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" ; r [ , : , . i I [ I | I , ; ; ; ; j ; i ; ; [ ; i I i [ i ; i t i STARRING AT HEW ORLEANS J. J. LILLIS REFORMS AND NOW IS BOTH A STAYER AND A SPRINTER. Kentucky Two-Year-Olds Begin to Show Gcsd Form and Interrupt the Cochran Youngsters Winning Career. New Orleans, La., January 23. — Just as Buses .: ho was noted at one time for his lack of game-ness, J. J. Lillis, the Marrone stables crack ive-ycar old gelding, which was the Brat horse to win three races in 1910, and also the lirst to touch two track records in the new year, is now noted for his gamenoss. It was not such a long time ago that this horse when challenged would quit, or at least try to unless he had an unusually strong rider on Dim. but now he runs harder and better When closely pressed than at any other time. Ho demonstrated in the three races which he won at the Fair Grounds that he can either go to the front or come from behind and he left no doubt iu the minds of horsemen and turtites in general here, that he is especially good at the latter when he wore down such sprinters as Bringhurst and Fan Snreta to defeat them at three quarters. J. J. Lillis is a brown gelding by Bannockburn — Tootsy Mack and he was bred by Barney Schrelber, who was on hand to witness his excellent running at the Fair Grounds. His dam is a half-sister to Katy of the West, which was the dam of the celebrated race horse Hermis. and on the strength of his good breeding there is little doubt but that he has developed into a real good racehorse. He was Mild by Schreiber at the same sale at wjich the good racer Harry Shaw and Sniftv Allen were disposed of, and he cost the brarxone stable ,500. In the first thirteen days of racing at the Fair Grounds this winter he started four times, finishing in front thrice, and third the other time. The only time he was beaten was on the opening day when the track was heavy, and such superior mud runners as Goldcrest Boy sad Father Riley finished in front of him. In his next effort he led all the way over the mile route in 1:39 and at his next time out he set a new mark for a mile over the Fair Ground track— 1:37%. .Not satisfied with this. he came right back after that race and equalled the track record for three-quarters. 1:12, and established his reputation as a sprinter. His last race told on him, however, as he spread his foot slightly, so trainer Waylaud will have to lot BS on him for a while or run him in bar plates. The stamp of approval has been placed on the local racing by the populace here in grand sty le. For several days this week the temperature hovered around the freezing point, yet the attendance did not diminish enough to be noticeable and they were not all regulars either. The crowd in the main was made up of New Orleans people, and the attendance on the cold days was a surprise to even the management. C.iupled with the cold weather was the fact that the track was muddy and the fields were made up of horses of cheap caliber, but the New Orleans people are racing inclined and nothing can stop them. The past week marked the first running off of the programs which called for an increase in the purses in the handicaps and certain other races. and. as was predicted, the class of horses eontesl ing for them was a big improvement over tln.s. lacing earlier in the meeting. Several of th- larger stables here have had their best horses on the ailing list, especially those of J. W. Fuller. 8. L. Blackford and the Nevada Stock Farm, but these horses are all rounding to now and it will not be long until they have regained their best form. Each of these three stables has horses which can hold their own in any kind of company, but utieir owners and trainers are content to wait until they are absolutely fit before sending them to the post. Ciffonl A. Cochrans two-year-olds, which started out like they were going to clean up everything iu the juvenile division, have not done as well lately as they did in the first part of the meet-i ing. although they have figured in some hard link races in which they were beaten by the narrow si of margins. However, the good two-year-olds from Kentucky turfmens barns have been making their appearance with regularity in the recent "baby" races, and the* have all shown to ad-» vantage. The owners from the blue grass circuit have uncovered such good ones as Westv Began, which set a new track record for threeeighths 351,r. : Mico Girl, the first two year-old to win two races at the Fair Grounds this winter, and Bedtime Stories, a Malta Santa — Dancing Wave filly, that demonstrated in her first start that she is a real runner. The latter is the most highly thought of of this trio, as she was forced to run a phenomenal race in order to get up in time to win by a head over such a good one as Silver Sedge. In the first part of the meeting the eastern two-year-olds had things till their own way. but of late the Kentucky youngsters have given them some hard battles. The riding colony here has been deprived of two of its stars, jockey .1. But well, who has asnounrid his intention of riding SO more this winter, and jockey T. McTaggart, who has been on the sick list nearly all of the time since the opening day. Both riders found it difficult to keep down to :l comfortable riding weight, and Butwell finally sure up trying. McTaggart kept working away, ■•hir-ting the road" and resorting to every other know i means of reducing until he was taken ill. M Tea east, however, is back in the saddle again and bin rest seems to have benefitted him. He rode iu brilliant form on the few mounts he had here this winter, especially in the two-year-old races. There is such a large amount of good riding material here, however, that owners are having no complaint on this score and every rider who shows capability gets plenty of mounts. The services of Ted Koerner. who is leading the list of wincing riders, are most in demand and owners who are racing here are not the only ones who are after him. but several turfmen who are wintering their horses in the north are angling to land him f •" next spring. He rides equally as well in .a sj.rinr as a long route race, is ever alert at the post, and can finish with the best of them. Harry Shaw, who is connected in an official capacity with the local racing association and who i a native of this city, is again planning to itsge an elaborate minstrel show, the talent to be selected from among the racing folks. Prom his early plans it, will surpass tioth the famous minstrel shows uion at Jacksonville. Fla.. or Charleston. S. f. Willie Ccrdes is assisting Shaw in his preparations and they are both busy picking out the talent Sbaw was the moving spirit of both the Jacksonville and Charleston shows, and press and public alike, com plimented him in both cities over tlie excellent pel formances. Many of the persons who took pari |a these two shows will he seen in action again and it will he but a few days until rehearsals are and* c way. Thus far the officials have had to render only one ruling on account of a horse showing a form reversal, that being in the case of the horse Gallop, which finished a beaten off last one day and won his next start. Example of their fairness in the matter was that Sam Louis had bid Gallop up 8880 over his entered price before he knew that the horse was suspended and the* gave him his choice of withdrawing the bid or Idling it stand. Naturally, after he found that the horse would be useless to him at this meeting, he withdrew.
