New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-29
IRISH LAD WINS BROOKLYN HANDICAP BY 4 NOSE
THE RELIANCE COMES IN FIRST AGAIN.
unre Only Second Place at G0cesend Hno Is ThdThe
Constitution LosesT opnuast and Leares Race
EQUALS TRACK RECORD.
Gold Heels,s Time of Last Year
Duplicated.

3. Duryea- was added yesterday at the Grave
send racing Enclosure to that distinguished
group Of thoroUghbreds whose names appear
on the racing programme under the caption,
Previous Winners of the Brooklyn Handicap"
In some ways this brown colt. with the Irish
name and the lion heart must be accounted
more remarkable racehorse than any Of his six
teen predecessors in the honor roll of the
Brooklyn Handicap He the one mile and
a quarter with 103 pounds his back and with
eleven opponents galloping hard at his heels In
just . minutes 20 seconds. which equals the
extraordinary time made last October over the
same course by Gold Heels. who was then in his
three-vear -old form and took up III pounds, and
beats the best previous record for the handicap
by almost a full second. In 1899 the great four
year-old colt Banastar won the Brooklyn IN
2-o6G with 10 pounds, hut the difference IN
time. taken with the difference in age between
the two colts. makes Irish Lads performance OF
Yesterday the more notable one.
The seventeenth renewal Of the Brooklyn
Handicap was in itseIf-apart from the victor's
memorable achieven1ent-a remarkable contest
II could not have been a real Brooklyn Handi-
can and have been otherwise So far the
ownership Of the first two horses was con-
cerned, it was quite a family affair. So close
to Irish Lad that one more thrust Of her arlsto-
cratic nose would have changed the decision of
the Judges was Gunfre, daughter Of Hastings
winner Of the last Metropolitan and favorite for
the Brooklyn of yesterday, running in the light
blue and brown Of the elder nfr. Whitney. It
was Z roval sporting contest between the thor
oughbreds Of the fatherand his son, and what
ever Of disappointment this keen sportsman
NAV have felt at seeing his favorite FLY beaten
must have been tempered in a measure by the
triumph of his sons colors. Behind Gunfire
half length came the four-year-old colt Heno, in
the flaming green and orange jacket of W. S.
Fanshave.
SAME TRAINER FOR TWO LEADERS.
Another incident concerning yesterdays handi-
cap that might come under the head OF remark
able vas the fact that both Irish Lad and Gun
fire were trained by John ". Rogers. and more
over he was not at all that the better OF
his two pupils had won. Mr.. Rogers is not
zarr,,o,,s man. nor lavish in his predictions con-
corning the results of horse races but he gave
HIS friends TO understand before the running OF
1ba handicap that he considered the fllys
chances brighter than those of any other per-
former in the race Not only did other astute
trainers share this opinion. but the general pup
lie as well. and the Whitney FLY carried the
homes Of the grandstand and most Of its money.
Harry Payne Whitney himself thought his colt
was short q race, and under the circumstances
could not win such contest as the handicap
was likely 10 prove and he did not play him.
Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney apparently was the
onl,, member Of the Immediate family who be-
Iiaz,ed in Irish Lad and who supported him in a
material way She backed him both ways
5000 straight and 5000 g place H B Duryea,
Mr. Whitney's partner in the firm, which races
under the name Of the Westbury Stable, was
not at Gravesend yesterday 70 share in MS
partners elation. AS matter Of fact, he was
over in England lamenting the defeat Of Acetul
in the English Derby. The triumph OF the
stable in fact was materially tempered by the
regret that Irish Lad had not been sent over to
have trv at the English classic instead or
Aceful
And the +hrong-the old fashioned Brooklyn
FIandicap crowd in its principal ingredients was
another remarkable feature 81 yesterdays re-
rnarkable renewal-remarkabIe in that for al
most the first time in the history of the contest
II cannot truthfully be characterized as the
greatest throrg that ever witnessed the running
OF Brooklyn" There was a handful or be
tween thirty and thirty-fve thousand grouped
about the lawn and huddled under the two
story and basement grandstand. but even this
number vas many thousands short of the most
conservative estimates made on the previous
day regarding the probable attendance.
WEATHER NOT ACCOUNTABLE FOR AT
TENDANCE.
The weather cannot be held responsible for
this decrease as it has been shown times enough
that the weather IS an impotent factor in in
fuencing any part Of a community bent on
going 70 the races. The day overhead, IL is true.
began in a rather ambitious attempt 10 live up
70 Brooklyn Handicap traditions. There was
little rain in the morning hours, with threats OF
more Of il later. as1 when these were not full
filed the sun and the clouds hit il of a sticky
sultry compromise that played sad pranks with
compilations not warranted waterproof.
With the weather eliminated, the deficit must
be attributed 10 the oft repeated prophecies Of
record breaking multitude. The prospect of
even twelve thousand people
crowding through the gates Of the Long Island
course than have ever crowded through them
before is not a pleasant thing 10 contemplate.
After Morris Park. with its great wide stretches
and imposing structures, Gravesend seems de-
cidedly narrow chested and stoop shouldered.
The story OF the actual winning OF the handi-
cap can be described in fewer words than the
attempts Of the pilgrims to forecast the result.
There may have been larger fields and better
ones in bygone years but ii is not often one has
had nicer balance or has been made up of
horses that. under the conditions. seemed so
evenly matched. The study Of the dope" sheets
printed in pink became on all the Gravesend
bound trains q sort OF paretc pastime. so
crossed were the regulars in perusing the past
performances printed in pink In the pro-
gramme appeared the names Of eighteen can
didates for the big race" With the possible
exception OF Father Bill" Days Himself, P. NJ.
Civilrs sambo, and the Western colt waswift
each OF the entries seemed to have some sort Of
chance. The withdrawal. therefore, Of these
three did not materially simplify matters