Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-16

horses that arrived yesterday.
 Mir. w. G. Hardin, who has been. se- lected for superintendent of the track, is also in the city. The Little Rock Ga zette had the following interesting in- terview with Captain Hardin
 "The interest in racing throughout the west" said Capt. w. G. Hardin, superin- tendent of the St. Louis Fair associa ton race course, last evening in talking morse" with a Gazette reporter. Ifs ten fold greater than it2 ever has been. and the coming sefson promises to eclipse in brilliancy and general character any sea- son the west has had in years.'' Thus spoke the guardian of race records and concededly the best builder of a track in this country Under Captain Harding's slsillful direction the St. Louis track has become the fastest in the west. It holds the record for the best 2-year-old race, won by Forget in 1:40H, and this speedy flyer might have made 1t in LAO had she been urged at the finish. Sdkel now in Little Rock. holds the record for five fur longs, made on this great track in 1:01 These are few of the records made on the tracks Captain Harding has person. ally supervised. prepared and developed In speaking of Little Rock as wintering quarters he said: You have now about seventy-five of the best thoroughbreds In America in winter quarters on your beautiful Clinton park, and it would not be at all surprising to see some sensa- tional 2-year-olds developed out of this now wonderful stock. For instance. there is the lilly owned by P. J. Meyers named Trela. which is very promising There are number of others The clima tic conditions are especially favorable for the horses. while the race track is splen- didly adapted for winter work. In fact. Little Rock is now regarded as great winter home for the turf youngsters"
 What stables are here?"
 John C.. Gray, with twelve including Upman, Maggie Gray and Nasty, and a fine looking lot of. 2-year-olds Col. Bill McGuigan, with seventeen head. incIud- ing Lady Inez, Ben Elder, Bing Binger, d brown colt by Jim Gore and a choice ar ray of 2-year-olds; P. J. Meyers, with eight. including Sidkel, Kirk. Text. Toots and some likely 2-year-olds; c. B. Camp has fine string of 2-year-olds, and with in few days there will be John Rodejap with twenty, including Addie Buchanan, Sumatra Cicely and a fine looking lot of highly tried 2-year-olds; Ed Headley will arrive about January 1 with the star winner Beau Ideal Ben Marx and four 2-year-olds; Hankins & Johnson will ar- rive December 20with a string of twenty. including Diggs;,J. F. Cushing wiif1be here with seven good ones. So you can readily see how well Little Rock issTe- garded by the leading horsemen of Amer lea In it's facilities and favorable sur roundngs for winter quarters"
 T notice" said Captain Harding. that Little Rock has hung up fine ltet ot stakes including the Arkansas Derby, guaranteed $2000 to the winner. tell you that $16,OO0 In prizes for a nine days meeting is the record in this countrt..' What about St. Louis?"
 Well, the meeting of 1896 will surpass any race meeting the west will ever have seen. The purses amount to $59, 900, with eighteen stake events. This is the larg- est amount ever given in the west::and 1t means that there will drawn to St. Louis the greatest lot of race horses this country will have seen in many a day '1 have met with unexpected good for