view raw text
WARDS KENTUCKY DERBY CANDIDATES. Dodge and Franklin Thriving and in Grand Condition for Hard Training. Louisville, Ky., March 31. — Trainer John S. Ward has his two Kentucky Derby candidates. Dodge and Franklin, looking in grand condition in their training quarters at Douglas Park. No eligibles have gone through the past winter in better health than these two sons of Jim Gnffney and every indication seems to point to hath of them being in the best imssible racing condition by the date of the running of the Kentucky Derby. Ward has in the last few years quartered his stable at Douglas Park, but aside from this, his reason for remaining there this year with his two Derby candidates, is because lie was impressed with the performance of Old Rosebud when the latter lowered all records in the Derby, that" Bon of Fiiele having had his early Derby preparation at Douglas Park. If Ward does not go to Lexington with his string next month, he will probably move his stable late in April over to the Downs and the last two weeks of the Derby preparation of Dodge and Franklin will be over the track the historic race is annually run on. It is the general opinion of horsemen that so far as their training is concerned, it makes little difference which course these two are trained over, as both have shown a disposition to work well or race on any track, and there is no denying that the pair are regarded as dangerous by many good judges. Though the event is still six weeks away. Ward has already announced that only accidents in training will prevent him sending both Franklin and Dodge to the post in the Derby. While on public performances the latter far outshines his chestnut stable companion. Ward has always maintained that Franklin was just as good as Dodge and would prove it. Since he first appeared on the turf. Franklin last year won three races and was placed in five of his other starts, which, creditable, as it is, is nothing to be compared to Dodges record of ten wins and five other times in the money in seventeen starts. In looking the pair over at present, there is little to choose lictween them, as both have to all api earances developed greatly as they have advanced into their throe-year-old form. Ward has four otiier horses now in training and all but one in his stable are by Jim Gnffney. that being his old horse Solar Star, which he will endeavor to race again this year. Last year he was mated with a number of mares and will have ten or twelve foals to his credit this year. One has already been dropped at the Bashford Manor farm of George J. Long, another at the National Stud farm of Lon Jones, and there are several already at the stud of W. F. Schulte. all of which places are near this city. The other members of Wards stable are a three-year-old maiden filly. Auto Belle, and the pair of two-year-olds. Sedan and Berlin. Both of these are bay colts, Sedan lieing out of Kitty Belle Brooks and Berlin out of Antolee. They are both good lookers and have been extensively engaged in stakes this season. Joseph K. Itedmon. who, in the old days, raced in his colors such good racers as Serrano, John Havlin and Lucky Star, has a stable of five horses in training here, four of which are two-year-olds, the other being the maiden three-year-old Elkton, which was placed in two of his five starts last year. All of the two-year-olds Itedmon has in his barn are grand lookers. The only one he does not own is the Cunard filly Cynthia Dwyer. which he is training for the Lexington turfman, W. H. Laude-man. Itedmons trio of youngsters are: Jack Salmon, b. or br. c, by Jack Atkin — Sea Spray, by Star Shoot. Miles Finley. br. c, by Dick Finnell — Alice Baird, by Woolsthorpe. Day Dream, ch. f, by Ballot — Dreamy Eyes, by Ornament. Every one of these youngsters look like they might prove to be stake winners. Jack Salmon is bred on the dams side like the great mare Ocean Hound and Itedmon paid ,100 for him at auction as a yearling last year. He gave at auction 1916.sh50 for Miles Finley and 75 for Day Dream. After he purchased them last fall he was several times offered a big profit on the price he paid for the trio. It is safe to say that any one of them now is worth more than he paid for the whole collection. This small but select stable of horses will be closely watched by turfmen now that they have arrived here, itedmon coming in on March 14. His reputation is high as a trainer. His record with Lucky star is still fresh in the minds of horsemen. He brought that horse from Montana to the big tracks of the east, as well as Kentucky, and raced him for two years without having him defeated. Another noted horse that carried his colors to victory on many occasions was Foreman, which, es| e-cially as a mud runner, ranked, in his class, the liest of the hors:-s racing in his day. With John Havlin and Serrano he won many races a few years back.
