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ARE PROGRESSING FAVORABLY AT RENO. Ralph Tozer Joins tho Great Majority Wingfield Buys the Speedy Horse Slippery Elm. By Peter Clark. Reno, Nov.. October 3. As the first fall meeting over held in Reno progresses, the attendance is increasing and the interest grows greater. Many visitors are arriving daily from San Francisco, Cal., and other points in that state to enjoy the sport, which is all there is left in the racing liiie just now in the west until :tlie winter campaigns open. Bigger and better fields go to make up the entries each day. The weather has been delightful. The Reno turfites had the first taste of seeing the horses perform in the mud last week, this being the first rain that fell in this locality since early last spring. While there is a lack of really high-claSs horses, the good average of the selling platers makes the races produetiee of close ami exciting contests, which develop in the majority of finishes. Slippery Elm, which has proved to be one of the most consistent little horses racing in the west this year, changed hands here the other day when he defeated George Wingfields horse Bank twice in succession. Mr. Wingfield was so greatly impressed with the manner in which he defeated Bank, that after his last race he asked Tom Hatfield what he would sell his diminiutive horse for. Mr. Hatfieid replied ,000. Mr. Wingfield gave it a thought overnight, and the next morning said to Mr. Hatfield: "I will take that horse Slippery Elm, just to keep him from beating my supposed crack, Bank." Mr. Hatfield acquired the horse last spring at Juarez from R. G. BrOwn, who was banished from the turf by the Juarez officials for sharp practices. He gave Brown 00 in cash and tho old mare Lady Young. Hatfield was reluctant to sell the little son of Bannockburn and Schwalbe, but he got the price he asked. Mr. Wingfield owns his dam and has a promising black yearling by Deutschland and he considers her one of the best matrons that he has among the big baud of broodmares quartered on his ranch here in Washoe valley. Ralph Tozer, the well-known turf writer and the last of the old guard of turf writers on the Pacific coast, passed away September 25 at Campbell Springs, Cal., from liRurathcnia. Mr. Tozer suffered a breakdown about eight years ago and was ill for a long time. He finally recovered and returned to racing, being appointed secretary of the summer meeting here. When it closed he suffered a relapse, which ended in his death. Tozer was born in Kentucky and started in his newspaper career on the Louisville Courier-Journal in th early eighties. He came to San Francisco in 1S87 and was engaged as telegraph editor on the Examiner by the late Senator Hearst, who was a great racing devotee in those days. Later Mr. Tozer became connected with the Breeder and Sportsman, and his writings on horse history were interesting. With his remarkable memory and knowledge of pedigrees, he had no peer on the Pacific coast. Mr. Tozer also held many positions on different race courses, being racing secretary at Tanforan and Butte, and presiding judge at Union Park, St. Louis. He is survived by a widow, who lives in Oakland, and a sister in Kansas City. The horsemen here are commencing to make there plans for the coming winter racing. Many state that they will return to Juarez, while there are others who will go to Tijuana. J. W. CofCroth of the Lower California Jockey Club, stayed over a day on his way to the coast.
