The Washington times., 1906-03-29
HUMOROUS SIDE
OF HUNT RACES
Chevy Chase Steeplechase
Incidents We're Amusing.
NETS SQUELCHED AGAIN
Complained About Small and Lopsided
Fields of Yesterday With
Small Results.

The Chevy Chase Steeplechase of to-
day brings TO mind the clever manner in
which 5. 5. Rowland has won social
and local countenance OF the BenninS
racing plant. Sporting races" once said
ne Iate "a. (. W hitEey, ''anOrd the best
method OF populariZIng racing. Mr..
howland. acting on this assumption,
established the CneVy Chase in the book
or the Benning meeting early in The
career OF :he washington Jockey Club.
II IS today one OF the most successful
races Of the sort in the turf world.
There is nothing quite like il about New
YorK. though dozens OF racing secre-
taries have time and again enOeaYored
TO interest The horsey set OF the
MeadOwbrOOk Country in similar fixed
Germ in race for gentlemen riders.
such as the Chevy Chase, - being WORK
ed up gradually.
Last autumn, Clarence Mackay gave a
500 Iankard in connection with The Har-
Dor Hin StcrDIechase and a generous
OutpOuring OF society watched Jne race.
including the Duchess of Marlborough,
then in this country. The Chevy Chase
at Bcnning has not been run ia recent
years without a numerous gallery OF
fashionable people drawn from all sides
OF the citys social life being on hand
10 pat the back OF the winning jockey
The Chevy Chase annual running is
both picturesque and amusing. while
some day, after one OF the oeVll-mdy-
care riders from up the Old Dominion
IS hurt IL make take on q tragic as
pect- Steeplechasing, at best is a pre-
carious sport. The Chevy Chase Is over
two and one-half miles Of a regulation
chasing course. The riders are all mem
bers Of the club and ride in fun hunt
ign regalia. The long swinging pink
coats. the oddly shaped hunting black
hat and the old English riding spurs
make up q pleasing and interesting pic
ture. once in while. the riders do
the funniest things imaginable one
of the most popular sportsman OF the
Chevy Chase set supplied the comic re-
lief three seasons ago by allowing his
horse to run wild. The animal took
every jump on the course in his un-
trammeIed career and then went for
outside hOnors, which he succeeded in
achieving, for he negotiated the high
trackside railing and after running
along the course came back into the
steeplechase inclOsuTe. a moment later
the rider shot up IN the air and came
down on the point OF his nose, thereby
corrugating the earth's surface. The
rider caught the horse again only 10
leave a portion Of his pink coat hanging
on the edge OF the box jump" as a
climax to q laUghable experience
The field Of horses engaged is rather
small and rIeager in quality this year.
Dunseverrics- is rated the best among
the sportss'en nereabouts, Generally.
IL Is m Dr. case OF good rider than
excellent horse. GamecOCk. one Of the
entries today. has been in point for the
Chevy Chase all winter.
Just new the Nets" are inclined 10
show something of the old rebellious
spirit which landed them high and dry
last summer at Belmont Park. The
eighteen Of the bOokmakers enrOIled in
that organization at Benning just now
set up a loud howl over the small size
Of the fields yesterday. and also their
lopsided character II was hard TO
get them played. especially in the
events where Workman ruled 2-5, Pater
at l-6, Compute at 3-5. and Dekaber
at AS. Cant get enough money in
for clerk hire" said Sam Marks. Later
on a few of the leaders had a session
with the track officials Here the book
makers were given to understand that
they were not running the track. and
If they didn't like the racing menu
served TO retire
The presence Of over 200 racetrack fol-
lowers. owners, trainers. jockeys. ct
al. at the ringside for ths Kid Sulii-
van-Unk Russell fight at Baltimore last
night. reminded many a veteran Of the
stout milling days of old New York
Whenever Tug Wilson had an engage
ment in the ring decade ago. Jerome
Park would always see an exodus OF
the sports to the ringSide. after the
fourth race Last night there WAS lit
tie or no betting on the outcome. Willie
Shields. ]. Blute. j. Mclaughlin. and
the other prominent hOrsemen on tne
scene being quite satisfied with the soul
stirring nature OF tthe bout The bout
was the fastest and cleaneSt boxing
ever offered the hOrsemen during their
visit to these parts. Owing 70 the
wrangle over the bandages the crowd
had to stay in Baltimore until 2-3O this
morning having missed train connec-
tions. After an hours ride and long
journey to Benning. daylight had come
before the weary but satisfied sports
reached the early morning gallop
grounds.