The evening times., 1896-01-06
RACE NEWS and COMMENI
Benning Will Throw Open Its
Gates in April.
CLEAN SPORT ONCE MORE
Turf Followers VIII Welcome Little
Legitimate Racing After the Long
Dose of Alexander Island-St. Louis
to Leave the Turf Congre~s-Mc-
Cnfferty VIII Race at Benning.

The announcement of the fixtures and
dates for the spring meeting which will
he held by the Washington Jockey Club at
the BeDning track under the protection
of the jockey club created quite n little
comment among the turf followers who
are quartered in this city.
The dates from April Is to May viii
give twelve days OF actual racing. In all
Likelihood the meeting at Pimhco Will
be- inauguraied about the 1st OF April. The
season in New York opens earlier this
year than IL did last, May 10 being the
1irst day, instead or May 10, as has here
tofore been the case
SO far the seat OF action as regards the
Benning meeting has been in New York.
IL VIII be some little time before WORK is
started on the track. IL is the int, ntion
OF Mr.. Rowland to have extensive improve
meDts made to both the grounds and the
buildings.
The grand stand will be enlarged and
The betting ring will be removed TO where
the paddock now stands. In addition to
these Improvements there will te several
new stables built down in the hollow. The
stecpiechase course Will be made one of
the finest in the country and an attempt;
made to have clean, legitimate sport over
the sticks.
Mr.. Rowland is in New York;
ent, but is expected back in to-- IA, ,uu
course of 4 day or so. He will at once ha We
staff OF workincn put TO work shaping
things up so that the improvements can be
begun as soon a S the wca ther opensup.
Tins meeting will witness the first iegiti-
mate racing that has been seen in this city
since the fall meeting OF 1893, and the
sporting public of this city will welcome
l,..
around and find out which horses are try
ing before they put bet down.
or course, the betting will all be on thu.
credit system, as the laws will not permit
the bookies TO put up their states, in the
days of old.
According to rumors afloat from an au-
tncntic source, u big sensation will be
sprung in turf circles III a few days, it be
ing the current report that the st. Louis
Fair Grounds Association will withdraw
as member from the American Turf
Congress and be run, as was Washin StOn
PARK, Chicago, as an independent racing
organization, recognizing rulings of other
clubs only in cases of fraud, but racing
under Turf Congress and Jockey Club
rules, using the one where the other works
agat.ISt the interest OF the club.
The Fair Grounds Association say it is
wrong 10 take a mans tools away. espe-
ciaily when il is all tie has, and SO will per-
nit all outlaw owners in good standing
with the Turf Congress or Jockey Club
to race their horses regardless OF their
being Ciasscd as outlaw performers by the
former association The withdrawal of
st. Louis will greatly weaken the Turf
Congress, but will prove Il popular move
with hoTsemen VINO have come to look upon
that organization as merely a machine
worked in tie interest OF the Corrigan ard
Applegate faction
A writer in the New York TribIne says:
There are few stations that are success
full sircs with all kinds Of mares. Prince
Charlie and Hanover are the chiefs of
that kind of stations. ... ..-
When brooG-inares are considered, there
is no single breeder that can be esigna ted
as owning the best brood-;nares in the
country.
Accidents OF breeding, like Ramapo, are
not likely to cause breeders to look for sireS
and dams OF double parentage, or, i'll his
case quadruple maternity so FAR as the
records 60.
RanIpo is bred upon Chica go lines His
dam is known, but his sire is mighty
doIbtfal.'' Domino comes directly from
winning blood lines, and even if some OF
his maternal ancestors cut ice" few
crosses back he is far more likely to prove
OF seven or eight years experimenting IN
breeding.
Charles Reed. the well-known horsenan,
SAYS: AT its best. breeding is q lottery.
No man ever committed suicide who held
a lottery ticket on i future drawing. /
am never without lottery tickets, and am
ali right
The biennial congress OF the National
Trotting Association will meet in New York
at the Murray Hill Hotel, February l2.
This association has now over 600 members,
and its rules control the trOtting world. One
of the principal subjects OF debate Will be the
best method to op'ringing," both at home
and abroad. Some recent fla gra Mt a attempts
will he thoroughly ventilated. In order 10
protect the honest buyer and the trotting as
sociations of Europe, the National Trotting
Association appointed Louis FrObisherits
representative in New York, with instruc-
tions to inspect all trottinl-Jred horses sent
from that port, and TO issue to the owners
certificates OF identity. Under this sys-
ten it will be easily seen that the honest
exporter was protected, and that the dis
honest could only obtain certificates by
fraudulent Misrepresentation.
Oakland Baron, by Baron Wilkes, with
a record of 2:14 1-2, made as two-year
old, a nd credited with earnings that
amount Ia SIS ,675, heads the list OF win
ners in the trotiing class for the season
Of 1895. This fast son OF Baron Wilkes
won the richest of the Kentucky stakes,
which placed him far in the lead as a
prize winner in the season. since a
two-year-old Oakland Baron has per-
formed creditably, and If he lives and
remains sound he will likely prove a
candidate for championship honors. In
all of his races, especially at Cleveland
last July, when he led a strong field of
aged horses to the half three times In
1905, Oakland Baron has shown q strong
incliuation To race himself out in the
first half, but If this fault is overcome
age will make him one of the fastest
stations.
Those who ought to know say that the
Rochester Driving Park will certainly re-
main closed, as long as public betting is pro-
hibitcd in New York. 1t is said that Col.
Edwards THINKS there will be no meeting
at Buffalo or Rochester this year, and that
the Grand Circuit trotters will go from
Cleveland to Columbus. thence to other
western tracks, including Terre Haute,
Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Galesbnrg,
without touching the East. Few Eastern
horsemcn share this view, the common be.
lief being that Buffalo will fall into line.
Within the last day or two !. j. McCaf-
ferty has claimed names for his yearlings.
He has fifteen youngsters, most OF them
by Buchanan. They are wintering at Onion
Hill, N. J., in charge OF F. BurIew, where
they will remain until probably some time
in February, when they will be shipped to
this city to take part in the benning meeting.
McCafferty's idea Of nomenclature is rath-
er odd, although at least one of the young
sters Is well named-the gray fllly out OF
Mocking Bird, called Gray Bird. 1t is whs-
pered about that Winged Foot was tried
very highly. Hence the suggestive appeila-
fiop