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t i rJ? % m W — I ] 1 j Connors Corner By "CHUCK" CONNORS . . Chief of Chart Correspondents-— BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 29. — "Dont wake her up, let er sleep." That cry rang out loud above the cheers that swept the grandstand stand at at Sheepshead Sheepshead t i j : ; 1 1 : : i 1 1 : stand at at Sheepshead Sheepshead Bay one afternoon 52 years ago when Imp — or as she was known to the racing legions of the Gay N i n e tie s — "The Coal Black Lad y," rounded the stretch turn and went on to win the Suburban Handicap. Ridden by the master of those years, years, Nash Nash Turner, Turner, : : , : i j i i ; i ■ : i . . years, years, Nash Nash Turner, Turner, rJ? % m W — I Imp showed the way to a well-matched field with Bannockburn and Warrenton in nearest pursuit. A few minutes later, many miles removed from the scene on Lake Ponchartrain is Louisiana, a well set-up youngster guided a sailboat named Imp across the finish line to win one of the prize offerings of the. annual regatta of the Southern Yacht Club. The celebrations that were staged in the old clubhouse at Sheepshead Bay following the victory of Imp were typical of those days. The impromptu one that exploded in the bar and dining room of the staid old Southern Yacht Club was a tidbit of conversation for many years. This morning:, a gray-thatched, heavy-set man, well on in years, pored over the entries for the sixty-fifth running- of the famous stake and reminisced. The field that will parade postward tomorrow for the big offering represented the best in this area that could be mustered and their weight assignments were allotted by the veteran who is known as John B. Campbell, handicapper and racing secretary of the New York tracks. The mare was one of Campbells favorites, though in 1899 he had not embarked upon a racing career that later carried him to the top of his chosen profession, but his favorite pastime was boating. He had earlier that year purchased a boat and decided to alter the craft and named it Imp in honor of his favorite thoroughbred. The boat was a 27-footer and wide of beam, about 10 or 11 feet, as he recalls, and carried plenty of sail. A crew of 10 was used in races with Campbell as the captain. The race for that class of boats had been for weeks the main topic of conversation about New Orleans and advice and opin-l ions were handed around in an unlimited manner. Campbell kept his counsel but on the morning of the race decided to back his judgment as .a sailor and a horse trainer. He wagered 00 on the boat against 00 and then turned around and bet 0 on Imp to win the Suburban. He won both bets, but, alas and alack, like all horse players he "shudda" bet the big money on the mare and the small money on the boat, for, you see, Imp was. an 8 to 1 chance with the books to win the Suburban. Imp was a black mare and was owned by Harness and Brossman who hailed from out in Indiana. The mare earned her racing reputation in the West and when shipped to New York was treated with respect. She was trained by Charles E. Brossman and in her major engagements » was ridden by Pete Clay. However, in that * historic Suburban finish, jockey Nash 1 Turner was in the irons. If by chance you walk into Campbells office at Belmont 1 Park and glance around you will see two - oils that occupy prominent positions on the i wood-paneled walls. They are the two 3 Imps. * John Barry Ryans Hill Street was ex.-[ cused from Mondays fourth race by the stewards. The colt came up with a ~ quarter crack. . Ralph Mcllvain came * over from New Jersey and reported that his menage is back in training, recovered from the cough. . .Henry Reisner, an at- [ tache of the "tote" department who died Saturday/ was buried Sunday from the a * Riverside Memorial Home. . .Othello, owned by Morris M. Beecher, was ordered r scratched from Mondays opener. The necessary racing papers failed to arrive % . . .Robert C. Kelly, an attache of the * mutuel department, was released from J the Lennox Hill Hospital following an eye operation. The muscles of the optic refused to function and the operation was performed to stave off blindness. . . * Eddie Burke, master of High Ground Stable, came on from Miami for a few days. Later in the week his wife Jan leaves for Europe on a vacation . . Mose Rauzin, who races Buzfuz and others, is here from Miami and plans to remain for some time. . .Willie Dempsey, the am- j hassador from the "tote" department to j the press box, is improving following a ; long illness and he hopes to be back in Continued on Page Thirty-Nine Connors Corner Continued from Page Five action within two weeks. He has a lung infection. Horace Stoneman, of the New York Giants, was a clubhouse visitor during the afternoon. . .Mrs. G. M. Odom, wife of the noted trainer, is on the sidelines, a sacroiliac victim. . .Joe Donoghue planed to London following the running of the fourth race at Belmont Park Monday. He will witness the running of the Coronation Cup today at Epsom, the Derby tomorrow, the Oaks on Thursday and has mapped out plans to witness Belmonts Coaching Club American Oaks on Saturday. Thats a multitude of trans-Atlantic racing within the space of a few days . Harry Trotsek and jockey Ken Church will plane in from Chicago to saddle and ride Oil Capitol in the Suburban. Following the race they will return to Chicago .Trainer Ray Metcalf shipped Good Timer, Lost Key and Thing-away to Suffolk Downs for engagements at that track... W. T. Anderson shipped to Delaware Park a draft of horses, five, to race at that meeting. . .Trainer Clarence Buxton will race Cup King, Lord Grail and Gift Package at Suffolk Downs. . .Trainer Charlie Raynor, who acquired Isopera out of the Lepper dispersal, has that fellow in training at Jamaica . .Six Irish-bred two-year-olds arrived here consigned to trainer Tom Waller for various patrons. The youngsters will be vanned to Mt. Kisco to recover their land legs and become acclimated. . .James O. McHugh, master of Brae Burn Farm and the unbeaten filly, Star-Enfin, was twitted on her name in the Belmont paddock by Charles Fleischman, who insisted that she would be "at least two lengths better with a decent name." McHugh refused to consider a change and was encouraged in his decision when reminded that Alex Barth finished second in something likee 00,000 worth of stakes after his name was changed from Poacher.
