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DERBY CANDIDATES. Last year before racing opened the more important 3-year-old events of the western turf, the Tennessee Derby at Memphis, Kentucky Derby, St. Lonis Derby, Latonia Derby and Oakley Darby, were by common consent deemed "to be at the mercy of two colts, Plaudit and Xiieber Earl, and much partisanship was de-Telopad in the course of prolonged discussion of the relative merits of the two cracks. Plaudit decided the matter at Louisville and for the moment was hailed as an invincible. Pink Goat, Han dOr, penalties and perhaps some slight declension of form, rudely tore away his crown subsequently, but in May, just after he had defeated Lieber Earl for the Clark Stakes, there was nothing in sight to dispute his apparent supremacy. The situation is widely different this year. There is no recognized probable champion. Instead quite alband of Derby candidates are in view and looking over their varying fortunes as 2-year-olds it is difficult to assign any marked degree of superiority to any particular one. Of W. Overton, Manuel, Eentucky Colonel, Heii-obas, Onomastus, The Eentuckian, Glenheim, Jihinelander, Corsini, The Barrister and Jolly Boger, who can say with confidence which will iprove the best 3-year-old. All are in one or another of the western Derbys and most of them are in all. Some, as in the case of Heli--obas, had short careers, stopped last year by disease or accident, others raced the season through with remarkable alternations of victory and defeat. Had W. Overton been retired directly after his brilliant performances at Washington Park, there is no doubt he would now be a prime public favorite, but his subsequent disastrous eastern campaign sadly discredited his mid-summer promise. The table here presented shows in compact form the winning races of the young horses that will in advance of the opening of the coming racing season be generally thought to possess the best chances for carrying off western three-year-old honors. Of course there are others. Greatland, Corsini, His Lordship, Manlius, Ordnung and others that are highly thought of by their owners may presently occupy a higher position in public estimation but as a matter of "form" the probable winners of the three-year-old classics of the year are indicated in the table. It will repay study and comparison.
