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KENTUCKY OAKS SOON TO BE RUN. Louisville, Ky., May 10. Next Friday, May 22, the fortieth tunning of the Kentucky Oaks will take place at the New Louisville Jockey Clubs course at Churchill Downs, where oil" of the greatest meetings in the history of Kentucky racing is now being conducted. Ever since the inauguration of this stake, which has a history as long as that of the Kentucky Derby, the winner has generally been regarded not only" as one of the queens of the track, but highly desirable for the stud. On one greal thoroughbred breeding farm in this stale .1 few years ago. though the mighty Imp and Ida Pickwick, granddam of old Rosebud, were members of the stud, the owner of the estate pointed with great pride to the Held in which roamed two mares that had won the Kentucky Oaks iu successive seasons, namely Ltta and Lady Schorr. Vinaigrette, of the ileneoe line of blood, by Vandal, won the first Kentucky Oaks and then Neej Hale followed as the winner of the race iu the next year. 1S76. Both these fillies were owned by turfmen of Woodford County, iu this state. Then Felicia, won it for a Franklin County turfmau. and the next winner was Belle of Nelson, whose owners lived in Bardatown, James A. irinstead. a Lexington turfman, now long since deceased, and iu his day one of the leading bankers of that city, won it with Liahtunah in 1S79. and in 1880 it was first WOU by a horseman outside of Kentucky, when Longitude, owned by J. B. Maloiie, accounted for it that season. From 1S£ 1 to 1913 the winners included Lucy May. Katie Creel. Vera. Modesty, Lizzie Dwyer, Pure Rye. Florimore, Ten Penny, Jewel Ban. English Lady. Miss Hawkins. Mi--Dixie. Monrovia. Selika. Valadoru, Souffle, White Frost. Crocket, Rush. Ltla. Lady Schorr. Waina-inoinen. Lemco. Audience, Janeta. Kings Daughter, Wing Ting. Ellen a-Dale. Floreal, Samaria, Bettie Sue. Ilamma and Cream. There are forty-eight nominations for the event this spring and it carries an added value Of ,000, which, with the entrance fees and starting money, will make it one of the richest races of the year lor three year-old lillies. Among the probable starters are Bronzewing. win i.er of the Ashland Oaks and Blue Crass Stakes at Lexington and third to Old Rosebud and Hodge in the recent record-breaking Kentucky Derby; Rol.i-netta, which won the Debutante Stakes last season: Casuarina and Iridescence, the two crack til lies, of ti.is age in the slable of .1. N. Camden, chairman of the Kentucky Stale Racing Commission: Bracklowu Deb- and Barberry Candle, of the 1:. It. Bradlej string: Florin, a stake winner owned by .Jefferson Livingston: ilortetise. belonging to George J. Long, who owned the Kentucky Oaks winner of 1S!4. 8*1-lea; Maud B I... a good daughter of Star Shoot, in J. C. Milams stable: Gracilis, in T. C. McDowells string; Stake ami Cap. owned by Thomas Fortune ByaB, of New Yolk: Gypsy Love, already a winner Of several good races this year, and Christophine. Wl ich holds the American mile record of l:M*~,. A sufficient number of those named will make up a Held next Saturday that will undoubtedly furnish one of the best contests in the history of this event. The Oaks was first run. like the original Kentucky Derby, at a mile and a half, and then was reduced to a mile and a quarter, while of later years if has bten run at a mile and a sixteenth. This is because horsemen regard the month of May as too early to ask til lies of this age lo run much over a mile. The card for the closing five days of this meet ing is up to the standard of the opening weeks sport. The Juvenile Stakes will be run Monday. On Wednesday the Frank Fehr Stakes is down for decision and this event has eighty entries, embracing many performers of note. This stake was first run in 1886 and has been an animal feature at this coarse ever since. The winner of it last season was Sleeth. which won the Camden Handicap at the recent Lexington meeting and is again one of the eligibles to the Frank Fehr Stakes this year. tin Thursday. May 21. the eighteenth running of the Gentlemens Cup will take place. This is an event iu which the rider of the winner receives as a tropfcj a beautiful silver loving cup. manufactured especially for this race at a cost of 50 to the New Louisville Jockey Club. It has always been a most jnipular race at the Downs, as many of the riders who have annually competed for it have been members of high standing in local Miciety. The race is quite exclusive ill this respect. as gentlemen desiring mounts have to submit to the committee for approval of their credentials and none but amateurs are allowed to accept mounts. For forty seasons racing has prospered at Churchill Downs. RaCh year, in recent times, under the management of Col. M. J. Winn, the sport has expanded ill every way in magnitude and import ance. The meeting held this year breaks all records and as one of the old-timers recently remarked, is unquestionably "the best ever."
