The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-19
HERMlS TO MEET ALL COMERS.
CHALLENGE FOR SPECIAL RACE
AT ONE MILE AND A QUARTER.
Owners Thomas and Shields Desire weight.
forage Test at Saratoga with the
Cracks OF the Year-Mr. Paget, for
WaterbOy, U'ndecidled-Other Opinions.

Cracks OF the Ncar-Mf. PMBeHs hOn
WnterbOy, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Opinions
SARATOGA, n. Y, Aug. 1S.-Hermis, the
four-year-old son Of II ermence-Katy OF
the West, for which Edward r. Thomas
paid Louis " Bell saO,OOo last spring, stands
ready to meet all Corners in special weight
for age rare at mile and a quarter, to be
run over the Saratoga track before the
close of the Saratoga meeting. which will
be one week from next Friday.
The announcement was made by Alex
ander Shields, speaking for himself and
Mr.. Thomas, this afternoon, after the little
chestnut colt had easily defeated Whitney
4 Duryea's Irish Lad in the Merchants and
Citizens Handicap. at mile and furlong,
in which Hermis, without being touched with
whip or spur, covered the distance in Isl s-5,
only three-fifths of a second slower than
the worlds record.
Mr.. Shields is not in the habit of putting
on much side, as the English say, and there
was nothing of braggadocio in his manner
when he threw down the gauntlet to the
thoroughbreds Of America. He said:
"Hermis has finally got grip on himself,
and if ANYBODY offered me $4,000 for him
now would not take it. 1 regard him as
one of the greatest horses in the world
but, mind you, ! said one Of the greatest:
There are other good ones, however. and
to find out lust how good our horse is we
would like to start him in race at mile
and quarter, to be run at Saratoga, each
entry to carry weight for age and the day
and track to be good.
IF the Saratoga association will arrange
such a race, we will surely start Hernis,
and think the owners of other great horses
now here would like to make entries.
been told he Ia rounding into fine form
Waterboy. the champion of the year thus
far, is here, and would imagine that Mr.
Haggin would send him along. Maybe
Mr. Smathers might he induced even 70
send Grand Opera on from Chicago. Of
tho three year-olds the best in the country
are here, including Irish Lad, Aricander'
Savable and Shorthose.
Il don't say that Hermis would win such
a race. / only say that we would IKE 10
start him, for We believe that he, under the
condil ions have named can come pretty
nearly boating any horse in the United
States Furthermore, such race, IL would
seem 10 me, would be great attraction TO
the Saratoga meeting and would draw
1t would at any rate, add
another 20 the long list OF historic turf
events r,rr off on the Sarat oga track.
Mr. Shields was standing on the lawn
in front of the grand stand when he made
this statement to The Sun correspondent.
Sydney Paget, the representative OF James
b Haggin, was at once hunted up ana
asked II he would start Waterboy in such
a race Mr.. Paget said: AT present l
will neither say yes nor no. But what's
the uso Of a special racer Hermis and all
the other good ones are nominated for the
Saratoga Cup to be run on Saturday. The
Hermis people can take crack at water
boy then.
Shields was told what Paget had said.
and he replied:
THAT'S all very we'll but the race for
the Saratoga Cup is at mile and three
quarters. don't care to ask Hermis to
20 as long a route as that Just now, and
don't think I should be expected to. He
has come along pretty fast in less than two
weeks, but for race as long as a mile and
he's not quite ready
Besides, he is entered in the 900
Stakes at Sheepshead Bay as well
as many other rich fall stakes, and we
would be foolish to jeopardi1e his chances
Of winning some Of these events by ask
ing him TO travel mile and three-quarters
during the Saratoga meeting. A race at
a mile and quarter is standard event,
and don't see why the owner OF any really
good horse should shy at 1t. II they will
meet us at a mile and quarter here, we
will meet Waterboy later on at almost
any distance. All we ask is time.
1.-THE route of the race have suggested
ia longer than have asked Hermis to go
since I have had charge of lam except In
the Saratoga Champion, in which Irish
Lad beat him | sent him first seven fur
longs, which he Won Then he lost the weight
for age Champion and to-day he won at a
mile and a furlong. When these per-
formances of the little horse are considered,
il will be seen, think, that ! am not pre-
pairing n race in which will have any the
best of it, I suggest distance, at which
Hermis sustained his only defeat since 1
have had him"
The owner of Shorthose was inclined to
look with favor on the proposed race, as
were Deimel & DIVER. owners OF Afri-
cander The Shorthose people, however,
said they wanted to see what their horse
would do In the kenner Stakes tomorrow
before they gave a definite answer. Mr..
friends said that he thought if Savable was
not thought to be quite good enough, an
other horse might be found in the Drake
stable that would start.
The most doubtful one of all the posi-
bilities is McChesney His trainer, 40 IL
was said, could give no decided answer
until he had communicated with Mr..
iOulhlIlclS' tllt w CSltIu
a mile and furlong yesterday morning in
| :55 and showed no signs of lameness when
he pulled up. 1t was said this afternoon
that. if McChesney could have an easy race
or two before the proposed special race and
did well, he would undoubtedly start.
Mr.. Whitney returned from New York
to-day, but it was impossible TO see him
tonight. II Is possible. however, that he
may take up the notion tomorrow, with
his associates in the active management
of the track, with the idea of seeing what
can be- done. There were some who saw
] irish Lads race to-day who said tonight
that he could beat Herms at mile and
quarter, each horse to carry weight for
age. To-day he carried 100 pounds to 12A
on Hermis.
At weight for age he would carry l18
I o 1913 for Hermis. II will be seen, there
fore, that in to-days race he had six
pounds the worst of the weights He was
beaten so decsively however, that many
are saying that Hermis can give ten pounds
to the Candlemas colt.
After the race this afternoon il was
learned that Edward r. Thomas, since
he formed an alliance with Mr.. Shields,
has succeeded in making up a good bit Of
tho losses he sustained early In the season.
Vest erday he had a swell bet on Yardarm,
which he cashed, and he had bet of mode-
rate size on Hermis to-day. A person in q
position to know something Of Mr.. rs'omas's
{ urf business told THE SIN cor oasr ondent
I o-nipht that In lasa thar tu- vaaLo