The times., 1899-12-01

Twelve thousand people attended the
closing of the autumn meeting of the
Jockey Club at the Benning course yester-
! day afternoon. and aided in making the
event the greatest In the history of the
organization Everybody seemed to be
present fashionable folk and turf follow
! ers from every large city in the East. All
Washington crowded the betting ring, and
I jammed the course railings, while the
women found standing room only in the
| pavilion. Prominent track personages
! from New York Boston, Philadelphia, and
Baltimore surged in the paddock. 1t was
such crowd as surprised the follower of
the ponies.
With balmy temperature and the track
as fast as it can ever be the great as
sembly found unlimited pleasure and ex-
element and stamped The seal of gen
eral approval on the local meeting.
Warrcnton Wins the Handicap.
The card was by far the best ever offered
, in the annals of the local organization,
and included FIVE races on the fiat and a
| steeplechase. The great feature of the
day was the Washington Cup Handicap,
for 81, 500, at two miles and a quarter,
which was won by w. L. divers War
renton in one of the prettiest races ever
! seen in the East. The crowd lost all re-
stTaint and simply went turf mad during
lhe neck-and-neck run in the stretch be-
tween Warrenton, Beau Ideal, and Brisk.
So with the steeplechase, which caused
the pavilion to rock with the swaying mul-
titude as a horse stumbled or leaped or
gained or lost.
1t was a disastrous day for the talent,
this closing of odds and betting sheets,
and money changed hands like waste
paper. All through the afternoon the bet
ting ring was a hot, struggling, frantic
chaos wherein crisp notes fed the flame.
Fayorites could not, or would not win,
and outsiders captured four out of the
six events.
The first race deserves especial mention.
owing TO the unsavory doings of which It
smacked. Six of the horses entered were
scratched, leaving the contest between Lin
dula, Queen of Song, Alyarado II, and
Strangest. Lindula was made the favorite
at to 5, and barrels Of money were placed
on her Queen of Song, at to l. won in
a walk, and the fayorite was not even in
the money.
Won by Long Shot.
The cash was all on jim Breeze in the
second event, but Grandeur walked in win
ner with Jim Breeze barely getting third
place
Plato, an TO shot, captured the
steeplechase easily, with Phoebus, to 3,
in the ruck James, Barricks colt, at
to l, showed his heels to the field in the
fifth race, leaving the heavily played Goal
Runner, at to 5, without even a place.
The steeplechase was a pretty contest.
Sibley, with Barry up, and Tentore, ridden
by Dayton, both fell while taking the jumps,
but neither jockey was injured.
The Washington Cup Handicap, at two
and one-quarter miles, was covered IN
4:04 AS, establishing a new record for the
distance over the local course. The former
record was 4:05 2-5, made by Jefferson, OIL
November "a, 1898.
The Officials Are Pleased.
President Howland and his associates are
highly pleased with the good attendance
during this season, and predict great things
for the course.
Something not on the programme oc-
CURED in the betting ring between the
fifth and sixth races. A young man, de-
string to make a bet with Virginia" Car
ter, and when Mr.. Carroll applied an Of
fensiye epithet to the stranger he resented
it and slugged the book right and left
Carroll was taken out of the ring by one OF
the PinkertOn men and did not do business
on the last race.
The fall season OF 1899 at Benning will
go on record as the best in its history
Financially it must have been a great sue
cess. From a racing standpoint, with per-
haps two or three exceptions, the meet
ing has been unusually clean The ex-
ceptions referred to are the running of
Miss Hanover on the second day of the
meeting. when she was permitted to go to
the post totally unfit to run, and the pub
lie was swindled out Of the money wagered
on her. The next instance was the running
of Lindula Yesterday pronounced favor
ite running a bad last in a field Of four.
Another instance was the starting of Mr..
Pettingill in the first race last Monday,
giving Strangest three lengths the best of
the start, practically making a gift of the
race.
The results of yesterday follow:
First race-For three -year-olds and up
ward; selling; one and one-sixteenth miles.
Queen of Song (Dangman), TO l and 6
to 5. won; Strangest (McIntyre), to l
and to s. second; Alvarado II (Jenkinsl,
10 l and even, third. Time 1851 3-5.
Good start. Passing the stand Alvarado
II was leading; Queen Of Song second;
Lindula third. Alyarado led all the way to
the stretch, when Queen of Song went to
the front and won eased up by two lengths;
Strangest second; Alvarado third: the ia
yorite last. This was a bad looking race.