view raw text
GOSSIP OF THE TURF. Fred Burlew is not quite certain that he did a judicious thing when he sold Blues for ,000. The old horse has taken on so much flesh m the past month and acts so kindly that, in spite of the fact that Burlew made ,300 by the transaction, he has doubts at times when he looks at that ,300 and then has visions of what Blues might do in some selling races next season. When an old trainer heard about Burlews doubts he remarked: "The doubts he has now would not be a marker to the doubts he-would have about his judgment if he had refused the ,000. He hasnt any reason to be on bad terms with himself." Blues, it is said, never looked so well as he now does, and he will go to the stud in splendid shape to prove the worth of the great horse from whose loins he came. The Coney Island Jockey Club, whose stake offerings for the June meeting aggregate in estimated value almost a quarter of a million dollars, has ambitious plans in prospect for the September meeting also. While these plans are as yet in the incipient stage, they have so far developed that the decision has been reached to place the Twin City Handicap on a plane with the Suburban and the spring handicaps of the other jockey club tracks, so far as value and the importance that comes from a rich stake goes. The Twin City Handicap is the principal handicap of the September meeting. In previous years it has been an added money event, with ,500 added. Just what conditions will be made for the race, and whether or not it will be a guaranteed or added money event is one of the matters yet to be decided upon, but it will be a valuable fixture. No stake increase that has been announced for the coming season will be more pleasing than the raising of the value of the Twin City. It is one of the old stakes of the Coney Island Club, and has always been a popular race. It has rarely been won by a bad horse, and numbers among its winners such turf stars as Firenze, Lamplighter, Requital, Ornament, The Friar, Ethelbert, Herbert, Gunfire and McChesney. J. D. Adkins Canada Jack, who branched out as an owner-trainer last season, and who had a fair measure of success at the Bennings meeting, now has horses quartered at Sheepshead Bay. The string includes Lord of the Valley, Lady Mirthful and two coming two-year-olds. One of these is by Wools-thorpe Austria, the other by Tithonus Irony. Both were well tried at Bennings and are youngsters of much promise. Adkins still has faith in Lord of the Valley, despite the fact that he showed no inclination to stay in his races at Bennings. The colt is eligible to all of the principal events of next season that have already closed. The horses at the Bay are all in splendid condition. Adkins has a horse or two at New Orleans also, and he expects to leave New York for the Crescent City in a short time. Pat Cfvills string of horses, consisting of a half dozen head, are recent arrivals at Montgomery Park. The consignment came from St. Louis.