Semi-weekly herald., 1907-12-30
GOSSIP OF THE WORLD OF SPORT

New York. Dec 2S.-The greatest
closing of turf fixtures that the world
has even known will take place next
Thursday, when the Brooklyn and
Coney Island Jockey clubs and the
Brighton Beach Racing association win
close the entries to stakes for the
spring meeting. with a gross value of
about 100000 and at the same time
win close entries for fall stakes and
the fixtures for the next two years,
which will bring the aggregate value
of the races to be run mp to about a
million dollars.
The racing stakes for 1908 in the
east viii be the richest in the history
of the sport. In addition to the million
offered by the three bodies named.
the Westchester and Saratoga asso-
Citations and other clubs that will op-
crate next season will bring the total
4. 10 nearly $4,000, 900.
The big fixtures of the coming year
are, as usual, the Brooklyn, Suburban
and Brighton handicap. The Brooklyn
and Coney Island Jockey clubs will
next year follow the example OF the
Brighton association and make each of
s1he classics of a guaranteed value of
$4,000.
Some of the principal stakes for
which entries will close next Thurs
day are the $3.50 Suburban the $751;
600 Commonwealth and the $4,000 Ad-
vance, all for three year olds and up
$50. 900 Double Event. for two year
olds, and the s25, 900 Brooklyn handi-
cap and the $4,000 Brighton. or the
three classic handicaps, the Brooklyn
at Gravesend will be run first, the
Suburban at Sheepshead Bay next and
the Brighton at Brighton Beach last.
Fight fans of the country from Goth
am to Frisco are manifesting consid-
erable interest in the coming battle
between Hugo Kelly and Bill Papke. to
he pulled of before the Badger A. c.
at Milwaukee on Monday night II
the dope bobks are correct the mill
should be- fne OF the best ,a that the the
sports Of me middle west have seen
in manyI day.
The.' contest is for the midleweight
championship and the men will weigh
in at 154 pounds at o'clock. They
will battle for so per cent of the gross
receipts as per cent of this to go TO
the winner and 25 per cent to the
loser. schlitz park. Milwaukee. Will
be the scene of the fight and there Is
every indication that the pugs Will
have hefty bit of coin TO distribute
The betting will probably favor
Papke, as the Spring Valley man mas
many friends who will plunge on nm
although past performances entitie
Kelly to be on the long end OF the
money. Kelly has been in the fghtlng
game since 1899 and his record Is
much more formidable than Papke s.
bnt the Spring Valley phenomenon has
been knocking out his opponents with
such clock.work regularity that the
fight fans are beginning 10 believe
that he has an invincible hoodoo up
his sleeve for every pug that goes
I'M against him. Papke has been hgh''
ing professionally only year pu'
from the day that he made his hrs'
aupearance In the ring as the iii
nois Thunderbolt" he has not kno"H
defeat. The sports of Papke's home
have formed a pool OF $1,000 to place
on the Illinois boy and there Will ike
lv be much stiff betting In other quar-
ters. The winner will likely NEE
Ketchell within few months
A spirited baseball war is in pros
meet during the season OF 1908. foi
lowing close on the heels oil the ~
cent rumor of the formation OF thif'
b,g league to combat the American AM
National comes the verified fact INA
the American association will attenip
tn place a club in Chicago. The ma)o
league magnates will fight bitterly tni
hal vinhQAt tarr