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MIXED BAND OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS. Handicapper W. S. Voshurgh Believes There Are at Least a Half Dozen to Be Considered Seriously. By Ed Cole. Saratoga, N. Y., August 16. Speaking of the two -year-olds of this year, "V. S. Vosburgh, Unofficial Jockey Club handicapper, remarked yesterday that up to the present time they were such a mixed number that one could not tell which was really the best and that in his opinion they were not a distinctly high-class collection. "They would puzzle a wizard," said Mr. Vosburgh, "when trying to handicap them. One day it looks as if one or two of them could carry all sorts of weights and the next they would be fitting candidates for the discard. Many a time they have made me dizzy when trying to allot weights that should bring them together. Sun Briar is the best shown here so far, In my opinion, no doubt due to the nature of the going, lie may go to a track with a hard surface and be beaten badly, owing to his ring bones. "One cannot handicap horses for every kind of track. The whole two-year-old situation is a sort of potpie, it is almost impossible to fork out the best. We know Lucullito is a fine horse, but he lias had ailments and again there are tracks he docs not apnreciate. Papp seems to be a true running sort of horse now that he has settled down, yet Sun Iiriar beat him in the Special after a rather rough journey The latter lias a fine order of early speed, which is much in his favor and, while lie indicated in the Special that he can stay, there is some doubt in my mind if he will be able to go a long distance. His sire, Sundridge, was only considered a miler in Europe, though Sun Briar might be an exception as has been proved on more than one occasion in which sprinters have produced distance horses. There is no question but that Sun Briar would have been a rare good horse, had lie been sound and not afflicted with ring bones, which will surely affect him on a hard track." Two -Year-Old Question a Conundrum. "Wc dont know just how good Jack Hare Jr. is at present," continued Mr. Vosburgh. "He might prove to be a good horse. His topnotch trial will come in the Grab Bag Handicap on "Wednesday. Should he make good then he will have to lie considered among the choices for supremacy. Not only is lie catching to the eye, but he has speed. Whether he can hold his speed for any great distance remains to be seen. As a whole, the two-year-old question is much of a conundrum witli a half dozen eligibles for supremacy. Different tracks would produce different winners as there is nothing that stands out distinctively." For the lirst time in the history of racing in this country a notice was posted on the correction board, reading: "Sam McMeekin carries one blinker." It was such a strange announcement that it created smiles of comment from those who read it. However, it was a. fact, for Sam McMeekin in his race on Monday carried a blinker hood with only "one blink" on it. Sam McMeekin is a bad post actor and, having been left several times, every effort was made to get him away in his last race. Jockey Uutwell wore a pair of spurs with rowels that resembled cogged, silver dollars with pretty sharp points. Not only were these used, but one of the assistant starters stood behind him with a whip to "pop" him at the rise of the barrier. Jack Edwards, the secretary of the Jamaica track, had a small wager on him and he wanted to do his bit towards getting him away, so he went to the starting point loaded with a good solid tomato. "I meant to do all that I could to help him," said the worthy secretary, "and when the time came for starting I cut loose one of my old-time inshoots with the tamat. If it did not land in a vital spot it was no fault of mine, but it landed somewhere and the old sulkcr took some notice of it, for lie jumped away with the others and that was all that was needed for him to win. I cashed and it got me Out a winner on the meeting. "Whether it was the spurs or my tamat that did the trick, Sam McMeekin is the only one that knows. I suppose when he starts again there will be a notice on the board reading: "Sam McMeekin carries one blink, Texas spurs and added impetus by Edwards with his tamat. " J. H. MeAvoy, who discarded the turf for the liquor importing business after the crusade of ten years ago, intends coming back. He arrived at Saratoga today and will gather- up a stable, unless he signs to train for an owner with whom he is now negotiating. Mr. McAvoy will be remembered as the owner of Prince McClurg and Kildare. The latter was the medium of a killing upon one occasion when 100 to 1 shots were in order once in awhile. The sale of Arnold indicates that Mr. Barneh will not lie active in racing this year. Jack McGinnis, who is looking after the stable, says it is doubtful if he shows the colors, owing to the prevalent skin disease having entered the stable, affecting all the horses. McGinnis thinks that as soon as Mr. Baruch is through with government affairs he will again take up thoroughbred racing as a recreation. Sun Iiriar is being prepared for the Hopeful, though he may be seen in public again before that event, to keep him keyed up.
