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In the small U. S. sporting aristocracy, the Ambrose Clarks have a niche of their own, smaller but not less bright than the Whitney and Widener niches. When racing was outlawed in New York State in 1911, Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Payne Whitney did more than anyone else to keep it going. Mrs. Clark winters her horses, not at Cooperstown with her husband's, but at Glasgow, Del., does more about running the stable than her trainer. James Healy. When she acquired Kellsboro Jack —whose four-year-old brother Steeplejack II is owned by her husband—she was gratified because she had particular regard for his bloodlines (Jackdaw, sire. Kellsboro Lass, dam). Mrs. Clark is aunt to the Bostwick brothers, Pete and Albert. Their able riding is partly due to training they received from herself and Mr. Clark. Pete Bostwick, before he decided to ride Dusty Foot, had the chance to be Kellsboro Jack's jockey last week.
Frederick Ambrose ("Brose"') Clark, president of the United Hunts Racing Association, has a reputation among horse-folk which fully equals his wife's, despite Chadd's Ford's performance last week. In his long career as a poloist, amateur jockey and foxhunter, he has had time to break almost every bone in his round, slim-legged, huge-shouldered frame. In the driveway of the Clark's place at Westbury—where the Meadow Brook Steeplechase is run every September— automobiles are seldom seen. They are generally forbidden because Ambrose Clark, though he likes to drive fast in a car and owns a Rolls-Royce with a bed in it so that he can catch naps on his way to the Saratoga races, much pre- fers to tool his coach & four. This is the vehicle in which, wearing a beige derby to match his wife's beige dresses and equipped with lavish hampers of refreshments, Mr. Clark takes himself magnificently to the polo matches and race meets which decorate Long Island summers. In winter the Clarks go to Melton Mowbray for the hunting. A friendship between Mr. Clark and the Prince of Wales—who visited them in Westbury in 1924—sprang up there one morning when Mr. Clark saw a cow struggling to get out of a fence. He threw his reins to the man nearest him. dismounted, extricated the cow, discovered that the Prince was holding his horse. If Ambrose Clark was disgruntled at the performance of Chadd's Ford last week, he had himself to thank. He bought Kellsboro Jack in Ireland several years ago, gave him to Mrs. Clark last year because he was "unlucky."
First important U. S. steeplechase of the season, the Carolina Cup which Trouble Maker won last year, was run last week at Camden. S. C. A crowd of 15,000 saw Pink Tipped, 8-year-old chestnut mare owned by Richard K. Mellon of Pittsburgh, ridden under top-weight of 162 Ib. by William Street who had never seen his mount till the morning of the race, take the last hurdle perfectly, outrun Hotspur II in the last 20 yd. to win in record time (5 min., 52 4/5 sec.) for 3 mi.
*Despite cuts & bruises, Pete Bostwick rode Dusty Foot again next day in the 41/2-m'. Foxhunters Chase over the same course. This time they got over all the jumps, finished fourth to Sir Grant Lawson's Half Asleep.
†The others are Stephen ("Laddie'') Sanford (1923), A. Charles Schwartz (1926).