Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-01

cGlatlOnS, ana, as the c0n1ltfQnS OF TIE race
called for good day and track, meeting
OF the club and horsemen was called and
the race postponed for a month, until
Christmas day.
Meanwhile Springbok's work overshad-
owed that Of any OF the candidates. An
early winning trial by moonlight at the
Bay District course saw the son of Aus
fralian and Hester show three miles In CD.
beating Norfolk's long standing record by
two and a half seconds.
This was good enough, but very unwisely.
Sprfngbox was given another sensational
workout few days later and pulled up
lame. Joe Daniels and Thad Stevens also
went wrong early in December and the big
race was further postponed for two months
more. until Washington's birthday. Febru-
airy ", 1879. Entries were declared off and
new entry list opened.
Baldwin's First Race
A purse of 1900, however, on Christmas
day for a four-mile dash. drew out Grin
stead, Wididle and two others. 1t was the
hrst time that the afterward famous black
and red Maltese cross" of Lucky Baldwin
had ever been seen in public. and the east
ern reputation OF the two horses drew
very large crowd to the Bay District
course. William Lakeland rode Wildidle at
ITO pounds, and George Barbee had the leg
up on Grinstead with 104 pounds in the
saddle
Grinstead was the favorite, but after
desperate race IN the last mile, winch tNe
two horses ran Tapped. Grinstead was
beaten a length by Wildidle in 1884. the
coast record for the distance at that time
Wildidle came from a family of four
milers. his dam. the great Idlewild. being
the best long distance performer of her
day. SO much so that at John Morrissey's
Saratoga Inaugural in 1853 stake entries
were advertised "Idlewild barred" Such a
condition in the acknowledged superiority
of one horse was never published by rae
ing body either before since,
Both Wildidle and Grinstead broke down
after their crucial race on Christmas day,
1875. which still further reduced the ex-
pected field for the $4,000 purse now set
for February %, 1876. While Baldwin still
had representative left in Rutherford and
Gage, one also in the mare Katie Pease,
the balance of the material left was moth
ing startling. And the MooreLakeland
combination went on still hunt In the
effort to find horse to take Wlididie's
place.
Up in Portland. Ore, Jockey Lakeland
and Captain Moore found the once good
racehorse Foster who had been ridden by
in the east in some great races.
But Foster was now nine years Old ana
family pet, ridden by ladies and chill
dren. Such material did not look very prom
Using for a trying race of four mile heats
only little over a month away. But
Moore and Lakeland leased the chestnut
stallion from R. E. Bybee. his original
owner, and took him down to Agricultural
Park, Sacramento.
Lakeland knew the horse so well and
the horse seemed also TO remember his
Cavorte jockey so plainly that Foster
took kindly to the heroic training that was
showed into him by trainer Moore, and his
gailops showed Improvement daily
Foster Prepared Under Cover.
The utmost secrecy was used by Moore
and Lakeland In preparing Foster for the
struggle down at the bay, and
hours were selected for his trials when the
coast was clear Of touts and railbirds,
although at that time Sacramento was
pretty clear of such gentry. And few be
sides his handlers knew how well the old
horse was progressing Finally after
Owner Littell had come up to see his final
trial a hurricane three miles in better than
$50, the big son of Lexington and Verona
was shipped down to San Francisco almost
as good horse as in his palIny days
1t was a wonderful training achievement.
the preparation In less than five weeks of
this veteran racehorse, that had not worn
the colors for four years. for successful
effort at such a grueling struggle as four
mile heats. And the skill and patience
of Capt Tom Moore and Jockey Will
liam Lakeland is still talked of whenever
fury are discussed. Lakeland, now one Of
the most successful of the New York
trainers, has trained hundreds Of winners
since then, but the part he took in Fosters
thus early in his career.
Called to San Francisco on other business,
I got there the day before the big race,
and that night L was at the Lick House,
to witness the pool selling, which was
heavy. Probably $4,000 in auction pools
was sold at about the following rates:
Golden Gate, $500; Foster s2T7.5o; Field
CLOCK Hooking, Ballot Box and Revenue.
jr), $152.50. The changes of rates in the
pools were on a $3.50. $500 and $40 basis,
No bids less than $3.50 were taken, hence
the peculiar quotations quoted.
Nearly every pool sold on Foster at the
Lick House that evening was purchased by
buying for the stable people as well as him
self. Kelly was the first man to make
future book IN the east, which he did on
the Monmouth Cup of 1871. The first book
wood of Kentucky, the famous pool seller,
who made future book on the Paterson
Derby of 1864, Won by R. A. Alexanders
race T for $4,000 to Theodore Winters of
California, the odd dollar being tackled on
to win a wager made by Alexander as TO
what a son of Lexington would bring.
Baldwin Was Unlucky.
Perfect weather drew $4,000 people to the
Bay District race course on the birthday
Of the father Of his country" The Pa
ciic Jockey Club charged SO to the track
and grand stand, So to the club house and
quarter stretch" and $40 for box seats in
the stand. At these rates, added to the
stiffest sort of prices at bars and restau-
rant the club cleared over goo on the
race, exclusive of purse money.
The $4,000 purse was divided into four
premiums-$1S,0 900 to the first horse. 5000
to the second, 81, 600 to the third, and $1,000
to the fourth. These last premiums, how
ever. had strings" to them in the shape of
a proyiso that If a horse distanced the
field. or any one of the horses that might
earn second third or fourth moneys, such
premiums would revert back to the club.
In other words, that the only premiums
paid would go to those horses that were
not distanCed. A most peculiar condition,
in the light of what occurred in the race.
Before the first heat 1 went out to look
over the horses at their stables Katie
Pease was scratched, which left six horses
to 60 with Foster a strong second choice
In the selling at the track.
The first heat was entirely between
Rutherford and Foster Jockey Barbee took
the former to the trent and kept Baldwin's
black and red Maltese cross out in the
light for three miles and three-quarters.
Then Lakeland closed up on Foster, and In
spite OF the latter trying to nip his jock
ey's foot when he got the first blow of the
whip the veteran came with a lion-like
rush and beat Rutherford q neck on the
post, amid pandemonium of shouts that