Evening star., 1904-03-23
RACES START TOMORROW.
Indications Point to Great Meeting at
Benning This Spring.

With the cry They're off," which will
be lifted by thousand voices at Benning
a few moments past 3 o'clock tomorrow
afternoon, the racing season in the east
under the auspices of the jockey club,
will be inaugurated. The men behind the
sport are looking forward to one of the
most successful seasons the turf has ever
enjoyed. There has never been a time
when the interest in fhe thoroughbreds has
been so great now. This is especially
the case here in Washington where the
first running of the horses is witnessed and
where the racing colony gets its component
parts from all sections Gf the country
Horsemen gather here in the spring of the
year from the north. south and west The
winter racing season at New Orleans and
California develops stars among the horses
and among the riders. These stars are
sent to Benning to make their eastern debut
There is always an eager interest in these
products OF the winter tracks, and it is
here that the great race-going public of
the metropolitan circuit gets its first sight
OF many boys and horses that afterward
become famous in the affairs of the turf
In addition to the campaigners from the
south and west come the Kentucky breed
ers, owners and trainers with their host of
baby two-year-olds ready to face the barrier
for the first time, and their seasoned
forses, who, after the close of the eastern
season. were shipped to the blue grass
state to enjoy themselves during the cold
iioHtliS. virginia come the jumpers
and hunters that make the racing sport so
popular in this city. There are more jump
ing races on the Renning program this
spring than ever before. This tribute
to the popularity of the cross-country game
and is sure to prove a successful innova-
ton. From Virginia a'so come the Cough
acre stable horses trained by capt Fred
Presgrave and the numerous horses belong
ing to Pa" Bradley. From Maryland
Pennsylvania and Delaware the horses
pour into Washington, and each year just
before the racing tegins. the trainers who
have wintered at the tracks In and around
New York bring their charges to Washing
ton to take a share of the purses that are
literally distributed by the jockey club.
Benning in the springtime is truly a
mecca for horses and horsemen 1t is ex-
pected that the out-of-town attendance
this year will eclipse all previous records
In the matter of quantity and quality of
horses and the presence of star riders the
conditions already guarantee a meeting a
long way out of the ordinary. If pretty
weather will but prevail during the next
three weeks it is expected that the Ben
ming, spring session will take new place
in the racing world, far above anything
heretofore attained. 1t gives the race
loving folk who have been housed the
whole winter long in stufy quarters a
golden chance to breathe the fresh, pllre
air of the spring and get taste of the
out-of-doors life which they greatly en-
JOY.
At the track all is in readiness for the
sound of the bugler's horn which will sum-
mon to the post the candidates for the first
eastern racing honOrS. The first race at
Benn1ng has taken on a new significance
since the adoption of the custom of giving
to the owner, trainer and rider of the VIM
ming horse each handsome silver mug.
The first Bennng handicap, at three-quar-
terS of mile, will be run the third
event, and the open steeplechase will be
the last on the program. The Arlington
purse, for two-year-olds, the first baby
race of the season, is carded the second
event. While the entry list for tomorrow,
as published elsewhere in The Star this
afternoon. is not lacking in any respect, 1t
next week, when the horses have become
settled in their work and ready to go
the routes.
One of the notable and interesting arri-
walls in the city last night was Father
Bill'' DAILY, who is very popular with the
Washington public. Bill had shipped his
stable to Benning several days before un-
der the care of Trainer Douglass Carter.
Just before leaving New York. Bill, who is
ever fond of q joke, gave opt his annual
prediction. He had just got report from
Carter concerning the work of the horses
at the local track, when he issued the fol-
lowing notice, specially written for him:
Daily, declare 1 will win in the opening
race at Benning with Toi San, and the
handicap with Himself"
The trainers all said they wished DAILY
we'll. but their good wishes didn't go to the
extent of inducing any of them to journey
to Benning with the intention of betting
on either Toi San or Himself. There is a
large bit of skepticism in the makeup of
trainer which not even the naivete of DAILY
can entirely remove. AS matter of fact,
and however in error they may be, they do
not believe that Daily will win either race.