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1 IMmUfilMfrti iFfTTTT fttTTlTrTl jftfitfl irTTjfrSyf1?! 1 1 MtliiltFi if lit HlHIIIHIIffi By Clem. This is the Month of Enjoyment by all of Americas leading sportsmen. The season at Americas most beautiful raco courso Is looked forward to with happy .expectation by racing folk of eTery walk of turf life and of every center of racing activity. "No 3few York horseman -would think of missing the session at the Spa. JTo breeder can afford to. Ho Kentucky or Canadian horseman would be so provincial as not to "make Saratoga" for a few days at least. There yoa run across lovers of the thoroughbred horso whom yon will una at no other race meet in the world. And the social and fashionable worlds! All tho WHOS who are WHOS and the prosperous Nobodies who may yet become Somebodies make It a point to be seen at Saratoga. Several of New York states governors have enjoyed racing there In receat years. George H. Bull, treasurer and secretary of tho Saratoga Association, stands con-frimed on his statement that the Spa plant is more beautiful than ever this season. And George should know. He and his private car and his pipe never miss a great racing event anywhere in this country. He spends a whole week In Louisville every month of 3Iay telling racing folks of that land that the only thing he enjoys more than the Kentucky Derby Is to see a Kcntuckian strive to win one of the Saratoga classics. And now and then the "Hard Boots" do that little thing to the effete Easterners. A gypsy horseman Ezekiel Bisbee, hailing from Arizona brought a little gray mare called Fly-the Coop to Upson Downs one season. Three furlongs was her limit, but her limit at that game was about six feet faster than any "short" horse then racing at the Downs. Sam Lous, just a week or so out of Kansas City in those days, saw her set fire to the homestretch one morning and straightaway marked her name on one side of his halters. Two days later Fly-the-Coop was entered in a claiming race at 5. Zeke said hed have put her in for the even fifty, but his boy "couldnt do no lightern S2 pounds" so what was the use? The old gyp told everybody his little gray mare wasnt within a month of a race, so she drifted from 3 to 2 to 20 to 2 and at the latter quotation Zeke eased in several deuce-notes on her. Sam Louis was trailing him and once he saw the checks were down Avagered six bones himself enough to win her out When Col. Roustem yelled "Come on, boys," some of them left there Fly-the-Coop on top. The others that did not get away soon got their shins bucked trying to keep step with the little gray mare and she strolled in by two. About twenty minutes later Zeke was notified to deliver his mare to Sam Louis shed been claimed. Did Zeke do that? Nothing like it. He grabbed Fly-thc-Coops halter-shank in one horny hand and Sam Louis in the other and started in six-foot strides for the judges stand. But Major Blinkiron was not there. A bystander thought he might be found in the buffet natural thought if you knew the Major. So into the buffet strode Zeke, the gray mare and Sam. "Looky here, Judge," opened Zeke. "What you mean deliver my mare to this varmit?" Now be it known that Blinkiron was the top-weight among diplomats. With flourishes, suhs and lets-havc-another-suhs he explained to Zeke the inside facts about the claiming rule. Zeke listened attentively, then "Major Blinkiron," he said smilingly, "I pre-ciate your friendship in explaining this matter to me, but Major, I just couldnt think of givin this mare up. Why, if I went back to Arizona and told my Avife Id sold this mare Id have to get a divorce if I lived." "But those are the rules, Mr. Bissbee," began Blinkiron. But at this moment he noticed that the man from the desert was standing powerful close to him and he suddenly became aware that something hard and sharp was pressing rather forcibly against his stomach. Far be from the Major to give sign by so much as the flicker of an eyelid that ho was "on." With the suave smile he turned to Louis. "Sam," he said, "I just now recall having heard before about the great love Mrs. Bisbee bears for this little gray mare looks upon her as one of her own children. Why dont you be a gallant gentleman, like I know you to be, and tear up the claim?" For a moment Sam hesitated. Then his eyes rolled once or tAvice and he said, "Sure, Judge, anything to please a lady." All three enjoyed a round of the Majors applejack. Then Zeke and the gray maro Avent on their Avay. Said Sam to the Major : "Judge, you didnt need to press that gat o yours against me dpnt you knoAV Id do anythink you asked of me?" "I sort o thought you avou!2, Sam, but this was a tight place Ave Avas in just noAV and j. didnt Avant you to start any of your kidding- tellin me you couldnt think of it Lets Iuiaq another, Sam to the little gray maro that was just like one o the family."
