Evening star., 1895-08-24
BEFORE THE GREAT RACE.
What Trainers and BettOrs Thought
Of the Candidates.

| SHEEPSHEAD BAY RACE TRACK, Au-
| gust 24-The Coney Island Jockey Club
track at Sheepshead Bay was never in
better condition than today. The annual
| fail meeting cf the club IS one of the fea-
lures of the racing year, and with ell its
| triumphs of he past, this year promises to
| exceed them all.
| Today is the day of the great Futurity
| race, when twenty-cne two-year-olds will
| struggle for the richest stake in this coun-
| try, and the other races during the day
| are full of promise.
The candidates for the Futurity appeared
on the track this morning with their stable
| companions, but their work was done, and
| they were only taking gentle exercise to
keep their muscles timber and their limbs
in perfect condition for the great struggle
| in the afternoon.
Handspring the FavOrite of the
Trainers.
Handspring is the choice Of the majority
of the trainers at the track, in spite of ;he
! fact that the betting men We're in favor Of
Hastings. The former pin their faith upon
| the Dwyer crack because he has shown
| such consistent form since he began his
winning career. His string of victories at
| the Sheepshead Bay spring meeting was
| the chief reason for his following, and his
single defeat by Hastings was not taken
| into considera ton as much as ex-
pected.
Hastings has won his three races. de-
] feating Handspring in one, and the conf
| dence in the stable that he will win is
great.
The other Blemton entries, Merry Prince
and Refugee, are doubtful, which Will
doubtless bring about change of jockeys
Of OIL he last
Requital and Hazlet are the best of the
Gideon string and the former is greatly
thought of. He will have a large fol-
| lowing when he goes to the post, and in the
betting he will not be far behind the others.
Axiom is by no means an impossibility,
and If Handspring could be carried on
his feet by Hastings in the first quarter
Axiom may be there or thereabouts.
Of the others which are entered it is
thought that sentiment is the sole object
of the starting, with possibility of a win
by accidents to the leaders.
Best Field Ever Sent Out.
The field is the best ever sent out for
the great race, and the day being perfect
one for racing it is thought that the at
| tendance will be far greater than at any
other time during the history of the race.
At 10 o'clock the trainers had all left the
ly in the stables, with six hours wait for
the contest of the year.
John Hyland, trainer of Requltal and
Haziet and former trainer of Hastings,
had a group of spectators around him lis
teuing to his remarks. There is no doubt
that he has great liking for Hastings,
and while he hopes to win with Requitai,
If he is beaten it would suit him better TO
have Hastings do it. He spoke OF the race
In which Hastings defeated Handspring
as one of the fastest races he ever saw, as
a dozen watches caught Hastings at the
half mile in 46 IA seconds. IL Hastings
can do that again today 1t is a question
whether any other contestant can nEe WIN
him. Hyland declares that Requital has
never been tried, he has won all his
races with but one exception, and that
was when he got away twenty lehgths pe-
hind Handspring and not in his stride, YET
finished we'll up. With that race Out OF
the question Requital has an excellent
chance.
Talk About Nimrod.
There was much talk about the western
cclt Nimrod later in the day, and it was
argued that he must have a good chance
for the owner TO come so far and pay SO
much to send him to the post. silver IL
had a good many followers among the
rail BIRDS who declared that he Will make
them all run to win. In fact, 1t is not a
hard matter to find during the morning a
number of supporters for every horse in
the race. 1t was conceded on all sades that
never in the history of the stake had the
race been more open, and possibility lor
a dozen horses, even though the fdVorlteS
were only two in number, with good odds
above the others. A fair estimate, formed
from conversation with leading trainers at
the track makers Handspring the ehoice
of the majority, with ReQuital second,
Hastings third and Hazlet, AXIOM anu tne
others following.