view raw text
1 1 1 1 I j i I I I • I ; 1 DIFERATOR AND IRON MASK LATTER UNLUCKY TO HAVE BEEN BEATEN BY THE FORMER IN THE SPECIAL. Another Similar Race in Prospect — Bed well Entertains a High Opinion of His Voorheea Filly Anita. Havana, Cuba. February 0. — The special ra«e. run here Saturday. January 29, iu which Imperator beat Iron Mask a head, proved a strong attrac tion and brought out one of the largest crowds that ever visited Oriental Park. Imperator -victory aroused great enthusiasm and both horse and rider were received with great cheering at the conclusion of the race. Imperator is being trained by John Powers, who fitted Jack Atkin for some of his best races. Senor Tolon is elated with the success of his horse aud it is understood that he contemplates gathering a good stable for next winter. There are several other rich Cubans, who are anxious to get into racing and it appears as if this will eventually develop into a good market for the thoroughbred. There is talk of another special race and. if the same horses meet again and the distance is at three-quarters, they will have a hard time in beating Iron Mask. As a matter of fact this horse, should have beaten Imperator. He was 111 close quarters to the stretch turn, where he was pinched off. When Connelly brought him to the outside, in the final eighth, he closed up In game fashion and Imperator just lasted long enough to beat hiin. Iron Mask has improved wonderfully in looks since last summer and is probably as good just now as he ever was. Goldblatt. by the way, has liad great success here. He las won twelve races, been second six times and third five times, with the horses he brought on from Juarez. Cossack, First Degree and Charmeuse have won two races each and Obolus, White Crown. Sosius. Kris Kringle. Royal Interest and Othello one each. Ball Band finished Hiiro once and Iron Mask second once. This was the latters only start. When Turner was suspended. Goldblatt obtained second call on D. Connelly. Cuba has certainly been a paradise for race gm-r* this winter. Southern California never has equalld the climate it has had. The officials of the local jockey club are providing splendid sport for race-goers. The races have been well contested and a majority of the finishes have been exceedingly close. The officials have been active. There has been no shirking on the part of any of them and each is lending his best efforts to help build up the sport here. Manager Brown has done his share by giving the officials strong support and insisting that they shall not be hampered in any way. Several good prospects in the riding line have been developed here. The apprentice Ball is probably the most promising, and. while he is by no means a finished rider, lie appears to have in him the making of a good jockey. There are several scouts here on the lookout for promising Jockeys, and they have evidently sent good reports out pu Ball for the lads contract has already been trans ferred by W. A. Carter to the Quincy Stable. Taplin. who is one of the best of the older boys, will cut away from his old employer. II. G. Be.hvell. at the conclusion of the meeting. Taplin has signed to ride for George Odom and he will report to the latter some time in March. Bedwell is pointing the nest of his material for the early meetings in Maryland. Sir Kdgar and Anita have been going along steadily. The latter had a set back a few days ago. but is in g o.l condition again. Bedwell considers this filly one of the best race horses he ever owned. Last fall she beat many of the best two year olds and. since her retirement, she has spread out and thickene.l. It is Bedwells intention to weed his string out during the winter aud pick up a few fresh horses in the spring. The stewards still have jockey Nicklaus case under investigation. The lads riding of the sprinter Moncreif was unsatisfactory. Turner is still here. hoping, no doubt, that the stewards will give him u rehearing. The track is in splendid condition and next winter the going should I e even faster than it i* this year. There is no better course in the world for seeing a race than Oriental Park. The trncK is about twenty feet lower than the grandstand. which enables one to obtain an unohstruete.l view of the entire running of a race. Manager Brown is still improving the park. He contemplates erect- ing a handsome arch at the automobile entrance of the boulevard leading from Camp Columbia to Oriental Park. The clubhouse patronage has in-J creased wonderfuly this winter and there has been some heavy play at the roulette wheel, faro aud hazard games.
