Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-03-16
WASHINGTON JOCKEY CLUB.

WASHINGTON JOCKEY CLUB.
The Spring Meeting of the Washing
ton Jockey Club March % to April IA,
is almost upon us and every day is
busy one at the pretty race course at
Bennings. The stables are filling up
and by Monday next, opening day,
there will not be vacant stall on the
track and the Accommodations in the VII
lage of Bennings for both man and
beast will also be taxed to their utmost
capacity. c.. w. Leavitt, jr, the
landscape gardener and race track con.
structor. was at the track on Friday and
Saturday putting on the hnlshing
touches. On the track itself he hauled
sand for all the wet places where the
clay dos not dry out fast enough. The
lawn of the Club House and first turn
have been decorated with trees, shrubs,
eyergreens, ETC., very much improving
the general appearance Of things. Mr.
Leayitt saws, 81 do not consider the TOP
soil of the Bennings track a mistake by
any means, in fact think, after the
track thoroughly settles and the super
intendent has really good dry weather
to thoroughly and constantly work 1t, 1t
will be one of the safest, best and fastest
tracks in America.
Clerk of the Course Crickmore has
Issued the programme book for the first
twelve days and the conditions generally
should suit all comers. Purses have
been materially increased and each day
presents a most varied programme. The
two.year-olds which will fill the events
for the baby racers will come from the
stables of f. r. Hitchcock, The Colum-
bia stables, j. E. Lane, William Jen-
nings, the Pepper stable, Col. Edward
Morrell, P. S. p. Randolph (all of these
now on the groundq), August Belmont,
which stable will arrive tomorrow from
their winter quarters at Garnett, ). e.:
the Goughacre stable, now wintering at
Cape Charles, Va, and due to arrive on
the goth; w. G. DAILY, James McLaugh-
Inns stable of forty horses, Mrs. X.
Bradley and the New Orleans contigent
including the Morris Walden stable.
One of the facts most commented on
among owners and trainers at the
track is the large number Of steeple-
chasers now at Bennings and the
prospects are that the fi,lls in this ever
popular sport should be the largest ever
seen. Gwyn Thompkins has large
stable, The property Of j. V. Colt and
Jno. d. Hooe; Trainer and jockey
FitzsimmOns has twelve, chiefly the
property of Col. Edward Morrell; James
Frayling has been schooling several in
his stable, William Garth has two,
James d. Hall of Virginia four, Mr..
Robert Taylor, the gentleman rider,
from Baltimore, has his stable at the
track as has "Sid'' Holloway. The
Canadian contingent is composed Of
Trainer Sykes with four; Chas. Ray
three and Mr.. Price three. JOS. Schlad'
has several and all in all there are fully
one hundfed jumpers billed for the Ben
nings meeting. The principal steepl'
chase events yet to close are the Spring
Hunters Steeplechase and the Chevy
Chase Hunt Handicap Steeplecbase ant
both will unquestionably receive many
entries.
The principal topics at the track art
the Bennings Spring Handicaps which
have closed with 80 entries and shOult
bring out field of ten or a dozen starters
1t is conceded that the DAILY pair, Him
self and DAILY, will be the favorites an'
we hear that the Sage of Hartford thinks
he will run one-two, but again each da,
we hear new rumors of opposition iron
some unexpected source. Jimmy Nc
Laughlin is keeping very qdiet and h
has several in well enough. From wa.
down in Virginia We hear that Bradle
has something going great guns and h
has but one entry. On fast track jas
Robertson's Syrlin will bea hard hors
to beat. There is mare at the track tina
will have but 100 lbs. on her back an
she beat McChesney when he wa
good and made him hang up arecord IN
next time they met to beat her head
Little Early Eva is honest and true an
is looking finely. Sergeant looks th
class of the race but he will hardly star
All the New Orleans entries will snrel
have the advantage of being seasone
and the fact that horse racing isvery ur
certain is true of the Bennings Hand
caps. but we will know more one wee
T from today