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WHEN IMP WON THE SUBURBAN Looking back over the scenes of the turf how pleasant are the memories of some of the achieve ¬ ments of great race horses Do they not inspire a feeling of hope tiiat some day like scenes and achievements will again lie witnessed witnessedWhat What a pleasant sight it would be to witness another Suburban Handicap like that won by the great black mare Imp which was sentimentally and musically christened My Coal Black Lady by Landers band that being the tune it played as she galloped home in front of her opponents with the majority of 50000 persons cheering her She was a turf idol and a deserved idol for no gainer or more plateOne intelligent mare ever wore plate One can never forget Imps Suburban in 1SOO It is chronicled in history as one of the most inspiring and sciisationil events of the American turf The crowd was so great that thousands of people had to take points of vantage in the inlield The scene reminded one of the English Derby at Epsom Downs without the side shows and beer tents tentsImp Imp was one of the favorites in the race and Nash Turner bail the mount In every false break the mare was out in front and as was her habit yardsChris she never ran more than fifty yards Chris Fitzgerald the starter in those days said that Imp know as well as he did when tli start was mtulc When the horses were finally sent on their journey Imp was in the front rank as she was in all of her races and her marvelous speed soon displayed Itself Turner placed her nicely in tho enrly stages and when ho culled upon her to go to tha front she was only too willing to respond respondThe The race of itself had nothing particularly sensn tional about It until the Coal Black Lady nuide the turn for home several lengths in advance of hor nearest oi onent Then the voice of her rubber could be beard above the roar of voices Let her sleen let her sleep sleepInstructions Instructions had been given to the riders of Imp scores of times that this call from the field meant that she was going easy aiid Heeded no encourage ment from her jockey She needed no whip to urge her to greater exertion either for never was a mare more eager to do her best at all times timesA A moment later a mighty roar arose from tho crowd There was the sound of splintering wood and thousands of screaming voices A glance across the track told the story The inner fence rail had given way and hundreds of men and women were sprawling along the track for nearly an eighth of a mile mileIt It soemed almost inevitable that some of them would be trampled to death for Imp and tho twelve horses behind her were within a few feet of tho mass humanityNash of humanity Nash Turner said after tiie rate that he was so frightened that be was almost paralyzed 1 sat still unable to move he said It was the mare that saw the danger and she took out immediately but only just far enough to skirt tile hundreds of persons who were scrambling to get back She knew that she had to save as much ground as she could and she did Why he did not miss heads and bodies by more than an inch but she never touched even a finger of a single person sprawling on the track trackNever Never was there a greater ovation given a Suburban winner than that which was extended to Imp She won like the gallant mare she was No one knew better than she did that she had captured tho race She trotted back to the stand with that deli ¬ cate action that she always displayed nodding her head like a prima donna and the cheering lasted until she was led back to the paddock There was hardly one of the 50000 persons present but gave Imp a cheer or a hand on that eventful day Many dayMany an owner has asked if the United States ever will have another Imp Exchange
