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POINTING FOR THE KENTUCKY DERBY. R .C. Ramis Owner Thinks He Has Winner of Next Blue Riband. .Leadugton, Ky.., Seitemler "1. The next Kentucky Derby is nearly eight months away, but there is at least one man in this neck of the woods who thinks he can name the winner of that prize, coveted more than all others by Kentuckians. This man is George Stoll, son of J. S. Stoll, owner of The Meadows Stud, and partner with J. C. Milam In It. C. Rami, the bay colt by I.actantius Cherry llutton. It is this English-bred colt that Mr. Stoll pays will win the Derby. "H. C. Kami has not raced since he ran second to Chulita for. the Cincinnati Trophy at I.atonia July 0," said Mr. Stoll today, "and it is hardly likely that he will race again until he is a three-year-old. lie has been running out at the farm aud is doing splendidly. . He had a somewhat washy appearance in the spring, but he has broadened considerably and is so much improved that a number of our friends, who have seen him during this meeting, have suggested to Mr. Milam that he be pointed for the two Derbies at New Orleans next March. It may be that Mr. Milam will want to race him for those events, but I am not in favor of it. I would rather win the Kentucky Derby than any other race in America for three-year-olds and I believe It. C. Uann will be the next winner of that race." After Milton Young bid up Heine, the four-year-old -Sandringham gelding which romped away from his filly Fay in the opening race Wednesday, one of his acquaintances said to Mr. Young in the paddock: "Colonel, I was not aware that there was any ill-feeling between you and Charley Straus." "If there is, I know nothing of it," quietly replied the master of McGrathiana. "If you take my action in bidding up Mr. Straus horse as a reflection of ill-feeling, you are badly mistaken. Heine was entered for 400. I entered my filly for 00. That, with the purse would make my idea of her value about 00. Mr. Straus gelding beat Pay four lengths. That made him look to me like an horse, and I bid him to that figure. Mr. Straus, through his trainer, elected to keep him. and protected him with an advance bid. This is proof conclusive that my notion of the value of Heine was not excessive. Here in the west selling races have too frequently been the avenues through which owners have laid their routes to pool boxes regardless of the genuine principles on which selling races are based and the purposes for which they were originated. When owners will enter their horses nearer their real values we will have cleaner and better racing, and the only way to bring this about is to make them pay when they enter cheaply." The weather during the week was excessively hot some of the old-timers about the track said they had not known such hot weather in September in forty years, and this added to the disquietude of highly nervous and excitable horses in the paddock. Consequently there were many to break out in heavy sweats aud much plunging and kicking at saddling time. To ignorant gossips a hot horse is always a "hop horse" and there was an uncommon lot of talk about "dope" and "pills." Some of this leached the ear,- of Judge Irico, whereupon he said: "We all know that to some extent this evil prevails, but it is an extremely hard matter to single out the eases. I have prosecuted hundred of investigations in the effort to determine the guilt or innocence of a supposed user of drugs aud the ratio of convictions is about as one is to fifty. In all of my experience in racing I have never yet had a veterinary surgeon fell me that he could determine positively from the mere appearance of a horse whether or not the animal had been stimulated or "otherwise treated with drugs. At the recent Fort Krie meet lug the supposed poisoning ot George llendries Denhani brought about an investigation during which Dr. Talbot, who has spent over forty years of his life in the study of veterinary surgery, was called upon to pass an opinion as to the cause of the colts distressed condition. He declared that Denhani had all of the symptoms of a horse suffering from acute indigestion and at the same time lie had some of the symptoms of poisoning. During the conversation lie told me that it was absolutely inqiossibie for him to determine beyond the poradventuro of a doubt solely through an ocular investigation whether or not a horse had been drugged. lie said the only possible way to tell is through an analysis of the froth at the mouth. Yet there is scarce a day on the race track but we hear it said see how that horse is breaking out? If he is not loaded to the guards. Ill eat my hat. or some similar expression blurted out thoughtlessly and without the hearty conviction of the speaker."
