The New York herald., 1879-10-03
AMERICAN JOCKEY CLUB.
First Day Of the Autumn Race Meet
Ing at Jerome Park.
GOOD RACING AND CHARMING WEATHER.
Checkmate, Sensation Harold Monitor
and Disturbance the Winners.


ing. and although there was not the large crowd
that has been opening days OF the past still
there large and respectable attendance to wit
the five events that were on the card
From early hour the lovely drives Of the Gen.
tral Park filed with vehicles of every de-
scription. from the ponderous four-in-hand TO
the frail light wagon; the smart tidy dog cart
and the numbering clarence. The Park was
in its most charming fall attire-the toilet of
beauty that Nature bestows upon the metropolitan
garden at this season. The varied hues and ever
changing scenes that unfold themselves at every
turn present Kaleidoscope combinations and the
eye never tires of them. Out on the wide dusty
Doulevard-and dustier yesterday than ever-sped
the r merry throng. vending their way across
Macomb's Dam to the charming jerome
avenue, until the we'll known portals OF jerome
Park are reached. The Coaching Club were well
represented, five coaches being on the ground at
the foot of the club house bluff. those OF Messrs
Kane Fritsch, Bennett. Lorillard and Jerome On
the hill back OF the grand stand over one hundred
wagons were hitched in u line. showing that tho
majority of the visitors on this opening day pre-
ferred a ride through the Park to the close quar-
ters of a railroad train And in this preference
they showed keen sense of enjoyment the ride
being as full of interest the themselves.
A brilliant coup d'ql unfolded the lockers
from the grand stand The sun beats down with the
intensity and ferceness of q midsummer day. when
the mercury is among the nineties and half the
world at the shore. Along the rails that
hem in the course is line of eager, ex-
pectant faces. all turned toward point
where cloud of dust follows the flying hoofs
and fash OF crimson orange is seen as the fore
most rider turns the bend. Between the tracks or
the loops of the sinuous course crowd Of excited
stable boys and jockeys shout themselves hoarse.
fhe eli nd of dust andf he fant
there is a mingling OF gay colors, until tho orange
goes the front and the voice Of the multitude is
lifted up Directly opposite the picturesque bluff.
with only o of the veranda of the club house
through the surrounding foliage. which has
already begun to array itself in the glowing tnts Of
autumn. The sun-kissed leaves show every shade
OF color from the deepest green to the gayest yell
low. the lustreless bronze and the glowing ruby.
The velvet-like carpeting Of the bluff looks more
attractive than ever. and some of the hurdles
resemble well trimmed hedgerows. To the right,
the natural terrace that looks down the track
groups of pleased visitors. who evidently care
more for the and the surroundings than they
do for horsehesh. Beyond them is the hill where
many a steeplechaser comes to grief To the left
is "Deadhead Hill, black with people, whose shouts
carried Central avenu, to the grand stand.
Immediately beneath the stand representative
men of every profession. all engaged in discussing
the now absorbing topic OF the hour-horsehesh.
The spray of the fountains diifuses grateful cool
and affords relief from the scorching heat. On
the bluff beyond the white flag of the American
Jockey Club floats lazly in the scarcely stirring
breeze and the little red and white flags that mark
the boundaries of the steeplechase course are in q
gentle futter. The white spire OF a church shoots
up from the woods the left a relief to the lux
uriant foliage that frames in this beautiful park.
On the green sward are some of society's fairest
representatives, chatting together in unstudied yet
picturesque groups. and not the least among the
visitors Jerome Park who take lively interest in
the performances of the four-foote contestants
There restless surging tide of betting hu-
manity in tho enclosure. where can publicly
his preferences and back thcm to any
amount he desires. Over q dozen bookmakers have
converted this space into mart where lungs
brought into requisition to a greater extent than
anywhere else in the great city. ''Tl bet against
any of these horses" "who wants to back any Of
them." Three to one against Ofiole" Zone thou
sand to eight hundred against Harold" Sometimes
an enthusiast wishes to set up in business for him
self by elbowing his way through the crowd and
inviting any present to back horse
30 that he might take the other one From
the large amounts of money that found their way
into the bookmakers' satchels yesterday it
dent that business unusually brisk. At the
rush for the quarters OF the betting men, Winners
aud losers alike sought the shrine of the ackle god
dess. Fortune. and the exchange Of money went
unremittingly.
THE RACING
was whole very good. The five events were
brought ON with commendable despatch by the
management. The first race. dash OF mile was
won by Checkmate in most excellent time. boating
Una, Chiquita. Zoo Zoo and Fiddlestring. Tho
ond the Nursery Stakes. for two-year-olds.
and Sensation won this with great ease proving
himself the best two-year-od that has been on the
turf for some years. He has never been
beaten in his numerous Ferncliffe was
second and Grenada third. The third tho
jerome Stakes. and in this Monitor beat Spendthrift
in fine a contest has been witnessed this sea-
son. After going Ipile the race was reduced to u
match between these great threeyear-olds. and the
son of Glenelg lived the longest under pressure.
The last mile Of the was said have been run
in Las. which will be wonderful. with the present
high impost of weight-l1s lbs. for colts and
115 lbs for fllies and geldings. This race
places the Baltimore Stakes in more doubt than
1t will DO good horses that beat the West
brook stable there in the several in which it is
engaged. Tho fourth the Manhattan
Stakes, mile and quarter. and this won by
Harold in grand style. Bulwar& second and oriole
third. The closing event of the day u stccplc
chase but not brilliant affair It had very close
fush between Disturbance and Lizzie ID, the former
winning. The following were the
THE DAY.
JupGRs-Mcssrs Purdy Monson, Constable, Ben
nett, Bowie aud Withers.
1IMERs--Mcssrs. Heckschcr. Coffin and Lawrence
SrAnrEn--Mr. Simmons; assistant, Mr.. Wynn.
SEcRErARY--AIr. Wlcatly.
The following the details of the racing:--
RACE
was for purse of $500. Horses not having won
this year a race OF the valne OF 81 900 allowed 8
lbs. those not having won any this year allowed
10 lbs. niadens allowed. if years old, 10 lbs. IL
years old, IL lbs; II years or upward, Il lbs.
One mile. For this hve were entered. comprising
Mr.. j. r. Williams brown gcldiug Checkmate, by
Planet, dam Full Cry. years old carrying ITO lbs. |;
Mr. W. Mulkey's chestnut marc Cbquits. by
Hurrah. dam sunrise, aged. 1iG lbs; Mr. n. Loril-
lard's bay mare Zoo Zoo, by Australian, dam Ma
zurka. years old, llC lbs.; Mr.. q. L. Lorlards $
chestnut hlly Una. by War Dance. dam George
"ood, . ears viu' y. IDS, ann PIT. a. bein1n,
gree. years old. Cnocknate great avorite,
as foliows:--j to on ChcckmAtc. to against