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NEW YORK RACING SEASON « Jamaica to Throw Open Its Gates for Inauguration on Thursday. • .Romance of Club Steak, Aberdeen Stakes Winner at Havre, a S imulus to Small Breeders. ♦ NEW YORK. N. Y, April 21.— That the racing season on Jockey Club courses, which is due to open en Thursday next at Jamaica, will not be lacking in interest, may be taken for granted, for there is no sport in the world that is so varied and holds is devotees in closer thrall. The breeding and racing of thoroughbreds has occupied the attention of some of the best minds in every country of the world. The production and development of the type was never more popular than at his time: nor has the price of a good horse ever been so high, whether intended for the stud or the race course. Fiction writers will find plenty of real romance if they delve into the history of the turf. They will find an abundance of material to demonstrate the fascinations of racing, and get plenty of proof of the oldj saying to the effect that good horses often come from the most unexpected sources. One of the most recent proofs that blood has a way of asserting itself, has to do with the career of the twer-year-old filly Club Steak, the recent winner of the 0,000 Aber-I deen Stakes at Havre de Grace, and hailed by the critics as the best juvenile that has! sported silks to date this year. The occa- atonal appearance on the racing horizon of such performers as Club Seal; helps to promote the bloodstock breeding industry. The small breeder realizes that he has a chance to produce a gocd winner, and that all the awards of racing do not always gO to the large establishments. STOItY OF ETHEL LEE. The romance of Club Steak begins with Kthel Lee, the grandam of her sire Meridian, which was by Broomstick— Sue Smith, by imported Masetto. Sue Smith produced Meridian in 1908. He was a fine race horse, | winning the Kentucky Derby in 1011, but he never would have lived to score in that stake and in other good races, had it not been for the humane instincts of the late Rufus C. Bush of New Orleans. Mr. Bush was the son of Charles S. Hush, president of the Crescent city Jockey Club, and he was a comparative youth when K.hel Lee, which was by imported Whistle Jacket, took part in a race at the Fair Grounds track in 1901. She was a cheap plater, and might have been bought for ,000. This writer was the starter at New Orleans tho day Kthel Lee crashed into a fence on the back stretch and tore a great hole in her shoulder. There didnt seem to be a chance to save her, and the owner ordered her to be shot. Young Bush begged for the mares life, and was finally told that he might have her. They took an hour to get the mare to an adjacent box stall, where after months of care she was nursed back to health and strength. The following year when BL S. Gardner, the owner of imported Masetto by St Simon was on his usual winter visit to New Orleans, he gave the young owner a j service to his good sire, whose name appear! in the pedigree of Zev and other fine performers. The produce was a filly, and the spring she was foaled Capt. Sam I.rown of Pittsburgh, who won the Suburban with Troubadour in 18S6, and was a pillar of the turf for a generation, was at the races at the Crescent City. Bush told the coal baron of the mare and foal, and the Pennsylvania fancier wired his manager Max Samuels to go to Tennessee and look at the pair. The inspection was satisfactory and Bush got a c heck for ,000. as the result of his humane-action in saving Kthel Lees life. The filly was named Sue Smith and was about the best of her age and sex in 1905, when she won the Astoria Dinner and Se-norita Stakes, in addition to other races. After her retirement from the turf, she was mated with Froomstick, and foaled Meridian, a I first class race horse, and now that he has been taken to Virginia, a successful sire in the hands of the veteran William Garth. STUDY IN BREEDING. There is plenty of food for thought for the breeders and fanciers of the country in the s. tidy of the female line of Club Steak. Kllisdale, the sire of her dam Stake and Cap, won one cheap race for "Diamond Jim Prady. The horse was bred by J. F. Hag-V.:n, and was a son of imported Watercress. out of Fa Primera, by the four nailer Joe Hooker. Joe Hooker, foaled in 1S72, was by Monday, out of Mayflower by impoited Eclipse, and she in turn was out of the good marc Hennie Farrow by imported Shamrock. Monday was by Colton, out of Mollis Jackson by Vandal, and the next dam, Finma Wright, was by import- 1 Margrave. Colton was by l,cxington out of Topaz by imported Glen-coe. Her dam, Emerald, was by Leviathan Topaz was a noted mare, and also produced Austerlita Wagram, and Fodi by imported Yorkshire. She also produced Rivoli by Lightning. The presence of the Lexington cross Hi rough Colton, will not he overlooked by those who believe In the blood of the "blind hero of Woodburn." Fut the end is not yet, for La Primera, dam of Kllisdale, was out of Alice N. by Norfolk, who was by Lexing-lon oat of Novice by imported Glencoe. To make it stiil better, the second darn. Anecdote, was by Tom Ochiltree, a noted cup horse tl bis day, which was by Lexington Katona by Voucher. Vouchc r was by Wagn r, a son of Sir Charles, and the famous mare llaria West This gives Club Steak three crosses of 1 .exinjuon. ;ind two of GHeSjCOC lines of blood that breeders wire wont to swear by a feneration or so ago. The fact that Stake and Cap by the moderate Kllisdale, sas good enough to win the Kcene Memorial Stakes as a two-year-old, must not be forgotten when taking the excellence of Club Bteak into consideration. The career of this daughter of Meridian will be Watched with interest kj those who would welcome a revival of the blood Lexington. News was received at the track this afternoon of the death of Alec Foyd at his home in Brooklyn. Boyd was employe*d for years in the secretarys office at Brighton Beach and Belmont Park.
