The Washington times., 1902-04-14
SPORT MORE POPULAR THAN EVER
Jockey Club Breaks Its Rec
ord for Money Taken in
at the Gate.
HARTFORD SAGE TOP OF LIST
Father Bill" Daily Wins Ss,7oo-Booker
Shares Saddle Honors With Tommy
Burns-Track to Be Whipped in Shape
for the Fall.

Yesterday was a busy day at the Ben
ming race course, as is always the case
the day after the closing OF a race meet
ing. Trainers and stable boys were out
OF their cots early, and there was much
hurrying to and fro getting odds and ends
together and packing up for the removal
TO the next scene OF action-the Aqueduct
racetrack.
A great many OF the runners were ship
ped from the track on Saturday night.
but there were many to remain over
night. The place was one of continuous
animation. The majority of owners sen;
their horses to Aqueduct and other East
ern tracks. but some will remain at Ben
ming until later on in the month. when
they will go to Chicago and other courses
in the West.
Sidney Lucas Here.
Among the latter are the stables of L.
Bradley and Gwynne Tompkins. Bradley
will ship soon and Mr.. Tompkins will re-
main at the local track until about the
first of May. He has a number of good
horses in his string that were not shown
at the meeting just past, among which
are several good: timber-toppers. inc1ud-
ing Queenship and the little mare Frond.
The veteran campaigner and American
Derby winner. Sidney Lucas, is also in
this string and IS training in good shape.
From present indications Lucas will be a
good horse this year. and it would not be
surprising to see him capture a gocdly
number of races. His legs, which were
ailing. we're blistered some time ago and
he is now taking good strong gallops.
Bradley's horses did not show well at
the meeting. but when they get out on
the Western tracks it is quite probable
they will do better. There are several
youngsters in the stable that are well
thought of. but it is hardly likely that
any of them will develop into as good
horses as was last years Derby winner
Robert Waddell.
Hope for Robert Waddell.
The latter horse, by the way. is not
hopelessly broken down. as was report
ed. 1t is true he is suffering from a
broken bone in one of his legs. but Brad
ley has not by any means given up hope
of getting him to the post.
1t is the usual thing to kill a horse
when he breaks leg. but there have been
horses with broken legs that have been
cured and raced and won races. :5-
table instance was the horsc-IIItle Billy
that wen many q hard fought race after
he had been handed over to be shot. Even
II Robert WaddSn never faces the starter
again Bradley declares that he will not
allow him to be killed and will let him
round out his remaining days in idle
ness.
There is no question that the meeting
which came to a close on Saturday was
by all odds the most successful both from
a racing standpoint and pecuDiarily. The
attendance was much larger every day
than was ever known before. and on Sat
urday there were close on to TO- 600 peo-
pie in the stand.
Many thought that the increase in the (
price of admission would cut a wide 1
swath in the daily attendance, but this
was not the case, and there is no doubt /
that the Washington Jockey Club took /
in more money al the gates than ever be- |
fore.
Local Public Alive
When it is considered that there were
but seven days of fair weather during the |
entire meeting. the excellent patronage is |
remarkable, and shows that the Washing |
ton public has finally come to be very |
fond of the sport of racing
With the attractive stake features to /
he run next fall even the large attendance /
at the past meeting will likely be sur /
passed. for the quality of horses that |
will participate in the races Will natur- |
ally be greatly improved.
During the summer months the track |
will be whipped into better shape. and the |
.
ments that were made this spring. The |
track itself is safe one. but there are
spots that need fixing, and the club Off |
Gals are now arranging to have the /
course put into the best possible shape.
A top dressing of good soil will probably !
be placed on the track and the going will |
not be SO deep as 1t has been in the past.
One of the most pleasing features of
the spring meeting was its remarkable |
freedom from scandal There was not 4
breath Of suspicion in any of the races run |
during the seventeen days, and IL is prob
able that very large majority OF the
events were won by the best horses.
With a few trifing exceptions public
form was maintained in a remarkable
manner, and this no doubt accounts for
the great success of the hackers OF the
thoroughbreds. There has never been a
meeting held at Benning when greater
number of favorites led their fields home,
and it was not until the last two days
that real long shots succeeded in winning
races.
In the past it has not been unusual for
horses with long odds against them to
win every day, but the winners In the past
three weeks were rarely quoted at a
longer price than 3 or to |. 1t Is this
fact that will make the meeting one TO he
remembered by the members Of the Metro
politan Turf Association and the other
men who chalked up odds against the
horses.