view raw text
ANXIOUS TO DODGE NIMBUS LITTLE OPPOSITION FOR HIM IN AMSTERDAM SELLING STAKES. Trainers at Saratoga Considered He Had Race at His Mercy Prince Ahmed Beats Good Sprinters in Handicap. Saratoga, N. Y., August 24. The field for . the Amsterdam Selling Stakes dwindled to four starters, a majority of the many eligibles decliniug the issue because of the presence of Nimbus in the list of announced starters under the light impost of 10S pounds. This weight was made possihle by the conditions, which virtually made the race an owners handicap. Nimbus so far outclassed his three oji-lionents Beaucoup. Norbitt and Tony Bonero that he was held at odds-ou in the betting. In the running he proved the dominant factor throughout and his time of 1:38, as officially posted, was the fastest mile run during the Saratoga meeting. A number of prominent trainers and experienced dockers, including T. J. Healey. Thomas Welsh. .7. J. Hyland and II. G. Bedwell. timed the race In 1:37? or less. The winner displayed remarkable, form, as did Beau- , coup, the runner-up. Norbitt finished a distant and pulling up third. His improved physical condition evoked favorable comment. The tabled history of the Amsterdam Selling Stakes is as follows: Vear. Winner. A. Wt. Jockey. Val. Time. 1901First Whip. ..4 111 Bulhnan ...,780 1:40! 1902 Cloninell 3 01 Shea 2,135 1:42? 190.1 Virgin Soil ...1 00 H. Callahan 2,300 1:42 1904 Be Reszke ...5 104 Hildebrand.. 2.7S5 1:42 1905 Canteen 4 99 W. Knapp.. 2,200 1:3!; 1900 Right Royal.. .4 105 Sewell 1.945 1:42 1907 Grapple 5 90 Goldstein .. 1.995 1:3! 190S Purslane 4 KM! Musgrave .. 425 1:41 J 1009 Nimbus 4 108 C. Grand... 855 1:3S At one mile and seventy yards. The three overnight handicaps on the card easily surpassed the stake feature as racing attractions and all developed first-class sport. Of the Futurity . candidates engaged. Perry Johnson made a particularly good impression. While ho did not win. his third was looked upon as a better performance than those of Cherryola and Fair Louise, which finished ahead of him. Lothario, another Futurity eligible, made a dismal showing. Herkimer was another alleged phenomenon to be discredited. Today the Sanford colt ran true and straight as far as he went, which was a little over half of the journey. That he is the best-looking counterfeit seen on the tnrf in a long time was the opinion expressed by one prominent turfman after the race. The running of The Fad was conspicuously disappointing. Until today Cherryola and The, Fad have always dodged a meeting, and D. Austin has -invariably ridden each of the pair in their respective races. The colored jockey had the mount today on the receding favorite, while Page was pufup on Cherryola. The Fad was outpaced in the early running by practically every horse in the race. A classy field of sprinters of mature age contested the second handicap on the program. It was captured by Prince Ahmed in a spectacular effort from" one of the extreme outsiders. SImcoe, with Dreamsr third. Mary Davis, which finished a fast-coming, and close fourth, was one of the best-backed horses in the race. Trainer Blakeleys apprentice rider proved wholly unequal to the task of piloting the filly, which is just now in the finest form possible. Fleming created a sensation by acting as pacemaker for nearly six furlongs. Ruble came out of the race limping painfully from a kick received at the post. The third and last handicap, at a mile, was contested by a big field of good class. Including Arasee. The Squire. Donald Macdonald and Fort Johnson. Donald Macdonalds victory was an astounding reversal of his previous running, when he "was practically distanced on his own particular track by such an ordinary horse as Spellbound. Fort Johnsons prominence In the race was probably due to Taplins aptitude for beating the barrier. The two pronounced favorites. High Range and Arasee., were ln-gloriously beaten. The former was fouled repeatedly and iu close quarters and jockey Glass was busily engaged in pulling up with Arasee from start to finish. The two selling races were won by The Wrestler and Ten Paces, respectively.- II. G. Bed-well secured a useful horse In the first-named, which he acquired for ,200 by the auction process in the paddock. Bedwell has earned getaway money the past two days after a considerable spell of non-success. J. S. Ward, acting for A. Weber, relieved him of Hans in the second race, paying ,050 for the horse. Tom Shaw retired today from hooking and left for New York tonight. Shaw is a big loser at this meeting. The same applies to a majority of the big lay-ers that have been operating here, including A., J. Levy. George Rose and William Cowan. Ocean Bound will not start in the Futurity. "Bub" Mays two-year-old. Turf Star, worked three-eighths this morning in 35, under a stout pull. This youngster is heralded as a world beater. The customary hood and blinker equipment was not used on The Fad today. Ten Paces had them on. however. The stewards deliberated a long time before con firming the placings in the fifth race. Glass, who rode Arasee, was sent for and questioned, but no disciplinary action was taken. Perfect climatic and track conditions combined to bring about three exceedingly fast performances, when The Wrestler. Prince Ahmed and Nimbus ran their respective races. The first-named astounded race-goers when he ran a mile and an eighth in 1:515, which is only two-fifths of a second slower than the track record. Prince Ahmed ran seven-eighths in 1:25, while Nimbus mile was two-fifths of a second slower than the local mark for the distance. Form players have had a hard time of it in the past three days, only one favorite each day, or three favorites out of nineteen, having been successful. J. E. Madden today sold Sticker, his Futurity candidate, to Frederick Jolinson for 1909.sh,000. T. ,T. Healey tried the Montpelier Stable yearlings this morning in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Wilson. Jr. Every one of the youngsters showed quarters in 24 seconds, one by Galore being "the speediest and most promising of the lot. Todays work-outs for the Saratoga Cup included Olanihala. mile and a quarter in 2:11; Effendi, mile, and a half in 2:50: Pins and Needles, mile and three-quarters in 3:03. Steeplechase jockey Mahon has a lighting chance of recovering from the injuries he sustained when Commodore Fontaine fell In the steeplechase on Mou-day. His death was expected at any moment, but ho survived the night to the surprise of the hospital attaches. J. E. Madden shipped his horses to Sheepshead Bay today. Madden himself left for Cleveland tonight to see tomorrows match race between his trotting mare, Hamburg Belle, and the trotting stallion, Uhlan.