Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-17
Pleasant Weather Brings Out
the ThoroughbredS.
TRIAL SPINS TAKEN DAILY
Shipments Arrive Daily and GEO
Horses Expected.
REPAIRS MADE TO THE TRACK
Georgetown Crew to Start Work on
Eiver-Cut Out Foreign Golfers.
Base Ball Notes.
REPAIRS MADE TO THE TRACK

- ECENT visitors IL the Banning
N track have been amazed by the
TX changed condition as compared
with few weeks ago. when all
was comparative quiet at the
local course. In the last fortnight hall
the stables have been filled. and the
sights that greet the stranger now suS-
gest that spring is rapidly approaching
and with it the opening of the racing
and base ball seasons.
These are busy days at the track Dur
ing the morning workouts the trainers
rush from one point to another timing
the different horses as they come speed
ing down the stretch. Stable boys
dressed as they are in Various-hued
sweaters go about singing or whistllnS,
all good natured. carrying large pals OF
water or performing many of the duties
incident to the care of horses.
Inside the secretarys office the super
intendent of the course is busy opening
the morning mail. the letters coming from
various parts of this country and Can
ada asking for quarters in which TO sta-
hlc thoroughbreds. 10 meet in friendly
rivalry these from Virginia. Maryland
and the District.
Six Hundred Horses Expected.
Shipments continue to arrive at Ben
ming and horsemen at the track are OF
the opinion that when the spring meet
ing begins. about month from now
there will be quartered at the local course
close to six hundred horses.
OF this number about one-half are al
ready here, all in excellent condition. a
remarkable thing when one takes into
consideration the many changes In the
weather in the past fortnight. The deep
snow which covered the track week
ago. compelling the trainers TO exercise
their. charges indoors, has disappeared.
and they have been kept busy the last
few days taking, advantage of the warm
weather. sending the ponies over the
course, some of them making good time
in the heavy going.
One of them in particular. Samuel H.
Harris very useful selling platter. the
property of P ii. Sullivan, ran the mile
Friday morning. with 10o-pound boy up.
in Las 40 and when he was pulled up
he looked fresh enough to go another half
without much effort, as he likes the mud.
taking to it like duck to water. In TACT,
if the races were on now. il is quite
doubtful if any horse at Benning could
beat HIM over a heavy track, as he Is IN
superb condition.
An amusing story was told at the
course yesterday by one of the trainers
1t seems there is an actor In New YORK
named Sam Harris. relative OF Samuei
III. Harris. the well-known manager. after
whom the horse takes his name. MI
Harris was walking down the rialto one
Saturday morning when he overheard a
couple of horsemen in front of him talk
ing to each other.
They had been indulging quite freely
inethe cup that cheers. and one of them
was J1eard to remark to the other: sam
uel H. Harris in the fifth" and as he
made this remark he handed his COM
panion a roll of bills. presumably to let
f,a Mr.
$50 with him, and his bank was closed,
1t being a holiday. So he crossed over to
I'd avenue and borrowed seventy-hve more
from friend to play the hunch He
reached the track just after the fourth
race, and, pulling the roll of bills from
his pocket, rushed into the ring without
waiting to get a program pushing ms
way through the struggling mass OF hu-
dred straight, Sam Harris he shouted.
Nothing doing" retOrted the man who
makes the prices. Mr.. Harris thought
they had backed the horse off the boards.
so he said: why. what's the natter?
You blooming idiot" shouted the
bookies don't you see the horse is
scratched?7 The next time they entered
Samuel H Harris Mr.. Harris was uD In
the wilds of Maine playing one-night
stands and could find no one to accept
bet. and this time Samuel II. Harris
won at the real juicy odds of % to l.
What's in a Nance quoted one of his
DrOtner-pldyerS lduSnlnSiy NOT HucE
luck in mine SO far" growled Mr.. Harris.
Some Recent Arrivals.
The Beverwyck stable from Albany. y.
y. in charge of Trainer WoOdfOrd. got
in few days ago He did not bring Ma
lacca. winner. of last spring Benning
handicap. but in the string are such good
ones as Tennacy, by Courtesy; Berk eley
and Banyah besides several two-year-
Odds. one of them a fllv who shows
great promise in all her trials. Mr.. Wood
ford is pointing Berkeley for several big
races. both here and in Canada where
the swift three-year-o'd Tennacy, by
Courtesy. won many races last fall
Several horses arrived lately belonging
10 the Pierre Lori.iard stable. composed
mostly of crOss-country performers. They
are under the care of G. II. Douglas, and
in the lot are such we,l-krown ones as
Cardigan. Mooksie and Huddy. the last
named having won several races at PIN
leo last fall. the books all laying d good