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4. , I WESTY H0GAFS MANY DISPLAYS OF SUPERIOR SPEED j IN HIS TWO YEARS OF RACING . . Because some of his defeats, also some of his victories, were unexpected, Westy Hogan came to be regarded as somewhat undcpendable and inconsistent. There was a measure of injustice in this. The bright stars of the year, Hourless and Omar Khayyam, met reverses without acquiring a similar stigma, as also did Cudgel and Liberty Loan. Especially did his last race seem contradictory. This was when he defeated his stablemates Omar Khayyam in fast time over the mile and si half distance of the Bowie Handicap. Expert opinion, approved by public consent, had assigned Westy Hogan his place as a brilliant sprinter, then to see him take up 120 pounds and win every foot of the way in this instance, like a stayer of the most approved type, seemed an outrageous flouting of this assignment to a fixed status. The fact probably is, that he is about as good as any of the good three-year-olds of the year, with his now and then failures, due to some misunderstanding of what was really necessary in his training, to enable him to race to his true worth. When a two-year-old in 1016, Westy Hogan started in eight races, of which lie won five and was second in- three. Prima facia this was a good record. But then, as this year, his defeats came when uulooked for and were not forgiven. Ho made his debut in racing at New Orleans January 7, 191G, in a sprint at three and one-half furlongs, in which he made a new track record while winning easily from Solveig, Ginger Quill and three more in 35. That was his only start there and it is quite probable few of his admirers have kept in mind that he had his introduction to racing at the old Fair Grounds track. Taken to Kentucky, his next start was in a purse race of a half mile at Lexington April 27. The track was muddy, but he won by a nose from Sedan in 49, with Aunt Liz third, Green Jones, George C. Love and Lytle running unplaced. Sedan had a tall reputation and his defeat by Westy Hogan had the effect of making the latter a 40 to 100 favorite in his next race". This was for Lexingtons star feature, the Breeders Futurity, May 10, at five-eighths of a mile. Harry Kelly outran him every foot of the way and in winning by six lengths, ran the distance in the new track record time of 58. Westy Hogan was second, Yermila third and Midway and Frank Coleman ran unplaced. It, was. his fate, to be, a defeated odds-on favorite In- ach -of his next-two races, both at Louisville. At Latonia, October 10, he started in a three-quarters dash and won by six lengths in 1:13. with Acabado second, Believe Me Boys third and five others unplaced, being favorite at 110 to 100. October 14. he won the Fort Thomas Stakes, a handicap at three-quarters of a mile. He carried 114 pounds, ran the distance in 1:12, won easily by three lengths and defeated Sunbonnet, 11G pounds, Mary Belle, 107, and six others. His next and last start as a two-year-old was in a three-quarters of a mile purse race at Latonia October 28. He carried 124 pounds, was the favorite at 55 to 100, and won in 1:1214 by a half length under restraint. STARTS YEAR WITH A VICTORY. This year Westy Hogan began his campaign auspiciously by winning his first race. This was a sprint of five and a half furlongs at Lexington, April 2S. Desoite that among his nine opponents were such swift ones as Bringhurst, Chalmers, Kali-tan, Prince of Como, Blind Baggage and Vogue, he was the favorite at 75 to 100 and justified this preference, but had his troubles in only besting Bringhurst by a head. He was not so fortunate in his next essay and was vanquished by both Bringhurst and Blind Baggage. This was in a three-quarters dash at the same track May 3. He carried 109 pounds to 115 on Bringhurst and 112 on Blind Baggage, so was giving the two older horses weight. Bringhurst made a new track record by running the distance in 1:11, the previous