Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-02
DISTANCE RACING
IN PUBLIC FAVOR
Interest at Fever Heat in Sara
toga Cup Race-Track
Notes.
SARATOGA. August 81. 1906.

SARA1OGA, August
| That long distance racing easily holds the
foremost place in public favor the race here
between Sir Anon and Go Between for the
Saratoga cup fully demonstrated. For. in
spite of the small field, interest was at fever
heat from start to finish. the various
phases OF the mile and three-quarter tussie
drawing out marked enthusiasm
Forty-two years ago this great race was
instituted over a cup route of two miles and
q quarter. and It's roll of honor includes
some of the grea test racers in American turf
history. Eastern and western horses have
striven for the mastery but In all this long
period named the turfmen from the land
of the setting sun have only secured the
prize seven times. Contrariwise, however.
only four horses bred in the east have won
this race. leaving the honors decidedly In
favor of Kentucky and Tennessee-bTed
racers
The game of muggins was very popular at
Saratoga forty years ago. Whereas now
adays bridge whist is the fad, the old
fashioned game referred to was all the rage
at the Spa in 1861. For that summer
great horse from the west, Muggins, by
Jack Malone dam the famous mare, FANNIE
McAllister. came on like a young Lochin-
var, indeed, and moved down the eastern
horses like chaff in a high wind
Bred at Gallatin, Tenn, in 1853 Mugglns,
through his sire and DAM inherited the
leading strains of the most celebrated
American racing families, and after he had
shown his prowess west as three-year-oiu
his owners. Johnson and Douglas, pointed
him for the Saratoga campaign the follow-
ing year
A Tennessee Race Horse.
At the Lacede race course ST. LOUIS
Muggins' as three-year-old, defeated such
long-distance stars as Stonewall Jackson
and Lancaster in a gruelng struggle of
two-mile heats. Hence he did not come I'M
-,n bod
seen Muggins race in the west pronounced
him the best horse since Norfolk and AS
teroid made WOODBURY. and their breeder,
Sir Robert Alexander. known from ocean to
ocean.
That season the Saratoga cup had received
eighteen entries The great gray horse,
Loadstone who had few weeks before
captured the Westminster cup at Jerome
Park headed the list, with Ruthless, the
Belmont and Travers winner, Stonewall
Jackson Privateer, both grays also, Mon
day, Gilroy. Beacon. Onward Delaware.
Muggns. Duke of Orleans. julius, Ripley.
Hampton, Court, King Lear, Local. Dazzle
and Tom Voolfolk.
Here was a field of blue blooded celebri
ties. but the accident list kept out Load
stone Monday, Beacon, Gilroy and King
Lear. while Capt Moore had tackled Mug
gins once with Stonewall Jackson and did
not care for another try at the Tennessee
champion. Ruthless, the flying daughter of
Eclipse. who had carried the scarlet of
Francis Morris so often to victory. had SO
many valuable stake engagements that she
also lodged the western horse leaving a
small field for the great race.
At the subscription rooms of the club on
Congress street, Saratoga, some heavy
pools were sold on the cup the night before
the race. Four starters were posted-Mug-
gins. lis: Onward, 1874; Delaware, 124, and
Dazzle, 124. The three last-named horses
were fve-year-olds, while Muggins was a
four-year-old, it being the first season when
a higher weight scale was inaugurated in
Al III at q. No. IL
continued to the satisfaction of all hands,
particularly the better class of Jockeys
DIR. Underwood, the famous pool seller,
had a distinguished audience that after
noon at the auction on the cup race. Mug
gins sold for $1,000 first choice, with the
Watson pair. Onward and Delaware fiat,
at 500; Dazzle 500. The last named,
owned by Col David Mcdaniel, was only
started as forlorn hope, as none of his
form looked to give him much chance.
At these rates some $4,000 in pools went
In the box the night before and double
that amount the next day at the track. 1t
was the second day of the summer meeting,
which that year opened the 7th of Au-
gust. The Travers stake on the first day
had been won by the great fily Ruthless
from r. b. Connolly and De Courcey. The
latter. named after James r. Keene's con-
fdential agent. the ever green De Courcey
Forbes. was good colt. but Ruthless was
200 fleet for him.
That race and others on the opening day
whetted public anticipation to keen edge
and great crowd of fifteen thousand peo-
pie came out on the second day to see the
cup and other events decided. A hurdle
race at two miles began the sport, Col Nc
Daniels famous horse Blackbird defeating
the Canada crack Zigzag in clever fashion
Then the cup starters were called up, and
as each OF the four took their preliminary
gallop the critics watched them closely
Muggins a long, rangy chestnut, showed
taking ante-post move that indicated his
perfect order for bruising race. But the
hln 10 a md On
ward pleased the crowd the most, these
two sons of Ringgold moving in slashing
style. particularly the last named. Out of
My Lady. by Glencoe. this horse Onward