view raw text
GOSSIP OF THE TURF Now that the starting machine has battered down prejudice in England there can bo no harm in stating that even BO experienced a sportsman as Admiral Rons once held tho opinion that any d d fool could start a field of horses One day he tried the feat himself and well heres the story For the Royal Hunt Cup in 1861 Admiral Rons made his maiden bow with the starters flag and a nice mess ho made of it There had been a lot ol complaints just before this time as to the way the starting had been accomplished and the Admiral took the duty on himself It was scarcely wise under the circumstances to com ¬ mence on a field of thirtythree runners this being the number in Buccaneers year but boiling over with wrath and indignation down strode the gallant old salt to the starting post flag in hand thinking his appearance alone in the position of starter would strike terror and dismay into tho hearts and minds of the hitherto unrulj jockeys So far from this being the case ho absolutely hadnot the slight ¬ est control over them and such a scone as ensued was probably nover witnessed at the starting post Jim Goater especially was deter ¬ mined not to cot left and at last after an hours delay and when if possible the animals were in a worse position to be started than they had been at any time previously Admiral fious who was completely livid with rage literally threw down the Sag shouting at tho same time at the top of his naturally strong and rough voice Go and be d d to you Goater got a fly ¬ ing start and being on a very speedy horse and quick beginner rapidly added to his load was never Loaded and won in a cantor with the then big weight of Set 71b This was Admiral Rons first and last attempt at starting startingAt At the close of the recent meeting at Denver the Times of that city said Ihe races are over and the management cannot receive too much credit for the kind of sport that has been furnished the public during the meeting it was many per cent better than any that has ever been seen in Denver before and has created a new interest in racing that will do the game good for many years to come There is no doubt that the people of Denver know good sport when they see it and that they appreciate it More people attended the races in throe days this year than in two weeks last year Tho run ning races were made a feature of the meeting and there can be no doubt that good running races is what the majority of racegoers want The harness races were good but after seeing the running races won by a head the fin ¬ ishes in the harness races by lengths seemed tame Mr Gaylord who put the meeting through says I guess there can be no complaint regarding the character of tho races this year but next year they will be much bat ¬ ter We will offer larger purses and have some stake evens for runners which will attract even a better class than has been seen here this season The management of the track has a five year lease and this is sufficient guarantee that the best races possible in this end of the country will be given The value of the Colo ¬ rado Derby will bo largely increased next year and it is expected that the class of horses en ¬ tered for it will be much higher than this year Tho fact that four new track records were established in the running races and a new record for Colorado mares in the harness events shows that the racing was of a higher class than it has ever been before beforeIn In 1880 Hindoo then two years old challenged the attention of all lovers of racing He started nine times and finished in front seven times As a threeyearold he started in twenty races and won eighteen of them His victories in ¬ cluded the Kentucky Derbythe Clark Stakes tho Coney Island Derby tho Jersey Derby the Lor illard the Travers and the Eenner stakes As a four yearold he won five out of six races includ ¬ ing the Louisville and tho Coney Island cups He was descended from a long lino of winners was a great winner himself and took high rank as a sire of winners Hanover for instance was from his loins The lesson is plain Stick to producing lines if it is your desire to breed win ¬ ners and the sires of winners Hindoo died at Paris Ky Thursday July 4 of colic His days of ueefulnoss wore over but his blood willassert its power for generations to come Virgil his sire was by Vandal son of Gleucoe out of Hymenia by Yorkshire she out of Littlo Peggy by Cripple by Medoc by American Eclipse Florence dam of Hindoo was by Lexington son of Boston out of Weather Witch by Weatherbit by Sheet Anchor second dam by fiirdcatcher by Sir Hercules by Whalebone by Waxy Hero wo have strains artistically woven which illume the pages of the Stud Book and they have given immortality to Hindoo Turf Field and Farm