best for the track being 1:12. His next start was in the Memorial Handicap, three-quarters of a mile at Douglas Park May 30. This fell to Blind Baggage in 1:11. with Bringhurst second and Vogue third. His next race was at Latonia, June 18, in a .,000 purse race at ,a mile. The prevailing opinion that a mile was beyond his tether, had its effect and. carrying 106 pounds, he was second choice to King Gorin with 123 up. Leading all the way and making the pace fast, he ran the distance in 1:3S and won easing up with. King Gorin second and Jane Straitli third. This in a measure exploded the "sprinter only" theory. June .20 he took up 118 pounds and, at three-quarters of a mile, ran away from Believe Me Boys, 103 pounds, Queen Errant, 102, Guy Fortune, 110 and Green Jones, 107, winning by "six lengths in 1:13. Then ho met a reverse at Fort Erie on July 4. It was In the eighth running of the Fourth of July Stakes at a mile and seventy yards, for "which the starters and weights were Rancher, 120 pounds, Liberty Loan, 115, Leochares, 120. Grumpy, 102, Skeptic, 107, Bondage, 100 and Westy Hogan, 110. Also that was the way they finished. Westy Hogan was leading by eight lengths at the end of the first quarter and seemed to be about to make a runaway of the race. But at the end of a half he was onlv leading by a length and then disappeared and finished an inglorious last. It was an occasional such performance that gained him the repute of being an eccentric racer, to say the least. Rancher won from Liberty Loan by, a neck, with Leochares third, in 1:43. Three days later he showed that he was probably short of work when beaten in the stake race, by taking up the same weight and winning every foot of the way at a mile and a sixteenth in 1:44, running the first mile in 1:38 and winning in a canter by eight lengths, with Skeptic second, Greenwood third and four more unplaced. There was no reconciling the form of his two Fort Erie races. From Fort Erie he journeyed east and on July IS was beaten by Riverdale at Empire City in a sprint at "about" three-quarters over a slow track. Westy carried 120 pounds to 110 on Riverdale, but was beaten a head solely through a bungling ride by D. Connelly. He was a 3 to 5 favorite. He was next beaten in the Empire City Derby at a mile and an eighth July 21. For this Rickety was a ! to 10 favorite and an easy winner in 1:52, with Ticket second. Ballad third and Westy Hogan fourth, Corn Tassel and Lucius being the other two starters. Westy led in the stretch but tired. Ho did better four days later, when he won the Knickerbocker Handicap for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth. For this lie was assigned 120 pounds and the other starters were Ticket, 122 pounds; Wistful, 110; Green Jones, 104, and Straight Forward, 112. Ticket was a slight favorite at 17 to 10 to Westy Ilogans 9 to 5, but the latter was soon out in front and, running the first mile in 1:37, and the full distance in 1:45, won pulling up by two and one-half lengths, with Ticket second and Wistful third. Then lie was taken up to Saratoga, where lie was sold to W. Viau for the reported price of 0,000. He did not do much racing there, starting once in his new owners colors and running second to Tom McTaggart at a mile in 1:42 over a slow track. From Saratoga he was taken to the Maryland tracks for a fall campaign, in which he amply vindicated the acumen displayed in his purchase. There in all, he ran seven races, of which lie won five and was second in two, giving displays of superior speed and carrying high weights successfully. At Havre de Grace, September 12, he made a beginning by winning a purse at three-quarters in 1:13, with 124 pounds on his back, defeating Bringhurst, Tea Caddy and nine more speedy sprinters. Two days later he again had up 124 pounds to 10G on Priscilla Mullens and was beaten a nose by this speedy filly in the Royal Blue Handicap at a mile and seventy yards, the track being sloppy and slowed up by rain. Ed Roche was a bad third. September 26 he was assigned 126 pounds in the Fox Hill Handicap at three-qdarters and, running the distance in 1:12, won from Bringhurst by three-quarters of a length, with Top o th Morning third.