Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-28
ABOUT HORSES AND HORSEMEN
Advance News of the Track Season
that VIII Soon lie in
Full Bloom.

The Great Western Trotting circuit,
which was expected to cut such a swathe
in horse circles this season, seems likely
to dwndle away to very appreciable de-
gree During the last week the announce
ment was made that the Rush park driving
course at Indianapolis will be closed down
during the whole season, and 1t is said that
other points are in straits. The difficulty
is in the lack of entries. When the entries
closed at Independence on May II their
number did not warrant the holding of
meeting Secretary A. II. Farwel of the
circuit says he has not been officially in
formed about other tracks, but he knows
that the dearth of entries Is the condition
along the line. Davenport opens the cir
cult in July. The managers there have
declared off" their stakes and will at once
open class purses. Dubuque is obliged to
open her gates, as she has secured the $780,
000- Horse Review stake for 3-year-olds.
Less than half dozen OF her stakes have
filled satisfactorily. Other stakes will
be declared off, and enough class races
opened to hold a three or four days meet
1t is apparent that horsemen will not sup
port high class meet in the west this year
The reason is hard to locate. Very few Of
the large stables have gone east Small
breeders have not left the field, as Is ap-
parent by the large number of single entries
made. Twenty-Five letters will bring thirty
entries against eighty of former years. The
most plausible reason is due to the late
season. Trainers have had no opportunity
as yet to develop their stock and horsemen
in the west cannot at the present time pick
the winners from their strings. Conse-
quently they have held back, OF would make
conditional entries, which is against Ameri-
can rules.
Rush park is famous institution, and it
Is expected that the public sentiment
against abandoning the course will be so
strong that some arrangement will be made
to continue the races next year If not this
season. The park was opened In 1890 by G.
w. Williams. When Williams sold Axtell
in 1889 for $685. a part Of the purchase
money was invested in this land. The
track was the first one built on the kite
shaped plan 1t was run by Williams for
four years and during Williams administra-
ton was famous for its tin cup records.
1t Is undoubtedly the fastest track in Amer
lea. Other investments foundered Will
liams and after 1893 the track passed to
creditors. Rush Park Driving association
then organized and in five annual meetings
has paid horsemen over 100000. Come
to the stand and get your money was the
judges call after every race and the gates
close without dollar of indebtedness
Tom Keatings car of horses which left
California for Denver last week, was
| painted blue and white, the stable colors,
and all the sulkies, blankets, feed blankets
| and other paraphernalia were of the same
two hues. In this car were the following
| twelve horses, every one of them in the
very pink of condition and ready to race:
: PAGERS - Searchlight, 2.04R; Anaconda
2:04h; Agitato, 200; Little Thorne, 2:O9A
Lolita, 2:17, and Coney. green 4-year-old
| by Mckinney that paced a fourth heat in
| 2:11A last month in one of his work outs
! and is confidently expected to get a mark
| of 205 or better this season. The trotters
were Dione, 2:09h; Fhoebe Childers, 2:16A
| Owyhee, 223%, and the green mare Venus
| II, by Cupid, out of Lille S, full sister tc
| Dione's dam. The above constitute the
Keating string, and in the same car Myror
McHenry shipped his two good ones, Rose
| CToix, with a trotting record of 2:11A, but
now converted to the lateral gait and going
fast at it, and Sister Alice. 2:16A, a mare
that will surely reduce her record materi-
ally this year.
The first light harness meet of any size il