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FRED COOKS MANY HORSES. San Francisco, Cal.. December IS. Fred Cook contemplates cutting in shortly at Oakland and his presence in the ring will enliven matters, as he alwa.vs makes a big book. Cook, in addition to booking and racing a formidable string, is also engaged in the breeding of thoroughbreds, and has at his Mulberry Stock Farm in Illinois quite an extensive array of stallions and about a hundred broodmares. There are some formidable .horses in the Cook stud, headed by English Lad. which, during his racing career, was one of the very best horses, if not the star, of the handicap division at the Chicago and other western tracks. The other stallions are What-er-lou. a high-class race horse himself: John A. Morris. Benares and Great Bend, which also ranked well among the handicap division when he was racing. The best known among Cooks big band of broodmares is Bessie Spahr. accounted the best filly out in the west in her two-year-old form, with the exception of Endurance by Right. She was beaten in her first start, but won her next three races. Cook paid ,000 for her and was afterwards offered SI 5.000. but at the very outset of her three-year-old form she broke down and was retired to the stud. In addition to the eleven horses which he has here Cook will race a small string at Havana this winter, baring sent live head to the Cuban metropolis, among them a yearliug by Dick Welles Bessie Spahr. The remainder of his racing stable has been turned out for the winter at his farm, but the string is not as extensive as it was a year ago. when the bookmaker-owner sent tlfty-six horses into winter quarters.
