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SARATOGAS OPENING DAY. STAGE SET FOR SEASON OF SPORT PROMISING TO ECLIPSE ALL FORMER YEARS. Never Before Has There Been Such an Abundance of Horses Available for Racing All Hotels Crowded Great Contests in Prospect. I5y J. Ii. Dempsey. Saratoga Serines, N.Y., July 31. A stage setting iinparallcd in the history of New York racing, even for this pretentions mecca of the thoroughbred and devotees of the sport, is presented for tomorrows opening, when this seasons term of twenty-six days will be inaugurated, under auspices that will eclipse in brilliancy any former year. The best racers from all sections of the country have, with the few exceptions of those now at the Empire City track, been quartered and in training operations for some time at this course and are expectantly eager for the bugle call that will send them into contest. For the first time in years, the east has misgivings as to its ability to carry off the lions Khare of prizes, for this year the west looms up pretentiously strong. The absence of sickness, that lias In recent years been so conspicuously dominant in the western stables during most of their stay here, is happily not in existence. That the west will at this meeting hold its own, is generally conceded. Judging by the heavy reservation list at the leading hotels and the already large advance guard present, this famous resort will be called upon to entertain for the next month, the record crowd of all local times. During the twenty-six days racing, there will be noted persons in all walks of life. Society already has plauned on an extensive scale and will take its course of racing diet, to be followed by a social select dessert in the evenings. Politicians and men governing the destinies of this vast country will for a time lay away heavy cares to casually inquire of companions, "what do you fancy in this race?" The professional racing men, however, will dominate largely, for they have come from every state in the union and they include sportsmen who will in no mean degree help towards the epoch making turf history expected at this years meeting. Xieyer before in the history of this famous track has, there been such an abundance of horses available for the sport. The secretary has been forced to the. expedient of serving notices at the various race tracks of the crowded conditions here and not to ship, their horses, unless absolutely assigned stall room. Many owners, as a result of failure to secure tlie coveted stable room, have been deterred from coining and will keep their horses in idleness at the Maryland or Kentucky tracks, until the opening of racing there. East and West Clash Tomorrow. The clash of the east and west is expected tomorrow. .The mainstay of those beyond the Allegheny mountains, is. of course, the now famous Applegate "comeback" Old Rosebud, lie is expected to hold Ids own with the best in the older division, even if the liandicapper lias allotted him the post of honor in the matter of weight assignment. In Omar Khayyam, Ilourless and Campfire, the east stands out in the three-year-olds division. Opinion as to which of the trio is best is still a moot question, even among eastern critics, but there is a disposition to favor Omar Khayyam. His latest work trial bordered on the sensational, for lie covered a mile in 1:30 easily by himself, while Campfire, working with a companion, had to be forced out to cover the same distance in a shade under 1:41, a good work in itself. The west will probably match well with the east in the two-year-olds division and it is expected that Escoba, Freeeutter and others will give good accounts of themselves. There was some regret over the failure of Viva America to be seen under colors here. She will be returned to Lexington from Kenilwortli, if not sold soon. Her owner C. T. Worthington, lias had several flattering offers for her recently. The New York delegation will arrive tomorrow by special train and steamers. The Cavanagh specials will convey the larger bulk of turfmen. Among the westerners already here with their racing strings are: K. II. Bralley, J. W. May, 11. 0. Applegate, F. I. Weir, T. C. McDowell, J. AV. Schorr. J. Livingston, W. J. Young, John 0. Whitlow, J. C. Milam. G. J. Long, J. S. Ward, W. II. Wallace, E. Trotter, E. McBride, J. T. Looney and Miller Henderson. The Murphy Bros., Joe, John andTim, arc among the comers this morning. Jockey Chas. Borel, who has been absent from the saddle for over a month, expects to resume riding tomorrow. He will probably contract .with Frederick Johnson, whose nine horses are being trained by S. M. Henderson. Question of Fall Bates to Come Up Soon. Members of the Jockey Club will have a meeting here soon and among the business to be taken up is the application for fall dates made by several of the New York Racing Associations. While there is a disposition favorable to a prolongation of the eastern racing season, still it is unlikely that this will occur and those supposed to be conversant think that the only racing to follow that of Saratoga will be at Belmont Park and that the other tracks will withdraw their applications. The westerners this afternoon expressed loyalty to Old Rosebud despite his heavy impost. Roamers mile and an eighth trial in 1:52 yesterday morning has brought for him a big following. At least six are expected to go in the handicap, including Campfire. L. Blooms Cherry Ripe succumbed to a hem-uiorhage recently. Steeplechase jockey F. Williams, who rides for E. B. McLean and Lewis Garth, will probably not be seen in the saddle during this meeting, having today received notification from the war department to appear for examination and having been among the early ones drawn in the selective draft. Foxhall Daingerfiehl, son of Algernon Dainger-field, secretary of the Jockey Club, has joined the ambulance corps and is now seeing duty in France. William A. Pinkorton, head of the famous detective bureau, has been here since Saturday, giving personal attention to some of the details in connection with policing the grounds. ".Frisco" Gardner was among the arrivals from California and will be one of the many lawn operators. E. B. McLean, whose extensive string of racers W will be campaigned here, was an arrival yesterday and will be here during the entire meeting. The Wickliffe Stable will only have u representation of eighteen horses here. The remainder of the extensive band have been transferred to Kentucky. Arrivals from Buffalo announce that the meeting contemplated at Hamburg is still a good prospect. If a meeting of five days is only intended, the sanction of the Jockey Club would be unnecessary, as it could race under the ten-days fair rules. W. G. May and J. S. Barbec were Kentucky arrivals during the day.
