The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-01

ban. 1t Is unique IN racing 10 Try 10
select a winner before the entries have
been made, yet there are some who
are attempting the task. Dorian and
Clifford are both fancied, and Ben
Brush also has friends. As Nj. r.
DIVERS three-year-old Is entered In
the Brooklyn, the wiseacres figure that
he will naturally be in its predecessor
at Morris Park, the metropolitan, and
IL he starts they think the colt Will
win. Sir Walter, Counter Tenor, and
Lazzarone have also been mentioned
for the first important race of the year.
To go further, a Staunch admirer or
the Blemton Stable has selected Do
rian for the Metropolitan, Henry OF
Navarro for the Brooklyn, and Keen
an for the Suburban. He announced
his opinion to a group of horsemen In
an uptown hotel, and as result OF
the chaff that greeted the remark the
Blemton advocate wagered $500 even
with a well-known bookmaker that
one of the handicaps would be won by
Blemton horse. II was the first wager
of the season.
All agree that the top weights will
be allotted ito Henry of Navarro. Cliff
ford, Domino, Lazzarone. Saragossa,
Sir Walter, Dorian, and Hornpipe, In
about the order named. The top
weights, perhaps, will be 12S pounds In
the Metropolitan, 100 in the Brooklyn.
| and 1872 in the Suburban. and Henry
| OF Navarro will likely lead the lists
when the handicaps are all known. In
| the face of the fact that the three
year-olds of last season were AN ordi-
| nary lot the turf critics think the old
| err division will show the way home to
| this years four-year-olds. Next to the
| chances of the five-year-olds, Ben
| Brush hos the speed and is an early
horse, so they think he will be a factor
| in the two early handicaps, while
| Handspring is fancied for the Surbur-
| ban. 1t is true that a three-year-old
has never won a great spring handicap
| in the East. but 1t must be remember
| ed that colts of the highest class, in
| view of the stake engagements, are
| seldom started in the events. Henry
of Navarro. with 100 pounds up, was
only beaten a short length by DR.. Rice
| in the Brooklyn Handicap of 1894, and
| with their pull in the weights Ben
| Brush and Handspring should be as
prominent in the handicap prizes they
are sent after. A few days after the
| first Brooklyn handicap, Hanover,
Handspring's sire, defeated Dry Mono
| pole and a field made up of other start
| ers in the great race, the three-year-
| old winning with plenty to spare.
| Handspring has developed into a horse
of massive muscular proportions dur
ing the winter, and II is probable he
| VIII De IN the same CLASS as u lHIee-
year-old that his sire was.
In the doctrine of chance. however.
the odds should favor the 4-year-olds
| furnishing the winners for the handi-
caps. Under the modern system OF
training for great speed at two and
three years the thoroughbreds are al
their prime as 4-year-olds. Only the
exceptions remain at their best beyond
that period. In the IL suburbans the
list of winners contains General Mon
roe, a 6-year-old; Elkwood, Loantaka
and Lowlander. all 5-year-olds, and
eight ear-olds-Pontiac, Troubadour
Gurus, Raceland, Salvador. Montana
Ramapo, and Lazzarone. The best SUI
burbans, from the time standpoint and
as holly contested struggles, were wor
by 4-year-olds. In cases, too, the 4
year-old was one who had not beer
rated high class as a 3-year-old; take
Eurus, for instance. 1t may happen
| although none of last seasons 3-year-
olds were of phenomenal form, that q
courageous and fast handicap horse
will be developed among them. History
, will simply repeat itself should this oc'
cur. A comparison of the estimated
weights that the 4-year-olds will have
to carry will lend interest to the calcu
. lations of their chances. A table fol
lows, the scale of weights being purely
speculative, OF course. yet based on tn,
known form OF the candidates for hand
leap honors. 1t is assumed that the 4
year-olds in the Brooklyn and Suburb
r an, with the exception OF Vinctor, will
be in the Metropolitan:
J Metropolitan. Brooklyn. Suburban