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WILLIAMS RETIREMENT FROM RACING. Reasons that Moved Californias Leading Owner to Disperse His Big Stable. It is because he is convinced that the ltest into" ests of the sport will be served thereby that 1. H. Williams, president of the New California Jockey lnb is mIh.uI to retire from the turf as un owner « f race horses. As a preliminary to his retirement. Williams has presented s..uu of his horses In per ..nil friends, and the remainder of the big stable that he has had in training at tin- Oakland track m.II go under the auctioneers hammer Saturday ot llcxt Week. .. Williams determination to withdraw from the spoil as an owner is not a result of the recent enactment of anti-race track legislation in alitor Ida It is learned from imimpeaehalde sources that Williams decision to discontinue his racing estate lisliiiMiit was reached long before the convening ot the legislature which put the Walker Otis bill on the statute Ux.ks of California. But for fear tha-1 is motives might 1m- misconstrued and that such exercise unfavorable influence ■i i-oiirse would an ansa the campaign whiich he and his associates ware • .■Milling in opposition to the proposed anti-racing legislation Williams would have carried out his intention of retiring at a much earlier date. Wliile Williams has found the maintenance of a racing stable an expensive luxury, it is asserted that the real reason for his retirement is the conviction lljat it is not good policy for a man who directs the management of the sport to own and raw horses. In spit,, of Williams- instructions to Ins trainer to 1m- especially careful and consistent as to the condition In which his horses were sent to the aaat. and notwithstanding his expressed wish that his riders and stable should be treated t»V the officials to whom the details of the racing are intrusted ex-n.tlv as if owned hv an outsider, situations have sirisi-n which, justly or not. have provoked criticism which has done the stiort no good. It is a reama-lion of thane conditions that has influenced Williams to withdraw from participation in the scram-be for the purses. Since Kt07. when lie re-entered the sport as an owner, after having sold his famous Undine Stable Jn IMS, Williams tuis spared no expense to obtain i. suit-, and it is to he regretted that his lavish expenditures for horses and jockeys were not tiettor rewarded than has been the case. His stable has achieved onlv a fair degree of success. It is estimated that Williams has expended not far from 0o.M*i in the maintenance of his racing establishment during the last three seasons that his colors have been .seen on the turf. lie paid Jockey Walter Miller a princely salary for two years: acquired Jockey Gilberts contract at an expense of 0,000. ami paid fancy piices for many of the horses that have lieen carrying his colors, including 112,000 for Big Chief. 0,000 for Firestone. ,000 for Walter Miller. ,000 for Big Bow and 83,898 for Ramus. Some of these horses have earned their purchase price, while others proved disappointments. Williams was a liberal buyer at the v--arliug sales of Burns and Waterhouse. the most promising of whose produce he has annually pur elm seil since his return to the turf. Dr. H. E. Howell has been his trainer. The horses that Williams will not sell Include Big Chief. Big Bow. Matchtnlla. Ramus. PfeJnlcJo and Miss Picnic. Big Chief has been presented to Colonel II. M. Burns his most intimate friend and business associate. Colonel Burns will devote the horse to breeding puriM ses. Big Chief was one of the most formidable three year ante on the eastern turf l.-tsf season, but has ln-en a disappointment In California this winter. Ireiulcio. a fast sprinter, that held the coast record for six furlongs a year ago. has been presented to former Governor Henry T. Cage, who Mill use the horse for saddle purposes. Big Row. much, prized by Williams on account of having won the coveted Thornton Stakes for liini. will Ik1 retained ami turned out to spend his remaining days in honor-ible retirement. Of the remaining twenty seven horses that will go under tic hammer Firestone. Apto Oro. Rubia rirsnda. Bellwether. Blameless. Kl IMcaro. Rosevale and Tom Havward are the heat known. Others in elude Mased. Chilis. Hon Juan. F.niina Zula. Hala-hnhi. Kanonia. Maxims. Mi Dereeho. Old Mexico. Prince Astnrias. Predict. Rasmus. Risky. Roalta Rollicking Boy. Sonalto. Talentosa. Tin- Brake and Tube Rose Racine. Flirtation. Cadmus. Hon Fulano and Tigress were the most famous of the horses that carried the black and gold of the Williams stable to victory in the old days.
