The Washington herald., 1911-04-30
TROTTER AND PAGER
Opening Matinee Over New Potomac Speedway Next
Wednesday General Beale Dead-Other
Interesting Turf Gossip.
By l., d. SALE.

lulC1CSlllIS
By L. d. SALE.
The drama Of the horse will hold the
center of the stage in the District OF Co
lumbia this week.
The curtain will rise Wednesday, when
the Drivers and Riders Association will
open the racing season in the District OF
Columbia with an informal matinee over
the new Speedway, which Col. Spencer
Cosby has most graciously constructed
and turned over to the Drivers and Rid
ers' Association for their use until the
permanent Speedway is ready.
.
Every horseman who has driven over
the new course Is enthusiastic over ii
and expresses the opinion that it will be
as fast as the course just abandoned and
possibly faster. Certain 1t is that 1t is a
beautiful stretch of road, extending from
Seventeenth street to Twenty-third street,
and when it gets thoroughly settled will
be an ideal course for speeding purposes.
Ex-President of the Association De
Graw, T. w. Dunworth, ]. A Jones.
Michael Morris, Peter Lotus, Harry
Bowling, and Charles Dismer. who was
behind Fair Nancy, 2:1614, each took a
spin over it Thursday last and declared
1t to be peach" whatever that may
mean in equine classics. 1t is pleasant
to know that there are persons in the
District Of Columbia who appreciate the
great boon Col. Cosby has conferred on
the horsemen of Washington by turning
over to them for their use such fine
stretch of road without the cost of one
copper cent to them personally. The
citizens of no other city in the world can
boast of a similar advantage under like
conditions.
The fact that were it not for the Driv-
erS and Riders Association a course
where horses could be speeded beyond
the legal limit would not now be in ex-
istence should count for something among
local horsemen. 1t should remind them
of their duty 20 the association that has
accomplished so much for the horse in
terests of the District. 1t should stimu-
late the Indifferent to renewed interest in
local horse matters. Those who are back
in their dues should now come forward;
those who are not members should now
take the opportunity to join the associa-
tion and partake of the benefits 1t offers.
In the Drivers and Riders Association
caste does not exist; every respectable
citizen of the District may become
member by paying his dues.
Nothing could be more ridiculous and
out of place than an exhibition of the
spirit of caste in an organization of this
character. 1t was not founded for the
sole benefit of high brows or low brows,
rich or poor The acid test of gentle
manly behavior is all that is applied to
those who wish to become members of
the Drivers and Riders Association. And
this is as it should be- Were the aims
and purposes of the association less broad
and wholesome it would perish and de-
serve death.
The matinee to be held next wednes-
day afternoon is primarily for the pur-
pose of trying out the horses of the Dis
trict after a very long and trying winter
and a very backward spring. There is
probably not a speed horse in Washing
will only be nalf-mile ones, best two in
three. but little damage can be done to
the animals participating in the several
events.
Intelligence has been received from Cal
vert County, that General Beale, 2:2911a.
some ten or fifteen years ago one of the
best-known and one of the most popular
recs stations in, the District, is dead 1t
is with feeling that the writer makes the
announcement, for the big son of Prince
Orloff and Lady Buckingham was his
personal property for upward of fifteen
years. when he was sold to go 20 South
ern Maryland. In many respects the
General was a remarkable horse. He
was a rich seal brown, without white.
broken as a yearling and put to work at
eighteen months. As a three-year-old he
could pull high-wheel cart eleven feet
from the pole over poor track q quarter |
in 81 seconds without a single hour of
In fact, he never was trained; |
all of his trials and races were Off the |
road, without preliminary work.
When mature he could. and did, draw
= wagon over the first eighth Of Bright
wood track in 16 seconds with B. F. Nc
,aully up. and with the same gentleman
holding the reins frequently drew a
wagon quarters over Brightwood in IS
seconds with apparent ease. He was I
never in field of horses with McCaully
behind him in scoring for the word that |
he starter had to call to McCaully to
get up" it was always "McCaully, take
pack
The General could score a 2:2o clip and
get on to his stride quicker than any big
lorse that ever raced over Brightwood
)ne Of the most remarkable traits Of the
lead stallion was his honesty and un-
iinching gameness. He always went on
he trot and he always tried, no matter
What was his position in the race. Poor
men and women, white and black, bet
heir small change on him. This gave
lin the title Of poor mans race horse"
ie was never out of the money but once
n twenty-four starts, and 1t was a con-
trick that placed him behind
he money on that particular occasion.
he writer is glad to pay this feeble
ribute to q faithful servant who always
i'd his level best to get in front and
ring the money home. He was twenty
ne years old when he died.
All horsemen. local and otherwise, will
70 glad to know that the Copperthite
rack at Burke will be in the limelight
gain this year. Mr.. Copperthite is IA
'orably known as a track manager in
very section east OF the Blue Ridge His
rogramme for Decoration Day this year
, the best in the matter Of purses he
las offered to the public. It comprises
our events, as follows: A 2:40 trot or
ace, purse 500; 2:2S trot and pace,
urse $2oo; 2:2o trot, purse 500, and a
unning race. purse s75. making in the
ggregate $50 to be distributed among
peal horsemen on the day named.
The card Is 50 admirably arranged that Z
he entries should be as Ut,ora1 q, .h>