St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-12
HORSE NOTES,
Commodore sKittson's Eastern String
The Driver of Maud S.

llS DI1fGI VI Mtuu
The Saratoga correspondent of the Spirit
Of the Times, among various other matters
spoken of has the following about Commo-
dore Kittson's horses:
Rataplan has only two more stake engage
ments this season, the Omnibus and Cham
pion stakes. at Long Branch. understand
he will be entered in the Autumn Cup at
Sheepshead Bay.
Kittson's fine Alarm flley, Abba, won a
very creditable victory in the mile and fur
long. She was conceding weight to every
thing in the race, and carried few pounds
overweight besides, yet she beat all Of them
on the homestretch, finishing very strong.
She was admirably ridden by Sheridan, who
is making reputation as jockey.
James Lee, the young trainer, has done
wonders with Fond du Lac. The latter was
considered a sort Of q forlorn hope at one
time, but istnpw flyer of the first order.
He is not owned by Kittson. Abba is a
a promising three-year-old, as shown by her
performance yesterday, when she covered
mile and furlong in 1:571a, conceding
weight to every other horse in the race.
Ratapan won the Iroquis stakes with such
markable ease as to stamp him the best
t..r- .r-old in the cast, think. The con-
dition of the track does not affect him, as he
is equally at home raising the dust or plow
ing through mud. Loftin made a poor eX-
hibition, showing pretty plainly he has not
fully recovered from his lung trouble.
When Rataplan meets st. Sauveur in the
Omnibus he will have to carry seven pounds
more than the son OF Eolus. 1t is doubtful
if he can give the latter a seven pounds beat
ing, but there are plenty of people here
abouts who believe he can down him at
equal weights. With st. Sauveur out of the
race-and report says he is lame-Rataplan
will be able to carry the penalty and van
quish whatever he may meet
Kittson's string left here for Long Branch
to-day. Ratapan and Fond du Lac are en-
gagged in big stakes there. Major Hubbard
showed me the lot in their stalls the other
evening. In the matter of looks, they are
the equal CT any in Horse Haven, and in
performance two of them stand at the top
The untried youngsters are among the best
looking to be seen anywhere, and some of
them will surely make their mark. Rata
plan had won the Iroquois few hours prev
ious, but he was devouring his feed with as
much gusto as if he had not been galloped
for two days. He is not the handsomest
colt in the world, but handsome is that
handsome does. He is compactly and
stoutly built, with look of robust strength
about him that more than atones for lack of
symmetrical beauty He has been entered
in the stakes as by Alarm or Reform, but
Major Hubbard AYERS that the latter is GER
tAinly the sire.
BAIR. DRIVER OF MAUD s.
''Veritas" in Wilkes Spirit has the follow
ing interesting statement about Bair, the
driver of Maud s.:
/ have known Mr.. Bair for years, and es-
TEEN him highly as a driver and an honest,
genial man. He was born in Sadsburyville,
Chester county, Pa, about forty miles from
Philadelphia, July 6, 1899. His height is five
feet eight and half inches, and his average
weight is 140 pounds In 1869 and 40 he
handled trotters at Harrisburg, Pa. In
1912 and '73 he was public trainer at
Suffolk Park, Philadelphia From there he
went to Evansville, Ind, and spent the sea-
sons of 1874 and rs, but horse business was
dull, and if the farmers furnished hay and
oats for their young trotters they expected
man to spend his time for nothing and trust
to racing luck for pay. Capt Stone found
an opening for Bair at Chester Park, Cincin-
natl, in 1875, and he has been actively en-
gagged there ever since, and the Captain re-
mains his fast friend Bair is of square
build, dark complexion, thin, regular fea-
lures, sparkling black eyes and jet black
mustache He is of quiet, retiring disposi-
ton, but his manners are easy, and he is
slow to anger, but has plenty of vim when
aroused. He thinks the world Of Maud S,
and she, evidently, reciprocates the feeling.
He has many friends, and instead of hiding
his light under bushel or making a great
secret of training details, as some drivers do,
he is always ready to impart information.
For example, one day l asked him what kind
of linament he had on Maud to assist in
keeping her free from soreness. He replied,
81 use arnica freelv-reduced, say quart
to gallon of rain water.'
An intimate friend, Mr.. Frank H. Duhme,
of Cincinnati, some time since presented
him with a watch eharm-a ten dollar gold
piece, with the name of Maud s in raised
letters, which sparkle with twenty-four dia-
mond chips, eneircled by Dorchester, Aug.
II, 1SSl,-2:104." The other side was left
blank. ''Wheu Jay Eye See or any other
horse calls upon you to beat that I'll put
stone on the other side that will dazzle them
,-,,, p,aI-a t;roo !, ,,;J