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KENTUCKY RACING IS ON NINE-DAYS MEETING AT LEXINGTON IS AUSPICIOUSLY OPENED. Track Heavy and Weather Oppressively Warm-Countless Wins the Phoenix Hotel Handicap in a Canter — J. T. Ireland Takes Two Purses. Lexington, Ky., September 20. — The Kentucky Associations fall meeting of nine days, the opening of which was postponed from yesterday because of a terrific rainstorm, began this- afternoon with the weather appreamrerjr warm and the sky at times beclouded. The attendance was estimated at about .t.500, and it was a gathering nuraliering visitors from other sections of the country besides many of the representative people of the blue grass region. The track had dried out considerably, yet Tt was heavy and at some points holding. The racing on the whole was of a high order and more than ordinarily interesting, from the spectacular and speculative standpoints alike. • Save from the Phoenix Hotel Handicap, for three-year-olds and upward at ana mile and an eighth, which was intended as the feature of the card, there were no withdrawals. Before this race the pencil came into play so generally that six of the Map carded horses were scratched, leaving onlv John G. Greeners Countless, G. H. llojles ilanhridge ami A. B. Lowes Foxy Mary, momited respectively by jockeys T. Koerner, Herbert ami Coose. to make the running. Countless was the favorite and won in so common a canter that it could hardly tie called a contest. The gross value of the stakes was . of which the winners net portion was 28. Baa-bridge, palled up with his custoniarv lanieness. The inaugural dash at three-quarters of a mile? resulted in a betting upset, through the defeat of the Oklahoma sprinter. John Griffin II.. and the victory of John T. Irelands Cherryola. which won easily by two lengths from Lawrence P. Daley, owned by w. K. Phillips, formerly trainer for Fled Cook, with John Griffin II. a tiring third. When Starport came with a rush at the end and i.os ii out Twilight Queen in the third race Mr. Ireland scored ;i trouble. Starport was ridden bv the apprentice boy. J. Moore, whose contract Mr. Ireland recently purchased from T. D. Sullivan of New York for ,900. He is apparently the making of a good jockey. Samaria, winner of the Kentuckv Oaks, ran dis-appofla tlnaly in the last race and was not placed, Mamie Algol winning easily from Colonel Ashmeade. with Alice third. Going down the backsrretch. Hteinhardt, on Colonel Ashmeade. and L. Williams, on 1necda, engaged in a duel with their whips, on account of which the judges suspended bath jiHkevs lor the remainder of the week. Just before the racing began. Presiding Judge Thomas II. Clay and President D. Grav Falconer of the Kentucky Association, who is the associate judge, visited the jockey room and made addresses to the riders, in which the lioys were told that clean racing ami honest riding are wanted here and that no questionable tactics would be tolerated. All the members of the Kentuckv State Racing Commission were present for the opening. Major Daingerfield serving in the stand with the judges as the steward to represent the commission. Mars Cassidy, who was making his first appearance before a Lexington crowd, got the horses away in good alignment in every race save the second, tiie start of which had a straggling appearance, due rather to the boys than otherwise. James Ktoll. the half-brother to R. C. Kami, making his racing debut in the third race, refused to break and was all but left at the post. Mamie Algol reared up at the barrier in the last race, fell lick on her haunches, unseated jockey Warren and then at the start was nearly knocked down. Frank J. Bruen was informed todav o-f the sudden death of his brother John at Salt Lake Citv. William II. Bruen, former starter and father of the bovs. sent the message. The body is now en route to St. Louis and w ill bo interred next Friday. John Bruen was accounted one of the fastest money takers in the bookaaakiag business. J. Hal Woodford is negotiating with George Land to take over and train some of the Woodford horses next season. In the lot is a brother to Pinkola, considered a coming craekerjack. Starter Cassidy ordered that All Red be put on the schooling list. The betting, while not heavy, was brisk both in the mutuels and the auctions. , Col. Matt J. Winn. Charlie F. Grainger and Judge Charles F. Price were here for the opening ami expressed themselves as well pleased with tiie racing and the attemlance. "It is a very auspicious beginning for what promises to lie the best fall season that the turf in Kentucky has ever known," remarked Colonel Winn. They will go back to liouisville tomorrow. Baeiag Secretary Shelley wore a wreath of smiles at the close of the day. Kvervthing had gone smoothly for him and there were no kinks to he straightened out. "I am certainly glad I made this trip to Kentucky." said Charley Patterson, the one-time trainer of Ornament. "I had an idea when I was leaving New York that racing was on its last lens, that the sport was dead, but after what I have seen here today. I know that it will soon again lie in the ascendency. The pari-niutuel system will prove the salvation of racing in the United States." James K. Keene lias returned to New York from Lexington, where be was recently stricken witli paramenia, from the effects of which he has entirely recovered.
