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STOKES BEST OF AMERICAN JUMPERS. Howard Lewis Writes Entertainingly of French Turf — Fred Burlew Doing Well. New York. June S. — Howard Lewis. Jr.. who is training the stable of Joseph E. Wiibner in France. writes that Thomas Hitchcock. Jr.s four-year-old fencer. Stokes, is hy all adds the best steeplechaser representing an American stahle and the American thorougnbred in the great coniineutal repuhlic. Here is what Mr. Lewis writes with respect to Stokes prowess: "Stokes is far the best Yankee horse here now. I am not altogether surprised at his development of class, in spite of his failures on the Hat at Saratoga hist summer, be.ause 1 under stand he was highly tried as a yearling. He is a corking good looker, an excellent juniper over the French courses, has speed in abundance and run stav. He can beat such horses as Hylas. Mr. McCain. Altar and Baronet without half trying. "Mv own horse. East Klver. which ran a mile in 1:3b at Helmont Dark last fall, is a ipiick jumper, but he is not in the class of Stokes. If Stokes were on vour side of the Atlantic. I believe he would he regarded the liest steeplechaser in the Inited States." In speaking of his own horses. Mr. Lewis says that he won with Ambush and llomoselle and lost them iMttli. They were entered in selling races ami claimed before the start. Mr. Lewis says the French attitude toward the claiming and bidding up of horses ill selling races is vastly different from the American. When a liorse has been claimed lie-lore a start his owner cools hiiu out after the race and courteously sends him to the claitners stable. The clainier is supimsed to stake the groom to a louis dor, the equivalent of four dollars in American coinage. "It is not difficult." Mr. Lewis continues, "to win a selling race, but nearly every sound horse entered in a steeplechase is taken before the start under the French system. I do not object to the system at all and am charmed with French racing. 1 have won two races with East River, but they were not selling races. I claimed two French horses ami lost one of them by running him back in a selling race. 1 was sorry In lose this liorse because I considered him promising. However, there will be other selling races and I expect to Ret another good one. "I was not serious, of course, when J recently advised Americans who might be thinking of e ing to France to bring a bunch of Ballots and Celts with I hem. Hut let me say that If Ballot and Celt were in Hie Stable of a Frenchman who eared anything Whatever for chasing, they would be put to jump Sng. The French jump exer.v thing they have, and the better the horse the Basset he is taught the art of chasing. "llie Flinch course Is vastly different from the meriian. The lumps are si. low the horses race iluoiigh or over tiiem so that ability to jump is not of its.lf altogether essential. Speed and class are wanted, and 1 fear that most of the horses I hronght ver for Mr. Whlener are delicient in those dualities. You know, of course, that we Americans are not in the habit of making fencers of horses capable of running first-class flat races. If. however. 1 had a hunch of good overnight handicap horses — animals that could win races like the Long Island. New Koehelle. Sea Shoie. Jerome and Sheepsiiead Day Handicaps in America— they would easily hold their own in Ibis country. "I have given away John M. I.. the liorse with which Mr. Wiiiener won the Whitney Memorial Steeplechase. He goes ti* his old home in England. Miss Woodlands, a sister of IVrcy Woodlands, will use him as a hack and take care of him the rest of Ills life. "1 red BarleW Is doing well in France, especially with Stokes and the louses of Herman K. Durvea. Base Noble anl Wanda III., two of the Duryca horses with which he has won unite freiiuently. are of the French hreed. Bailee considers the Hitchcock jumper. Stokes, to be a great liorse. ONeill, who is riding lor ISuriew. is in great form again. He is sheal as ejaod as any American jockey oyer hare. Mr. Hitchcock has not put In an appearance vet, but we are expecting him any day. When he sees Stokes. I Hill sure he will be pleased with the horse. He always professed to have contidence in Stokes, and it was he who taught the sou of Ogdeti his a-b es in jumping." Mr. Lewis says thai his family Is pleasantly situ ated in ipiarters at Maisons l.atntlc. and that he has learned enough French to put down a bet when he thinks be is right.
