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j 1 • , . • , I 1 1 r ______ I Twenty Years Ago Today ! a Twenty Years Ago, April 14, 1904. Racing at Washington, D. C, Memphis and San Francisco. While standing in the railroad yard at j Cincinnati, the car bearing Highball from j Memphis to New York lost one of its trucks j Monday night, and the famous colt was se-1 vercly shaken up. But after being put into i another car he resumed his journey in com-parative comfort. The good colt Gallant, which was highly thought of by the Belmont Stable last spring, I is quartered at Brighton Beach, in Billy Lakelands care, and is being gone along with very I carefully. He has a large number of valuable j stake engagements and will probably first see j the post this season in one of the big three- year old events at Morris Park. He has grown well during his vacation months and his train- . er is confident that he will fulfill his promsie j of greatness. Wotan, the Hampton Stable three year old, is named as a certain starter in the Carter Handicap, and his recent gallops at Grave-send entitles him to serious consideration in ith? probable field that will go to the post.! Wotan is in the Carter at 100 pounds, and in view of his form toward the end of last year the impost should be very much to his liknig for the seven furlong distance. The Carter will mark the first appearance of the son of Fagner Undecided this year, and the way in which he has grown and improved over his two year old form has impressed the jGravesend colony. Word comes from New York that "Miney" Thompson, one of the picturesque figures of I ! a the turf during the past twenty years or so, succumbed to an attack of pneumonia on Sunday last at a hospital and will be buried in Greenwood Cemetery. Thompson was one of the first handicappers, or as they were then termed, "railbirds." He, with "Pack" Mc-Kenna, "Cad" Irish and Charlie Heeney, were known as the big four, and were the first men to "dope" out the form of a horse from their own personal observations. That was in the days before form was taken into much account by hte racing public. Thompson was trainer to a certain extent, and then be- came an owner. He had several horses, but Now or Never was the best he possessed. ♦__ ■ .
