsters have already had a long rest. Conjurer has not been out since he was beaten and had no part of the money in the Great Eastern Handicap, at Sheepshead Bay on September 12, in which race Mr. Woodford Clays Lady Amelia was the winner. Audience has not had a race since October 7, when she won the rich Produce Stakes at Brighton Beach. A representative of Captain Brown says that both colt and filly are in the best of trim and that their owner, who is now in the south, has high hopes of their bringing back some of the prizes for which they are sent. At Memphis they will pass into the immediate charge of Max Samuelson, who superintends Captain Browns farm there, but trainer Tucker will take them in hand when the time comes to gallop them.
