Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
MrE5 p MEE
,ecial correspondence of The Star.


NEW YORK, June 6. 1908.
All hands over here whether actively
Interested in the racing game or not. are
taking their hats off these days to James
r. keene. and the financier-turfman is
being alluded to as the dead gamest
sport" as well as the greatest sportsman,
connected with the American turf.
The aged lover of thoroushhreds assured
~ earned commenda tons OF his sports
manship when he started the peerless and
unbeaten Colin in the Belmont stakes
Saturday last. Nobody SO much as dream
ed that Colin would he u starter in the
Belmont stakes. Very few. in fact were
aware that the story of Collins break
down had proven to be unfounded. Only
two DAYS before il had been announced
that Colin. after an almost miraculous
workout. had bowed two tendoas and
the people who take sentimental inter
est in the game Were. even Saturday, be-
moaning the sudden intirmity of the great
est race horse that ever looked through a
bride in the western hemisphere
The effect of the announcement that
Colin would start in the Belmont must be
imagined. for it cannot be described. 1t
was such an utter surprise that the
crowd could scarcely credit it even after
Collins name was posted a starter. But
when it began to be borne in upon the
crowd that Mr. Keene really intended to
start his marvellous pet: in spite of the
atrocious weather, surprise turned to ad-
miration for the really fine sportsman
ship of the horses owner. The rain was
coming down in sheets. and the track was
nothing. less than a canal Everybody
= knew that Colin had no liking whatever
for the mud-that. in fact. the only time
IN his life that he ever came anywhere
near standing for a beating was the occa :
sion, last summer, when Beaucoup ran
aim to a face on a track deep in mud.
That the horses owner would take such a
chance with the horse that he fondly
hopes to retire unbeaten, merely to crafty
the crowd, was thing to appeal to their
imaginations. and they became more or
less hysterical with enthusiasm
But when Colin Won, have witnessed
many an extraordinary scene at race
tracks in this country. on both coasts,
but l never saw anything to compare
with the absolute. unqualified madness
of hysteria which characterized that
crowd when Colin. after an almost fatal
blunder on the part of mis- Jockey, won
the Belmont stakes by a head
1t will be recalled that Notter, the
rider OF Colin, forgot that the finishing
line was below the regular judges
stand and began to pull Colin up as the
u.
Fair Play did not make the same error.
however. and Fair Play was kept right
on his business, with the result that he
was overtaking the pulled-up master of
all race horses with every jump. Thou
sands of men who We're standing out
on the lawn in the pouring rain saw
what a frightful mistake Notter was
making. and they shrieked and howled
at him to go on about his business and
not throw the race away through pin
headed forgetfulness. The boy seemed
to catch on to the meaning of the howl.
but only when it was all but too late.
He glanced back and saw the youngster
riding Fair Play still handing that one
The whip and spur. and then he woke up
and shook Colin together. The keene
horse was well off his stride by this
time but he responded 10 the shaking
up. and he just got by the tape with a
few inches to spare. OF course, how
ever. had Notter not made the wretched
mistake Colin would have won the race
easily by two or three lengths, for he
was merely ambling-much as he de-
spised The mud-when he was passing
the fie ID stand.
WI at an uproar broke loose then, As
say. there never was anything like it al
a race track in North America. The
folks seemed TO be in a positive frenzy for
fully fifteen minutes. Women simply
threw their heads back and screamed with
all of their might at the leaden skies. and
the men weren't much better able to con
tain themselves. l saw half dozen men
oilt on the lawn deliberately throw their
umbrellas on the grass and then trample
the bumberchutes into so much junk
Hats flew through the air by the hun
dreds. nor did their owners seem to notice
II when they picked the lids up and found
them covered with mud.
The screeching that lasted for quarter
Gl--an hour was something to wonder
about 1t was unbroken. unceasing. one
loag. queer. oddly impressive scream
ard roar that lasted long after the Coiir
horse had been taken back to the pad
dock When the band broke into Hal
10 the Chief the screaming began al
otter again. and long after the horses
for the next race We're warming up in the
mud the enthusiastic bowling for Colir
was still going on. Celt got warn
greeting when he won the Brooklyn handi
cap Monday. but 1t was not to be com
pared with the almost uncanny ovation
with which his half-brother, Colin, wa:
received when he turned the marvelou:
trick In winning the Belmont on the sor
OF a track ne despises from bunch OF
the best three-year-oldS in training. sew
eraf Uf which. including Fair Play. the
second horse. positively revel in the deeI
going.
the genuinely game way he behaved II
taking such a chance with horse thai
he loves more than he ever did ever
Domino or Sysonby. The old turfmar
had always been regarded as being more
or less cold and deaf to the desires of the
folks who support the racing game. anc
his method of proving their error in thus
appraising him took everybody by storm
-.
Nobody, including the keenest owners
and trainers. entertains the remotest idea
That this horse Colin ever will be beaten
There has been talk before about this
or that horse being ''in a class by him
self" but there is manner of doGb,
that Colin stands absolutely alone in his
class. There isn't anything in the game
now capable of making him draw a Ions
breath and when trainers like Joynei
and Weir and Garth tell you that Colin
could have lost" Hermis, or even Syson.
by. had he had the chance to match hi.
prowess against theirs. you are bound tc
prick up your ears and listen Seyera
Itch t.r.F