The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-02-07
Nearly Five Hundred Horses
 in Training for Season
DRINK RUINS JOCKEYS
Tells story of Broken Down Jockey Who Lost Il Fortune
 Through Drink
Fly JAMES DOCHERALL

the opening of the turf season in the east, but atop this cheering news nearly beloved, comes the information from Pimlico that more money viii be given away in stakes and purses th!s spring than for many years past. h order to induce owners of the best racers the Maryland officials have an nounced that no race on the flat will have less than $500 added to the sweeo stakes and that all. steeplechases win be worth $500 or more. The Preakness stake, which was the big feature at Fimlico last year. will be for threo- year olds. and the distance one mile. l Two weeks previous to the opening of the eastern turf season last year there were but 125 horses being trained .>t the present time there are 125 at eiraveserd 220 at Sheepsh cad Bay; b. at Belmont park, and 100 more in Maryland and Kentucky. This does not include those thorough breds which will be shipped east from California. Jack sonville, Tampa and Jauret. Verly. the racing sport is going to prosper this ear.
 Sam c. Hldreth will largely rely this year upon his invincble pair, Fitzher bert and King James, to keep his Ji- ors 10 the fore while the stable of James R. keene has two steerling blue blooos in Maskette and Sweep. It ls certainty that the odds will short yIzi xpl11 h ,frfa ed in a bunch. Among the entries lof the Suburban are Ballot, Helmet, Mag kette, Grassmere, Dinna Ken and Cla.c bala. Ballet did miserably in Eng land out MT. keene has high hopes for the horse in America this year.
 Nothing kills a jockey as quick,e as drink. It ruins his nerve, spells a:s judgment. makes fat and throws him into ad company You all remember Patsy McCue, the phenomenal young ster, w.o, in the old days seven ar eight years ago, used to pull i've ou- Of six mounts to victory. Patsey IS one of 'ne examples. At an age whs most beys are playing shinney Pafsy fell for The grape and died from his. excesses In those, days after a gooo days work McCue would buy s105i worth of champagne at various Broat- way cafes.
 Barney Shreiber. the California breeder, was talking the other des about the evils of drink.
 During the last meet at Latonia." said ohreiber 'I was standing againS- ,he rail one day when a broken down. weazened mite of miserable hunan.i. tackled me for one spot. l gave t to hum and then he said: Guess you don't recognize me. MT. Shreiber. I uss to ride your horses for you I cid recoe nize him then. but he was COL plet' ly changed He was seedy and sodden from drink, and I recalled tl.at 1 knew the time when he had s125.n00 in currency In his own possessi -, which he had won by riding. The kid. For he is scarcely more than 23 now, may get back on his feet again, ui 1 doubt 1t. Therefore I won't reve Il his name"
 Tod Sloan went the wine and actress ! oute till he got In bad repute.
 Oar ny Maher has lived a clean life, although English ale and London cham pagne causing him to gain fat so fast that 1910 will see the end of his riding days. George Odom, one of the cleverest jockeys ever seen on the Amer lean track. was also one of the wisest. He saved his money and now is the owner of stable. Walter Miller quit with s3OO.000 Arthur Redfern, who had to | quit riding on account of his weight, saved we'll into the thousands.
 In retaining Jockey c. H. Shilling at s15.0oC to ride for his stable this year, Sam Hildreth is now in a position to cope with August Belmont and James R. Keene for the big prizes of the turf. Under the terms of the conditional agree ment Shilling is to ride for Hidreth from April 1 to November 30. This is further fuel to the big tuf war. for Belmont has already engaged Eddie Du- gan and keene has Butwell under con tract. This trinity of jockeys constitute the cream of the class althoug Jaurex may turn out star before the meet there is over.
 It Will be remembered that Shilling jumped into notoriety last fall by stab- ping his employer. R. l.. Thomas, the Kentucky tnrfman. Thomas recovered and the case against Shilling was practi- cally dropped.
 | R. T. Wilson. Jr., the moving spirit In the Saratoga Springs Racing association was in New York today. Wilson is the main spring in the liberal policy move ment for Saratoga.
 | 'I want to make the meeting at Sara toga the most notable in America said | he today, while we sat in Broadway hotel discussing racing in general.
 "I am willing to spend money without l end to do this because 1 believe the re- turns will justify it. Nothing can be said for racing In California Of course Jaurez and Florida are good for winter meets but l hope to eclipse them all at the Spa this year. The general fund for the meet. obtained by voluntary sub scription, Is more than s1c00oo already. | Every section of the United States. so l far as breeding farms and trainers are concerned, will be represented at Bright on Beach this summer. The total mum Der of nominations for the Brighton Beach races is s20. Secretary Jackson of the Brighton Beach association is pleased beyond expression at the outlook. Among the nomlnators with the number l Of horses which they have entered are | the following:
 H. P Whitney. 5: Thomas Collins. 4; Barney Shrieber, 12; R. l.. Thomas. 6; Sam Hildreth 57: J. E. Madden, 4; Edgar | Madden, 4; James R. Keene. S7: John | A. Drake. 10, George Odom, l1: Mrs II. H. SeIby 5: James Gaffney, g. w. H. | Fizer, 2l, F. A. Forsythe. 19. Woodford Clay, Il; T. C. Mcdowell. 6; R. N. Smith. ': James Butler. 12: F. R. Bradley IS. The above constitute only few of the most important.
 | We note that our old-time friend E. f. Smathers has apparently dropped racing for good In the old days 6mathers and Drake were two of the mainstays.