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DAYS AT BENNING. BUSY Eatern Horses Less Forward Than Usual Because of Weather William Garths Big String. Washington. 1. C, -March 21. With the opening tie eastern racing season close at hand, the .tic colony of horsemen at I.cnning is liegiimiiig str itself, and these warm mornings the old asiiingioii race course takes on a businesslike ap-1 it uranco. Something like 100 horses in various -i igis of preparation are now at the track being mini up tor the early meetings at Norfolk and 11; ve ,e Grace. Generally tiie stables are backward more so than usual. Tin- early winter was open, to be- sure, hut list when the horsemen started in for real work bad weather set in and it was only in the last week or th::t much could be done. William Garth is the dean of the colony at Bon-niiig. The smiling Virginia trainer has made he Washington Track his stamping ground for many seasons, so many, in fact, that the memory of man i iineth not to the contrary. It is hen! that he has started so many of those campaigns for the early purses and so many times has been enabled to beat the barrier, so to speak, before the rest of the buiHi could get into their stride. He is back again at tlii old slant! this season, just as optimistic and enthusiastic as ever: in fact, more so, particularly when in a mellow, ingratiating whisper he imparls the fuel that he has under his roof "the best bunch of two-year-olds I have ever bandied." The "Sage of Albemarle" has come up from Charlottesville this year with 15 head, all told. The backbone- of this big string is made up of The horses of Col. I tn I Parr, of r.altiinore, 2:1 in number, of which 11 are two-year-olds. For many seasons .Mr. i art n has recruited his youngsters chielly from among the get of the Virginia stallion, Fatherless, .ted it must be saitl that he met with success in following1 "that policy. Last fall, however, a departure- was made and a batch of yearlings was pUTliasod from among the best, that the blue grass farms id! Kentucky could produce. These are the get of Ogden. Star Shoot, Peep oDay. Yankee and Plaudit, ami represent the most fashionable strains of thoroughbred blood in this country. In this lot is a brother to Hobnob, by Star Shoot High Degree, also a half-sister to Hound the World, by Peep oPav Nellie lily. These "babies" were highly tried last fall, some of them showing quarters as good as :23. The youngstprs were taken up about the middle of January, and have Imkmi going along steadily ever since. It is quilo likely that some of Ibein will be seen at the Norfolk meeting. The full list or Colonel Parrs two-year-olds, with their breeding, follows: Canny Miss, br. f. by Ogden Miss Canale. Captain Parr, b. c. by Ogden Ocean Tide. Deviltrv. b. e. by Yankee Deviltree. Dixie, eh. f. by Ogden Linda Lee. Hiker, b. f, by Peep oDay Nellie Ily. Merry Twinkle, br. e, by Star Shoot Merdiu. lioval Blue, br. e. by Plaudit Blue Mass. Si-tit imenl, b. or br. e, by Plaudit Frankness. Star Actor, br. c, by Star Shoot Lady Vincent. Star and Garter, cb. e, by Star Shoot High Degree. The Mastnierader, b. c, by Ogden Masquerade. In addition to this promising list of two-year-olds, Colonel Parr has the following three-year-olds: Zodiac. Robert Oliver, The Governor. High Priest, Executor. Mater. Mordecai and Ringmarshal. Mater, which was a consistent lilly last season, has grown into a grand looking three-year-old. and Colouel Purr expects great things of her this year. The Governor, a brother to T. S. Martin, which went wrong last year, is in good shape now, and bids fair to make- good the promise of his two-year-old form. Zodiac, which Colonel Parr took out of a selling race last fall, has developed into a line-looking three-year-old, and is likely to be useful. Colonel Parr also has tho following jumpers: Little Hugh, Shannon River. Ballybay and Skib-bereen. Ballybay, lwngbt of Rozicr Dulany last season, promises to be among the good ones in the jumping line this year. Colonel Parrs cross-country stars. The Welkin and Ticket of Leave, which car-t ried his colors to so many glorious victories through the Held are- out of training. Ticket of Leave is at Colonel Parrs farm, being used as a hunter. The Welkin has been shipped to Kentucky to be muted with Peter Pan. In addition to Colonel Pairs string. Mr. Garth has a number of good ones of his own. lie has eight jumpers, among them some promising green ones. Jockey Butwell will do the flat riding for the Garth stable this season, while Willie Allen and Dupee will pilol the jumpers. The Garth contingent lias bfen setting strong work and Is about as forward as anything at Benning". It is the Virginia trainers, intention to send a division of his stable to Norfolk in charge of Leis Garth. The Belmont string of 30 head, under the charge of Sam Hiblrcth, has been at Beiming all winter, and some of the horses are fairly forward. Mr. Hildreth ditl not take charge of the. Belmont stable until late last season, and did not have much chance to show anything, but there will be a different story to tell" this year. The stable has 10 two-year-olds in training, the get of Rock Sand, Hastings, Octagon and Trap Rock. These youngsters are bred in the purple and there should certainly be among them a clinker or two. The older horses have been doing well during the winter, especially Mission and Rock Aiew. Stromboli and Flittergold, which were among the first tlight of the two-year-olds of last season, have grown and developed into grand looking three-vear-olds. It comes from sources close to the Jockey Club that Carroll -Shilling will be re instated and will do the riding for the Belmont stable. From the same sources comes the word that there is no possible chance for Tommy Mc-Taggart or Phil Musgrave to get back. AAilliam Carter, with the Oak Ridge contingent of 16. is also at Benning and all his horses are in splendid condition. Stake and Cap has grown into a grand looking three-year-old ami undoubtedly will be beard from this season. Mr. Carter has eight two-year-olds, the lirst of the get of Sea King, a grandly bred stallion by Persimmon. These are all fine, big youngsters and were highly tried last full. AV. P. Oliver has shipped Kewessa. Lord Leightoti and the others in his string from Lakewood, N. J., to Pimiico. Nat Ryer shipped bis horses from Lake-wood in the same car with those of Mr. Oliver.
