The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-14
THIS YEARS BOOKS
The First Foreign to Be Opened Is on
the Kentucky Derby.
ODDS AS PLACED TO-DAY
Amman daie's Gossip In the "Horse-
man." In Which He Predicts and
Discusses-Australi Meet
Ings-Minnie's Victory.

First among the foreign books TO be
opened Is one on the Kentucky derby
and Ben Brush has been Installed
prime favorite at the very short odds
of 4 to l. The shortness OF these odds
may be accounted for both by the ex-
cellent form displayed by the colt last
fall and the knowledge that his owner,
NJ. f. Dwyer. intends to make west
ern campaign this year, his best Colts
engagements being all in the West. Al
this date to / seems to be short
enough odds against Ben Brush for II
Is really more than that, that the colt
never comes to the post fit and well. III
may be accepted as a fact that his own
er will not play in very much at these
odds, for II is well known that NJ. r.
Dwyer considers to on the day Of
the race as good as to or more two
weeks before II.
II is related that great interest was
displayed when the winter odds we're
first posted. and already advantage
has been taken of the opening of bust
ness to back Ramiro, Ben Elder and ore
or two others TO win fairly large sums.
Ramiro at tens seems to be rather over
rated, but Ben Elder at % to is about
his proper price. Margrave, King Will
lam (ful brother to Kingston) and APP
plegate are at 20 to /, and of these APP
plegate, IL he trains up to his best form
the King and Margrave. AppleSate
was a good colt indeed last spring. and
ne had little trouble of disposing OF
Handspring in the Great American
stakes worth over $4,000 TO the winner.
King william showed fairly good form
likewise early in the spring and may do
so again, but he could not have raced
with Apologize. both right Merry
Prince, Ben Elder and Falling Water
stand in the next lot at 20 to 1, and The
Winner, Semper Ego (the colt that ran
such a good race at DetroiD, The Drag
on and Loki are the next batch at thir-
ties The Corrigan colt, Can't Dance.
is among those at forties; Longflight,
the brother to Despot, Damien, Re-
warder. Tenacity and several unnamed
ones in the Corrigan stables, are at fif-
ties Thereafter II is not so much
matter of price and doubtless anyone
backing his choice of the rest could get
as much as a 100 to l to money. There
are some, of course, about whose
chances you can write your own
ticket. Personally ] fancy Ben Brush
and Applegate at present, and unless
Apologize is much worse off than he
should be the price against him should
find many takers. / do not believe very
much in betting in winter books.
Mike Dryers dictum quoted above is
a very good one to follow for the odds
against any one of the horses coming
to the post fit and well are long indeed.
recall that last year large bet at
something like even money was laid on
Bermuda Girl beating Larabie in the
Kentucky futurity and the current
comment at the time was that II was
far longer odds that neither of them
would face the starter. In fact II was
more than the odds laid that both of
them would be in the stable when the
bell rang. and as 1t happened Bermuda
Girl did not start and Larabie should
have been kept at the stable. He was
by no means fit and 1t was only his
owners desire as against his trainers
wishes that forced him sore and out of
condition into the race.
Sometimes IL is worth taking a
chance in the winter books, but the
chances are so small of any money be-
ing made that the practice may be con-
demned in general terms. Winter books
have. however. been known to break
bookmakers, Munsell & Co. having
gone under the spring DR. Rice won
the Brooklyn. / remember one or two
OF the Chicago spectators who had
Munsell's tickets came up TO me and
inquired how they should proceed TO
get their money won at odds of 40 TO l.
One man in particular had ticket call
ing for $410. and he was almost crazed
TO think that he could neither hear from
the layer nor yet obtain any satisfac-
tory information regarding his where
abouts. However he managed Ii, he
told me he got his $40 back through one
of his friends or relatives in New York,
but to the best of his knowledge the
Others got nothing. At least that was
the status in quo when l last heard OF
the deal Taken as a whole winter
books are good thing to let alone.
The metropolitan racing schedule
seems TO have been we'll laid out. Nor
rig r-k Hrzf Nav IN
Brooklyn, June to June %; Coney
Island, June % to July IL. and then rae
ing will be resumed at the Sheepshead
Bay track and kept up until Sept 8
Brooklyn will then race from Sept. I
TO Oct. 8. and Morris park viii wind uT
the season Oct. is to Nov. g. The
Steeplechase association will find dates
during the Morris park periods and In
midsummer Brighton and Aqueduct
will cut in. Should there be a satisfac
tory law passed in New Jersey and rae.
ing be resumed there on a high plan,
a reorganization OF the dates may b,
necessary. but no one seems TO thinl
that there will be a call for any sucl
change.
Australians seem to have enjoyed a
splendid meeting at Melbourne in the
beginning of November when the Mel.
bourne cup was run. i have lately re.
ceived a letter from a gentleman who
witnessed the race, and the details he
gives will prove of interest, says An.
Mandate in the Horseman. First ant
foremost" he says. ''36 horses lined NJ
for the start, and in just los second.
the gate flew up and the race was on
think this is very strong argument
on behalf of the starting gate. How
long do you think n would take a mar
10 get so big a field off on anything
like even terms? The field for tn
American Derby of 1898 which j wit
messed when visiting the United State
10 see the worlds fair. was at the pos
a very long time indeed. and yet tina
field was not anything like as large a.
that for our cup. / don't think tn
people here would stand a starter nov
at all. they have become so welded {,