The San Francisco call., 1909-06-13
GOTHAM INTEREST
TN CALIFORNIA
SPORTS
KefcheI, Johnson and Kaufman
Provide Gossip; Racing
Outlook Improves
By c. c. CARLTON

were inclined to be pessimistic over
the racing outlook when the season
commenced now take hopeful view OF
the future. The attendance at Bel
mont was good-much better than eX-
pected. Good crowds are in attendance
at the Gravesend track. The recent
,ourt decisions have encouraged book
makers to believe that their business
will soon again flourish.
There is a brisk revival of interest
in the fighting game. too. The police
have not interfered with the many
boxing exhibitions held recently. al
though some of the battles have been
savagely fought There was actually
a glove fight on a public street at
o'clock one day this week. Word
was sent out at the beginning of the
week to certain wealthy sports to be
at the corner Of Ridgewood avenue and
Dresden street Friday at a. m. sharp.
when there would be something doing.
Those notified brought along autOmO
bile parties, and when every one had
arrived the ears, TO the number or
about a dozen, were formed into a hol-
low square, thus serving both IS
grandstand for the spectators and as
barricade against possible police inter-
ference
The lighters in this improvised ring
We're couple of middle weights named
Edward Weiss and shorty Ellis
Regulation five ounce gloves were
used. and the men being very evenly
matched. an exciting contest was soon
in progress. Both of them ran some
what to blood in the head. and both
having received in the first round
squarely planted blows between the
eyes, they were soon covered with gore.
They were stripped TO the waist in
classic style.
keen delight from the spectators
Finally a lone cop appeared on the
scene and dispersed the belligerents
and spectators. The latter wheeled
around in their autos and sped away.
when I saw Jack Johnson on Thurs
day he was firm in his determination
to give AL Kaufman but a 20 round
chance to win the title-that is, in
California. Johnson, in signing the
agreement TO fight, knew that Colma
would probably be the fighting ground.
Still. he left himself open if any other
promoter outside of San Francisco was
willing to take the chance. Johnson
They're hollering. eh? Let 'em hol-
ler It will improve the betting. I'm
not afraid of Kaufman, and If 1 was
L wouldn't be much of champion.
Why should / fght him in any p9{ 95.ia a
when Jeff. Fitz. Corbett. Sharkey, Nc
Coy and those fellows Jumped around
for that distance? Not bit OF IT. L
dare say that il there is any cham
pionship material in Mr. Kaufman II
will crop out before the end or 20
rounds"
hear that Sam HildTeth is so
pleased with his recent successes that
he has. for the time being at least,
abandoned the idea of selling his I3, sta
dreth last year for $4,000. won the
richest race this of year when he cap
tured the 900 Belmont stake, beat
ing John E Madden's star Fayette 10 a
frazzle. on the heels of this followed
the victory of King James at Toronto,
where he won the Toronto cup and
| 81. 900. Then came his victory over
Keene's great Celt in the Brooklyn
handicap. with another 50 900 stake, to
say nothing of the performance or his
horse Restigouche in beating Celt for
! second place.
the Brooklyn handicap from the lower
section of the grandstand and ala not
hide their elation as King James ana
Restigouche fought it out for the prize
of $4,000. 1t mattered not that the
stake had been cut in value from
$4,000 g year ago. the glory or win
ming Brooklyn handicap was still
Mr.. Hndreth called attention to the
fact that King James has now won
seven straight races. including the rlch
Burns handicap. the California hdndl-
cap at Los Angeles and the MetropOli-
ran handicap on the opening day of the
Belmont park meeting Altogether. the
4 year old has earned S6O,OOO since ne
was purchased from John r Madden
last fall for price said to be S29,o0O
Restigouche ran the best race Of his
| career and established the fact that n he
is something more than sprinter. He
bore the brunt of the fight for the frst
mile and was not disposed to capltu-
late when his stable companion ehal-
lenged in the stretch. but raced on and
fought it out to the end.
Persons who remember Restigouche's
performances last season were not al
together surprised when he assumed
the task of pace maker in the Brook
lyn. He shouldered 10T pounds at Bel
mont park on May 90, 1908. and made
the American record OF 1.31 1-5 for
seven and half furlongs. That was
before he passed from the Keene stable
to that of Hildreth. Hildreth did not
purchase Restigouche until fall The
Restigouche was intended for sprint
ing rather than route travelling was
that neither Rowe nor Hildreth trained
him for long races.
Willis Britt is back in New York
again after a hurried trip 10 San Fran
cisco where he clinched the Ketchel-
Papke fight for July >.
Eetehel is very happy over the fact
! that he will get a little more revenge
on Papke. Here is what he says
"Papke is q dangerous ma N in the first
minute of every round. He bounds out
of his chair and starts a right swirfg
and If he hits you, you are going to
knock the boards, but T know all about
that rush now / simply turn my
back to them till he cooIs off a bit
and he doesn't like to fight in the
center of the ring. His game is TO get
you against the ropes and fay your
! middle If you can manage to keep
him out in the center Of the ring he
won't fight because he isn't game He
| is the strongest fellow l ever handled
| In a clinch. and unless he can get you
against the ropes he knows that he is
at disadvantages"
Among Broadway sports II is the
opinion that If Johnson and Kaufman
/ fight on July ;. which seems probable.
much will depend on the result. If
Johnson wins he will meet KetcheI in
| October while if Kaufman is success
| full he will probably receive a chal-
IIenge from the Michigan Lion and Sam
angford. But in that event it is be-
lfeved Kaufman will compel Ketchel
and Iangford to settle their differences
t in the ring before agreeing to accent
/ a challenge from either of Them Billy
Brady and Delaney have everything to
gain and nothing to lose in pitting
| Kaufman against Johnson. Brady said
/ the other day that the white man who
defeated the negro would make more