-At Laurel, October 1, he won the Laurel Handicap at the same distance in 1:13, easily beating Tea Caddy, Stargazer and five more, including Bringhurst. He had up 125 pounds. His campaign at Laurel concluded witli the running of the Georgetown Handicap, October 16. This was another sprint at three-quarters. The starters, weights and order of the finish were: Westy Hogan. 12S pounds; Leochares, 127; Bringhurst, 122; Water Lady, 100; Tea Caddy, 114; Julialeon, 115; Star-gazer. 110, and Crimper, 112. Westy won by two lengths in 1:12. with Leochares second and Bringhurst third. Then he went to the ancient Pimlico track to astonish racing folks in a new role, that of a stayer. RUNAWAY ADVENTURE AT PIMLICO. His Pimlico campaign consisted of two races and a runaway adventure. This runaway was held by men who should know, to have an important bearing on his subsequent triumph in the Bowie. While at exercise he took a vagrant notion to run away and forthwith stretched himself out at full tilt for two miles. This voluntary enterprise gave him just the kind of work required to fit him for the long distance stake race. His first Pimlicos race was in the Serial Handicap No. 2, at a mile, the starters and weights being Leochares, 125 pounds; Westy Hogan, 124; Stargazer, 109; Corn Tassel, 113; Chiclet, 116; Hank ODay, 117; Queen of the Water, 102, and Capra, 109. Westy set a great pace, but Leochares was a good horse that day and, nailing him in the stretch, beat him by three parts of a length, with Stargazer a bad third. The mile was run in J.:39, the fastest of the meeting. Then lie made his last start of the year, when on November 12, the Bowie Handicap at a mile and a half, came on for decision. As the last race of considerable value of the year, this 0,000 event was justly coveted and thirteen horses contested, they and their weights being: Westy Hogan, 120 pounds; Omar Khayyam, 130; Sunbonnet, 117; Fairy Wand, 98; Spur, 117; Hendrie, 116; Straight Forward, 10S; AValnut Hall, 10S; Gex, 103; Ticket, 108; Daddys Choice, 101; Bella Desmond, 107. and Puts and Calls, 90. The W. Viau entry of Omar Khayj-am and Westy Hogan was the favorite at 145 to 100, but it is a sure tiling that the backers of tiie entry only had Omar Khayyam in their minds eye, it being deemed Westy Hogans mission to make the running for his formidable stablemate for three -quarters or so. Singly he probably would have been a 10 to 1 shot, on the theory that he could not stay the distance. But Westy Hogan astounded all beholders by going to the front at once and staying there every foot of the way. He ran the mile in 1:39, the mile and a quarter in 2:01, and smashed the track record when he won by a length in 2:31, with Omar Khayyam second and Sunbonnet third. It was a grand performance from cverj- viewpoint and Westy Hogans record and pedigree are: Year. Age. Sts. 1st. 2d. 3d. Unp. Won. 1916 2 8 5 3 0 0 $ 6,242 1917 3 IS 10 4 1 3 19,811 , 1 Totals 2 20 15 7 1 3 0,053 t t.! Kin rr Tm J Harkaway f King Ernest 5 1 Pocahontas J Touchstone f King Eric 1 VrnPsHnf. Lrnestxne -j Lady Geralllnc ! Parmesan J Sweetmeat I Cyclone J Gruyere -DickFinnelL.J " - Typhoon S11 -. r Hindoo ZFeil Florence r Hanover J 3 Bourbon Belle J Bonnie Scotland 2 EUa D" I lTea Teas Over Over.... 3 - Mtonso S 2 " ,V x j Capitola io Z - L TeU K0Se j Tuberose j Vigil ! M S - . Buttercup u Hampton 5 Lord Clifden H rEothen J Lady Langden f. J Sultana i Oxtord g S f Requital 1 ?esika t r j f Reform i Leamington t Retribution stolei Kisses g Nemesis gclipse I Carrie Jones... J ch 1 e Vedette J Voltigeur fGalopin. . j Mrs. Eidgway j Flying Duchess . . . J Fly. Dutchman Intermission... , Mcrone - Tom Ochiltree.:... Lexington I Vacation J katona Minnie Mc j Planet J Edina
