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TRAINER PHILLIPS AND JOCKEY NIC0L. Lexington, Ky., December 12. W. E. Phillips, for mauy years trainer of Fred Cooks stable, is devoting his time and attention these days to his farm near Shelbyville. He has given up racing entirely and says he will not go back to the tracks until the sport is rehabilitated. "I am feeding a great many mules," said Phillips a day or two ago, "and I figure that they will bring a good profit. I have not got a thoroughbred on the farm, and never expect to have one there. I cannot Fee any money in racing them for the next four or live years. Phillips is a native of Missouri, and has many relatives residing in that state at the present time. He keeps in touch with affairs political and Is of the opinion that the reopening of the tracks at St. Louis and Kansas City is not even remotely possible. "My hair Is as black as the feathers of a crow right now, but it will be as white as the down of a swan before there is organized racing with betting in. Missouri," said he. "Every one is acquainted with the character of the laws Governor Folk put on the statute books, and the past performances of legislatures naturally impels the belief that it will take a great many more years to get those same - v laws off the books than it took to put them on." Phillips is the man who brought out jockey Dave I Nicol, giving him his first mount on Coroner Kelly at Chicago in September, 1903. With the exception W of the past season Nicol did nearly all of his riding under the direction of Phillips, and the latter rightly feels that he contributed very largely to the Chicago bbvs success in the saddle. Though he no longer holds a7 contract on Nicols services, he feels a deep Interest in the riders welfare, and has lately advised him to go abroad next season, if he can secure a good contract. Since the close of the Baltimore meeting Nicol has been at the home of bis mother in Chicago, and the probabilities are that he will spend the winter there. It was his intention to ride in California, but Phillips says he received about two weeks ago an offer to ride in Austria next season, and is now in correspondence on the subject. One of the stipu- lations in the offer was that he be able to ride as light as 10S pounds whenever called upon to do so. Nicol does not believe he can comfortably do less than 110 another season, and is now seeking to have this weight substituted in the contract. If his Austrian correspondent agrees to this the probabilities are that he will sign to go abroad.
