TURF NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 82, 6 April 1918, Page 14

TURF NOTES.

(By WHALEBONE.) The Brooklyn Derby, long one of the greatest turf events in America, is no more. In ita place to-day there _■ the Dwyer Derby, so named out of respect to Phil and Mike Dwyer, brother race enthusiasts, now dead. Conditions and distance of the race will remain the same — for three-year-olds, at a mile and a, furW, Warne, the English jockey, was released in December from Ruhleben internment camp. Warne was a prominent rider in England about 30 years ago. He won the One Thousand Guineas of 1888 on Mr Douglas Baird's Briarroot, while he was also on the back of Mr J, Hammond's Laureate when that colt won the Cambridgeshire in 1889. Stipendiary stewards were being introduced for the flrst time at a country race meeting, The three officials hardly knew where to stand, but eventually decided on the outer rail at tUe top of the straight. One of the jockeys who did not want to win, found his only chance to lose was to run out wide at the turn. However, he noticed the "stipe*," and decided on a bold plan, making straight for them, knocking the three over, When they came round they went and apologised to the jockey for being in the road! F. W, Jf-Cabe, who won the Grand National Hurdle Race on Obi, and the Australian Steeplechase on BuUawarra, was in England on leave when the last mail left. He enlisted a long time ago, and served at Yprea and elsewhere without receiving a scratch. At Windsor, a year ago, MpCabe came down with Pompous in » steeplechase, and had a shoulder cracked »Bd (tome ribs broken. Leaving h«fp..al, he returned to the front. MeCabe hud a mount in a hurdle race at Windsor in January, but failed to get a place. The present owner, one of the suddenly rich, had only recently come into possession of the good horse Doughie— so e»lled, I assume (says a Sydney scribe) because he was a confirmed loafer—and he cherished great expectations regarding the neddie, esteeming him a coming Cup winnor, so that he was greatly perturbed when his horse was donkey-licked in a field of five for an unimportant prize at an outer Melbourne meeting, and attacked the jockey with a rich and vehement flow of libels before the whole world. "You pulled_ hiro!" he cried. "You rascal, you" pulled my horse!" The little jockey sneered horribly. " Pulled 'mi," he said.; "Pulled Doughie! Struth, if a mosquito*, got a pull on that 'orse, he'd heel over backwards!" » Says the "Bulletin":— Maoriland felt s as sorry to hear of Desert Gold being beaten at Melbourne as if something had, happened to the price of the fat lamb: And in the midst of their misery several writers sat down to revise tjjeir estimates of the lady. Perhaps this may have been desirable in any case, but there is no need for them to worry. Desert Gold is a very beautiful mare, with considerably more courage, stamina and pace than two of the nags she finished behind. That over a series of distances from six to 16 furlongs she is the best animal racing in Australia today scarcely admits of argument. Certainly for Maorilandcrs to claim that Biplane has greater stamina than Desert Gold is preposterous. It would do no harm to wait until Biplane has been tested in that respect next year. The most that was ever claimed for Desert Gold was that she was an exceptionally free-going, generous prad. That can still stand. In spite of her defeats she is one of the most brilliant and versatile mokes the Commonwealth has known. The N.S.W. premier cross-country jockey, E. Moon, has returned from America. During a six-months tour of the United States he visited New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington. The chief centre of racing during his stay was at New Orleans. Louisiana, where the sport continued for some months. In other parts the racecourses were snowed up, and horses being prepared for the approilching season had to be trained on tracks over which shelters had been built. Racing, Moon said. was not so popular in America as in Australia. Cross-country sport was being adopted more than in the past, and would probably grow in importance in the next few years. Up to date there had been no stakes bigger than £1,000 for the jumpers, and there were only a few of these. There wore no hurdle races. All jumping events were run over brush obstacles. Moon introduced the skull-cap into America. Strangely enough it had never been used there, rfnd. the racing authorities and newspaper men who saw the device were "tickled to death with it," to use their own comment, and it is likely to be widely adopted. Jacob Pincus, who died in the East January 23, was one of the most famous jockeys and trainers on the American turf. Jake Fincug was known on practically every race track in the world. He was a turf figure of international reputation. He rode all his races on American tracks, but as a trainer he developed and saddled winners in all parts of the nvorld. He was the only American trainer to win the Epsom Derby witli an American-bred horse. This he did in ISSI when Pierre Lorillard's Iroquois defeated the beat racehorses in Europe in the most famous race in the world. Pincus was born in Baltimore in IS3B, and as a boy went to Charleston, where he became interested in the thoroughbred. After less than a year as an apprentice and at 14 years of age he became a jockey. During his first month in the saddle in 1552 he rode several winners at Charleston, and ! then went to New Orleans, where he attained greater success, and from there to Saratoga, where he distinguished himself by leading all other jockeys in regard Ito winning mounts. In the decade preceding the Civil War he was considered the best jockey on the American turf. When his days in the saddle, ended because of age and weight he turned his attention to training. And at this he earned immortal fame. He wa. welcomed everywhere, and on the French and English tracks received courtesies seldom accorded to a foreigner. At one time he trained the horses belonging to the late August Belmont, father of the present I chairman of the Jockey Club. So faithful jwas he to his employer that when old age deprived him of a position Mr. Belmont pensioned him. This pension he enjoyed till his death. Besides being a jockey and trainer, he also was a starter. He held that position for several years at the Monmouth Park, N.J., track-