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THE NEW ORLEANS DERBY. Bat little more than two weeks are to pass by before the decision of the Crescent City Derby at New Orleans. Practically it marks the closing of the winter racing season and the initiation of the regular western campaign of 1899. This year the event in question is invested -with more than ordinary interest for the reason that several of the colts that are being actively prepared for it are in the fore front of the list of three-year-olds that are expected to do great things in a racing way. A race for which Kentucky Colonel, Jolly Roger and The Eeatnckian are expected to start falls little short of the measure of interest that attaches to the decision of any western three-year-old event later on, for none is more likely to win the Tennessee Derby, Kentucky Derby, Latonia Derby or St. .Louis Derby than the best of this trio. Last year the winner was J. W. Schorr and Sons unlucky colt, Presbyterian, and behind him, in order, were Joe Shelby, Dinsmore, Isabey and Nabob. Outside of Presbyterian and Isabey it was an inferior lot. This year, so far as appearances go now, a much batter class of young horses will contend for the ,000 prize and the result may afford a satisfactory clue to the result of the more important Tennessee Derby at Memphis a few weeks later. It is understood that unless some accident of training prevents, Kentucky Colonel, Jolly Roger, The Kmtuckiaa, Sea Lion, Ordnung, Queen of Song, Hittick, Boney Boy and Hardy Pardee are almost snre to go to the post. The others eligible to start if their owners so elect, are Souchon, Climacus, Glad Hand, Leo Planter, Nailer, Elmer S., False Lead, King Barleycorn, Nobleman and Dandy H. Of this lot King Barleycorn is a good colt and Souchon is a fine, speedy filly. King Barleycorn may start, but it is thought he is more probably in reserve for engagements later along in the spring and Souchons first start will probably be for the Tennessee Oaks at Memphis. Lao Planter ran some fair races last year and might have the chance of a rank outsider, but Climacus, Glad Hand, Nailer, False Lead, Elmer S. and Dandy H., are not w.orth consideration in connection with such a race. Nobleman is an unknown quantity. Elm9r S. his spead enoagh for good company, but is so fractious at tli9 pos t that he invariably is exhausted before the racing be. gins. Altogether the strong probability is that the winner will come from the lot first named-If tha nine named as probable starters should run to the mark of their bast form as tw o-year-olds Kentucky Colonel would win, for the rea sou that he was the bast of the lot as a two year-old. Messrs. A. H. and D. H. Morris paid a high price for him last year, and he is being especially prepared, with a view to winning the Crescent City Derby. New Orleans was the Morris home for years, and, as a matter of sentiment, they strongly desire to win the leading event of the New Orleans racing season. In the experienced bands of trainer Wnldun this fine son of Kantaka and Noctnrn is roportod to be doing extremoly well at Memphis. Very fow, if any, bettor two-yoar-olds than Kentucky Colonol ran last year. At 0119 Mm or another, with high weight up, ho showed Ii2s fleet lioola to Martimas, Maouel, Etholbort, Black Venus, Toluca, Dr. Eichborg, Autumn, Ithlnolandor, Himtine, Filigrane, Sir Hnbort, Prostidigita-trice, Matanza, Kinloy Mack, Jolly Rogor, For-mero, King Barleycorn, in short, to the first flight of the year. Ha will probably go to tho post the favorite and woll deserves to do so. It ia thought that J. W. Schorr and Son will start both Sea Lion and Ordnung. Sea Lion is a good, honest colt, a weight carrier and a stayer. He was not the equal of his brilliant stable companion, W. Overton, lacking the lat- ters high order of speed, but he was still good enough to win his fair share of the honors of the year, and is likely to prove an extremely good three-year-old. Ordnung is reported to be regarded with high favor by his owners. He was very highly tried before racing began last year, but fell sick and only started twice late in the autumn. If what has been said about him is true his owners believe he will this year more than redeem his early promise, and it is on him they will rely to win the Crescent City Derby instead of his better known stable mate, Sea Lion. The Kentuckian did not make any very great impression while racing over the Chicago tracks last year. It was true that he won several races here but it was generally with light weight up and those he beat were not such as to lead onlookers to think they were viewing a sure enough crackerjack in action. It was afterwards, over the New York tracks, that he showed he could carry weight and run fast and far with the best of his age. One good mark for The Kentuckian was that he improved as he grew older and was better at the close of the season than at any other period during its progress. His last three races wore victories and he wound up his season in impressive style by winning the Kentucky Central Stakes, one mile, at Latonia, over a very heavy track He had 121 pounds up and won as he pleased from The Barrister, Shinfane and Rockland. It is worth noting here that nearly all of the winners of the Kentucky Central Stakes have afterward proved to be great racehorses. The Kentuckian is reported to have grown and improved in the right way and is now a grand looking young horse fully sixteen hands high. It is not determined positively that he will start for the Crescent City Derby. He may be reserved for the Tennessee Derby instead, but if he keep3 on doing well in his work the temptation to try for the New Orleans ,000 is apt to grow too strong to be resisted. Hittick, Hardy Pardee, Queen of Song and Boney Boy all have winning performances to their credit, but hardly seem to be in the class of Kentucky Colonel, The Kentuckian or Sea Lion. But Jolly Roger is. This is a good colt on the basis of his two-year-old performances, fast, a stayer and a weight carrier. But what is more to the point just now is the fact that from training reports it can be made out that no horse at Memphis is doing better, His recent work-out of a mile in 1:48 is a remarkably strong move for such a slow track and indicates that he must nearly be ready to go to the races now. And no horse that starts will be more likely to upset the favorites than this same Jolly Roger.
