Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-03
RAGING and PUGILISM
PERFORMANCE OF BRIAR SWEET AS
A 3-YEAR-OLD.
Tom O'Rourke Planning a Great Fist
ic Carnival-International Slug
sinS Match Between Young
Pluto and Dixon.

"There is practically no end to the thor
oughbred racing season in America" said
a follower of the bangtails who was talk
ing horse in the lobby of the Midland no
tel yesterday. Il remember the time when
there were seasons, but now the endless
chain of tracks in the East, West and
South offers the migratory trainer Il line
he can follow with profit. the year round.
And Louisville is the latest to come into
the fold of winter tracks, though l must
confess that the action of the Kentuckians
vas a surprise to me as well as 10 many
followers of the turf.
THE past year has not afforded much
food for retrospection, simply because
there were no performers that are en-
titled TO be classed with great horses.
Among the older horses, Ben Holiday
stands alone as a handicap horse capable
of carrying weight and going the distance,
which is a test all thoroughbred must
| stand in order to be classed with great
performers. To be sure, there was Or
nament and Ogden. but both We're retired
to the stud before the Eastern racing sea-
| son had come to an end.
After the retirement of Hamburg, Pau
dit and Bowling Green, of the colts, and
| the flly Briar Sweet were the best rep
resentatives of the 3-year-olds. ana II -
very probable that they would nave ne.o
their own in my year. The 2-year-oloS
were a disappointment. -
In one respect. 1888 will stand out IN
particular prominence in turf annais.
Never before in the history of racing IN
this country have there been two Such NJ
lies as Briar Sweet and Imp. Imp did
not capture any great events IN the Eas!;
but her showing in the West strengthened
the fact that she is capable or sreat
things. But Briar Sweet was almost a
wonder. son y, c,,
ifornia. In her first start, a fve turlons
dash, she ran second to the 5-year-olo
gelding Montgomery. being defeated by a
neck. Three days later she won at hVe
furlongs. Her next start was IN the Cali
fornia Oaks. for 3-year-old fllies. one mile
and an eighth. and won from a faSt iield.
She was second in a five furlong dash at
Ingleside. March 5. and since then has
not been defeated. AS a S-year-old she
started in fifteen races, was first In thlr.
s. sfI .s55. second III " anu -
Fistic Carnival.
If Tom O'Rourke's plans do not miscarry
the Lenox Athletic Club will be the scene
next week of one of the greatest fistic car
nivals seen in this country since the IA
nous New Orleans triple event. in whlcf
Sullivan. Billy Myer and Jack Sicily were
put out of the business respectively by COZ
bett. McAuli:ie and Dixon
O'Rourke plans to have three nights o.
fighting. with the Mccoy battle as tn
strong feature of the show. To fill in with
L ne Will nave ne t"tlitN -hSC Otiu 20.
tie between Oscar Gardner and Dave Sui
Ivan, and the international match be
tween George Dixon and Joe Brown. better
known to followers of the ring as PLUTO
who comes to this country from Australia
with a long record. While the men arr
definitely matched. it is not known i
O'Rourke Will be able to get Pluto's con
sent to fighting at such an early date
as he has been advised to wait awhile
and become acciirlated before acklklg suci
a hard proposition as he knows Young
Chocolate to be.
Pluto would hardly be considered cham
pionship material in this country. althoug,
his manager is full sure he is good enoug;
to go against the champion. Dixon, TIL
best thing in Pluto's record ia a draw
fight with Critic when the latter was q
spots in the same record. For instance
Pluto once proved to be the easiest kim
of a mark for Abe Willis. who stopped hin
inside of four rounds at Foley's hall. II
Sydney. the place made famous by man,
a hard scrap. 1t was there. too. that TIL
fake fight between Hall and Fitzsimmon
was pulled off. This gives a direct lin
on the chances Pluto would have wit
Dixon. for the latter beat Willis ratie
handily in San Francisco a short time afte
that.
Taking the relative showings of Will
against Dixon. and of Pluto against Willis
the coming match looks like a mighty goo
thing for Dixon, and, everything consid
cred. it is about time that he had d fe,
stacked up against the fastest and hes
men in the world for the past ten year:
without a letup of any kind. During TIL
time he outclassed all the featherwei ;ht
himself champion of his class in all tina
the term implied. He never PERSONAL
shirked a contest with any living man. bu
his shrewd mentor. Tom O'Rourke, clever
skill that did not detract from Dixon
popularity.