Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17
NED HANL0N TALKS JOHN ", GATES HERE
Tells How He Came to Sign Noted THURMAN Returns From
With Cincinnati Trip to Texas.
WAS TIRED OF WAITING SAW FINE YEARLINGS
BROOKLYN PEOPLE KEPT PUT STATE
TING HIM OFF HIGH-cLAss
Has Had Excellent Season the
Turfcreded With Winning
Regarding 100000 at Saratoga
Noted THURMAN Returns From
a Trip to Texas.
SAW FINE YEARLINGS.
STATE ADAPTED FOR RAISING
HIGH-cLAss HORSES.
Has Had an Excellent Season on the
Turf-credited With Winning Over
ssoo,o 600 at Saratoga.

John w. Gates, turfman. hunter, all-round
sportsman and leyiathan operator in Wall
street and "the pit" reached Washington
yesterday morning ON his return north from
a hunting trip in Texas The Chicagoan
when seen at the Willard said that he had
enjoyed some fine sport in the Lone Star
state, good bit of his time having been
spent around San Antonio.
Near San Antonio he looked over the
stock ranch of the late John A. Morris of
New Orleans and New York, where he saw
some of the largest thoroughbred yearlngs
he has seen anywhere. The Morris family
have ST. Florian and Galore as their lead
ing sires and fine collection of brood
mares of royal breeding. There are other
breeders in Texas that have developed
some crack race horses, notably the Fuller
farm near Wills Point. which sent out the
fine performers George Arnold and Toka-
lon.
Well Adapted for Race Horses.
Mr.. Gates thinks Texas peculiarly adapt
ed to the raising of high-class race horses,
and said that interest in the sport of racing
throughout the state was very marked The
November racing circuit this fall at Dallas,
Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Gal
weston. etc, was largely patronized and an
other year these meetings will be length
ened and the purses raised to attract the
best horses.
Speaking of the demolition of Chicago's
Washington Park race track, Mr.. Gates
said: Il was not surprised while in Texas
to learn that the club had decided to cut
Its fine property up into building lots.
When | was in Chicago last month several
of the clubs officers asked my opinion of
the outlook and 1 advised them to sell out.
You see the ground on which the track is
built is In the best residence part of the
city and very valuable. And the last two
years enforced idleneSS through the ban
on betting has cost the stockholders much
money
Had Prosperous Turf Season.
Mr.. Gates had the best season on the
turf this year that he has had in long
time. His reverses at Saratoga were more
than made up during the fall racing sea-
son around. New York. when few selling
platers won him upward of 100000 on less
than dozen races. While Mr.. Gates with
his usual modesty, would not acknowledge
yesterday that his winnings represented
such large sum, the exact figures were
probably over rather than under the figures
named.
During the latter days of the New York
season the GateS-Drake-Durwell conbina-
ton had the bookmakers on the run to such
an extent that stable lads had to be put on
the horses selected to secure a price. And
on several occasions the inexperience OF
these green boys lost fortunes, and by very
small margins. But, as noted, the winnings
of the combination were the sensation of
the fall season
The Coming Season.
Asked as to the statement that he had
given c. E. Durwell carte blanche to gather
together a strong racing stable for 1906,
Mr.. Gates would neither affirm nor deny the
report yesterday. But from what he did
not say more than what he did say, 1t
looks as If Trainer Durwell will have am
pie backing next year in any turf opera
tons that he may undertake Mr.. Gates
said that his friend John A. Drake had
great hopes of his great horse Ort Wells
standing training next year. The half
brother to Dick Wells, and in the opinion
of good judges better horse than his
older relative, is wintering SO well at the
Hynes horse sanitarium in Connecticut that
he seems to be sound again. If SO, he will
prove powerful antagonist to anybody's
horse next season. not expecting even Sy-
sonby and Oiseau. Mr.. Gates continued his
journey to New York last evening.