New-York tribune., 1905-01-16
THE RACETRACK.
Interest IN Handicap Weights-The
Date Question Soon To Be Settled.

O6te question Soon To BE Settled.
The official hnndicaDper OF the Jockey Club r
5 Vosburg. Is hard work assigning the weights
Tor the big spring mile and quarter speciais-the
Brooklyn. Suburban and Brighton handicaps. The
weights for the Brighton Handicap viii be an
nounced January "a while those for the Brooklyn
and Suburban Will follow a week later. The weights
for one practically the weights for ALL About
the same horses entered in the three fixtures.
and the impost VIII vary only two three pounds
IN particular cases. and this because the Brighton
Is six or seven weeks later than the
Brooklyn Ever since the entries announced
some two weeks agO-the subject has been
stant source OF conversation and argument among
those Interested in racing and racing affairs. ANA
teGr and professional haudicappers have made their
own allotment OF weights In many cases and are
waiting 70 how they compare with those OF
the official Handicapped The horses necessarily
handicapped their best latest form OF last year.
and there many angles to be considered and
many divergent opinions as 10 whether a horse
Is likely 10 go back improve over winter that
the problem Is intricate one-and consequently
the more interesting
Chief interest naturally centres in which horse
will have the somewhat doubtful honor OF top
weight IN conversation with many horsemen and
racegoers last week there decided differences
OF opinion concerning four hOTses-Heruis, Irish
Lad. Bedame and StaIwart. II is a great quartet.
and each has followers. The performances OF these
four horses the distinguishing feature OF
season. and matter OF fact they close
together their best form that little more than
a pound separates them. 1t comes down. there
fore. 70 a question OF personal feeling and
beyond doubt they will head the list. perhaps
pound apart 1t is not improbable even that Irish
Lad and Hernis hold the post OF honor jointly.
with Beldame and Stalwart following That both
Irish Lad and Hermis were retired early last year
under some suspicion cannot be considered. Il
must be accepted that they will train sound this
year. and it can be said that only good news comes
from winter quarters concerning them Irish Lad
Is held In high esteem by all hRndicRppers because
OF his brilliant in the Metropolitan, Brooklyn
and Brighton handicaps and the Advance Stakes
Although beaten a short head IN the Brighton
Handicap in worlds record time by the lightly
weighted Broomstick he really the hero OF the
race. and few there who do not consider ths
performances the brilliant IN the history or the
American turf. Hermis proved his conqusror IN
the Suburban and Hermis also beat the queenly
Beldame IN OF the greatest mile races ever
run. that there ample reasons for his being
in the post OF honor also.
Beldame, whose career three-year-oId was
OF the sensational order will probably be asked to
make slight concession 20 Stawart but this good
/ son or Aeddler viii be a dangerous rical az even
weights. he is OF championship mould and the
most likely OF all three TO train Following
these four the weight problem Is not simpuhed.
/ Some good horses must be brought together. The
general opinion TO be that The Picket which
II
| Broomstick, Delhi Bryn Mawr and Lord OF the
Vale will follow IN order. Then comes the inter
/ esting question TO which OF last years great
/ two-year-oIds will be top weight among the three
| year-olds entered VIII II be Artful the Futurity
winner the speedy Tanys the stout hearted Oisea1.
che fast and consistent Tradition the sensational
/ Sysonby2 In all probability the choice viii fan
/ to ArtfuI but the others viii hardly be far away.
/ The annual report OF the State Racing Comnnis-
/ sion early last week was cause for hearty
/ graduation. While the per cent tax. amount
ing 10 $50 80 30 slightly less than IN 1893. II
/ speaks we'll for the prosperous condition or the
sport and indicates clearly its surprising popularity
/ IN the ten years IN which racing has been under
| the control OF the State Racing Commission 1lul-
10 s5 has been paid in the appended table
1 shows IN detail This large sum has gone direct
lv 70 the agricultural societies and has been ap-
4 porttoned pro rata as premiums for agricultural
| products. This has served as q stimulus 10 the
growth and expansion OF the agricultural societies
and thew have enlarged their scope and hOUTished
| in proportion as racing has prospered ana ad-
vanced.