The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-15
MEETING A GREAT SUCCESS
Benning Spring Racing Leaves
Many Pleasant Memories.


Clean and Honest Sport the Chief
Fenture Records Broken on n
Fast Track - Courtesies Accorded
Patrons Aaueduct Opens To-day.
The spring meeting of the Washington
Jockey Club. which ended Saturday was
the most successful in it's history. Re-
CARELESS OF unfavorable weather condi-
tions the average daily attendance was
unusually large, that of Saturday eclips-
all others, in point of numbers, ever seen
al the track. The jockey club may justly
feel proud of what it has accomplished.
The size and character of the audiences
is the best evidence that their efforts to
please were duly appreciated.
The sport throughout the meeting was
clean, and the best Of order prevailed. The
crowd Of Saturday is ample testimony. if
any was wanting, that racing has taken
n firm hold on the Washington public.
The public has become educated TO 1t,
from the endeavor put forth by the jock
ey club in promoting high-class, clean,
honest contests, and has become SO much
interested that from now on the club
need have no fear whatever of lack of
patronage. The public wants first-class
racing. and all the Jockey Club has to do
is to maintain high standard and their
efforts will be sustained.
TO such an extent has interest become
awakened that several well-known bust
ness men have become financially inter-
ested in racing stables, and they had
fair share of success at the meeting just
closed, pulling down a number of the purses
hung up by the jockey club Fred Miller.
a Washington boy won three races with
The Rogue, and should have won five, as
in two races, where the horse finished
second, bad racing luck alone beat him.
Speedmas, owned by G. G. Johnson, of
this city. had four wins and one second to
her credit. Red Damsel, also from this
stable was returned once winner ana
several times finished in the money. Local
merchants were fortunate with Gwynne,
Sliden. and Albert Edward, as was the
case of NJ. c. Kelly with Rough Rider
and Bonaparte Charles Hume with Pas
sale, and r. a. CASTELAR,, with Gould;
enough surely to show that an earnest in
terest in racing has been kindled in Wash
inston.
The Washington Jockey Club opens and
closes the season for legitimate racing in
the East. and horsemen ali over the coun-
try look to the Benning spring meeting TO
earn enough money to start in on the sea
son. and to the fall meeting for enough to
tide them over the winter.
The class of horses brought to the Ben
ming track is improving every meeting and
this is especially true of the two-year-olds,
as some of them are nigh TO stake form.
Such colts as The Goldfnder. Tamah Ma
wis. Sweet Glover, Slidell, Honolulu,
Dolce-far-N Monte, Sister Juliet, Righta-
way. William H., Carroll D., Ganesa, Oria,
Laracor, Atheola Roma, Red Damsel, ana
Astery are not often found al one meeting
They represent the highest class, ana are
bound to be heard from in the many fu-
ture events for which they are entered
The three-year-old were equally wei rep
resented in The Rhymer, Robert Waddell'
Moor Isia, and Sadie S.-colts that VIII De
hard to beat in any company. The older
horses are too well known to need any
snecial mention but the best form shown
in this division was by knight of Rhodes.
First Whip Alsike. and Lexington PIRATE.
The racing throughout the meeting was
consistent, and while a great many out ",
siders at long prices carried on the money,
sttlI that I'm no way indicates any reVerSals
of form Such surprises are looked Ior
and expected at early spring meetings. d
Il often happens that the best morse Is
beaten by an inferior one who happens 10
a little more advanced in work ana is pet
ter seasoned. The racing OF tWo-yedi-ol
at this time of the season cannot Dc ue
nended upon some Of them making their
first starts and not until they get accus-
toned to the barrier and graduaiiy iedI II
what is expected of them can one look Tor
consistent form. -.
During the fifteen days of the meeting
there were In all ninety-one races fuh on
of which thirty-nine were won oy pr o
nounced favorites. and twenty by sec
ond faVorites Thirty-tWo races Went 70
outsiders. From that it will be readily
seen that the percentage or winners dIhouS
the first and second taVorltes was bet !
than the average shown at other tracks,
and that speaks we'll for the consistency
of form shown at Bennng .,,
remarkable thing about the meeting
was the moor showing of the Walden ana
Morris strings. Heretofore at Sprlng met seI
ings Walden usually swept All peIuIe mn
in the two-year-old DIVISION, out lhlS
snring the best the stable could do was TO
win one race with Dolce-tar- Nlehte Ior
whom it was said they paid $l4,VO as a
vearIinp Rather stiff price Tor a colt
that could only win one race our u III ~, &c
starts and speaks well for the other Two
vaar-olds. who, all put together, dld not
cost half that sum. ,. ,t
The track itself was IN grahd sildpe siriG
absolutely fast, 1t is no unusuaI tmIns
10 hear some owner or trainer say, rms
track is slow, three seconds IL II Il,
how about the time for the hanulcaP Oh III
Saturday when Moor ran the distance III
1.2S Ia That speaks volumes alone lot
the track and it can be said, without m
tending any compliment to the super,ill-
tendent. that it was faster on SATURDAY
than ever before. 1t is improving every
year. . oot;,, r.
of 1891 is over, and there is nothing le1t
of il but memories. They are pleasant
memories too. IL is pleasant TO recollect
| the courtesies of all the officials, from the
president down to the humble ticket taker,
and the desire of the officials to please
and entertain everybody 1t Is really
nIeasant to think of Flanders and Paris;
but above all is it pleasant to think and
know that the racing was clean, honest
and on the level.
The scene now shifts to Aqueduct, l. l.,
where a meeting opens for sixteen DAYS,
! commencing today, and from Aqueduct
! the horse people go through the entire
| circuit until they are with us again next
/ fan 1t is singular enough to notice, but
| IL is literally true, nevertheless, that when
YOU go out to Benning next fall you VIII
be likely to see the same faces and near
| the same familiar cOiceS crying fure
Hevanas, imported and domestic; Pro-
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