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OLD TIME SAN FRANCISCO RACING How Foster Was Discovered in Oregon and Made Fit to Win a 30000 Bay District Race A long while ago in the middle seventies a num ¬ ber of big races some at four miles and some at fourmile heats took place at San Francisco for big money Lucky Italdwin sind others of his sporting proclivities provided the money and it was ciuite sufficiently tempting in amount to in ¬ duct the owners of such celebrated racers of that time as Joe Daniels Katie Pease True Blue Wild idle and others to send them out there to take part in these race Jot Daniels wus probably the best nicer of them all but he was not fortunate enough to win any of them Katie Pease won the 25000 in gold race of 1874 for Albert S Cage who was one of the founders of Washington Park in this oily She won in straight heats in 7434 and 7 fVJ fVJIn In some of its aspects the race of 1876 the last of the series wxs quite sensational especially in tlie way its winner was rescued from obscurity Foster in his younger days had been a capital race liorse and a real stayer as were jiearly all the sons of Islington M A Littell of New York wished to try for that 30000 race but had no horse of the right type Billy Lakeland had had much to do with Foster in his racing days and suggested limiting the old horse up As he had disappeared from racing inquiry was made and it was ascertained the horse was somewhere in Ore ¬ gon So Captain Tom Moore and Lakeland set out in iiuest of him In time they found him on the farm of a man named Itybee in Oregon There he in horse fashion had developed a great liking for i small daughter of Bybee and his principal occu ¬ pation was in proudly carrying her about the Bybee iicres on his broad back lie was secured from Byltee whether on lease or by purchase is not known At any rate they got him and took him to trainingFoster Sacramento for training Foster had made up his horse mind that he was done with racing and fiercely resented the blandish ¬ ments of Moore and Lakeland There were some battles royal between the horse and the two men in which teeth hoofs clubs and pitchforks played their part But in the long run lie was made to see the errors of his ways and finally submitted to the rigors of training so when he was taken to San Franciscos Bay District track he was as fit as fit could be Tom Moore and Billy Lakeland were masters of the art of fitting a horse for long distance racing and Foster demonstrated it There itThere is no intention to tell the story of that race other than in its summary which is presented here with the lack of detail quite characteristic of that time timeFebruary February 22 1876 Bay District course San Francisco Cal Purse 30000 of which 15000 to first 6000 to second 5000 to third and 4000 to fourth fourthFour Four mile heats M A Littells eh h Foster 9 by byLexington Lexington Verona 114 1 J E J Baldwins ch h Rutherford 110 2 J 2J Simpsons ch h Hock Hocking 114 dis disA A S Cages ch m Katie Pease 110 dis M disM S Waldens Revenue Jr 114 dis J disJ Daniels Golden Gate 110 dis H disH Welchs Chance 114 dis disF F B FawcettK Griiistead 110 dis All disAll but two distanced in the first heat heatTime Time 738 753
