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THE MONTGOMERY HANDICAP. The weights assigned by secretary Macfarlan to the horses engaged in the Montgomery Handicap, published in Daily Racing Fobm Tuesday, will be closely scanned by western turfmen. With its endowment of ,000 added money, the Montgomery is now really the most valuable handicap of the middle western turf, except the Washington Park handicaps, and as a consequence secretary Macfarlan has faced the perplexing task of giving weights to , the great majority of the good handicap horses of the west. Algol has been given the well-earned position of top weight with 126 pounds to carry, a weight that his eastern career Bhows he can readily handle. Algol is a very fast and powerful racehorse and if all goes well with him he will no doubt do great things in racing this year. Schorrs good colt Lieber Earl and old Simon W. stand next with 117 pounds each. Lieber Karl has been very leniently treated, but in the light of his racing at New Orleans, Simon W. would have no chance with ten pounds less. Macy and Imp at 114 pounds each, have nothing to complain of. At 112 pounds The Roman would have a chance second to no horse in the race if Tom Ryan should succeed in bringing him to the post in his California form. This good horse was unquestionably stale and ailing all through his racing here last year and in no case showed his true form. F. F. V. at the same weight has been shown no favor. Semi-broken down horses seldom cut much of a figure in such races. McCaffertys trio of fast horses, Peat, 110, Handsel, 110, and Sailor King, 10S, are all given imposts that should please their astute owner. Of tho three-year-olds, Manuel, 107, and W. Overton, 107, are the topweights. Good colts as they undoubtedly are it is not probable either could win at the weights. At such an early period as the month of April three-year-olds have but small chance against really good older horses and the Montgomery has a number of smashing good racehorses this year in the division four years old and over. Kentucky Colonel, The Kentuckian and Onomastus have been rated as of equal capacity at 104 each, a coaclasion open to argument. In the light-weight division Dunois at 100 pounds would have a tremendous chance if he could be brought to the post as he now is, but then Dunois is in California and the perils of the long trip across the mountains and plains are manifold. Last years Oakwood winner-Fervor, is in light at 106 pounds. A horse with record of a mile and an eighth in 1 :51l with 103 pounds up is bound to be very dangerous if he comes to the post in good condition. Other light-weights nicely in are George Krats, 100; Clay Poynter, 100; Fireside, 98; Belle of Memphis, 98; Star of Bethlehem, 96; Opaque, 100 and Cherry Leaf. 98. On the whole it appears to be a very good handicap and it is difficalt to see now how the stake can fail to be contested by a large field of starters.
