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LOGICAL KENTUCKY DERBY CANDIDATE John Sanfords Sensational Two-Year-Old Tippity Witchet Has Excellent Racing Credentials. While no announcement has been "made regarding the plans of the John Sanford racing establishment for next year, it would not be surprising if later we hear that Tippity Witchet will be nominated and trained for the Kentucky Derby. The signing of J. W. Young as trainer, of a division of the big stable of the Amsterdam turfman may have some connection with a contemplated campaign over the Kentucky tracks. Another significant fact is that no nominations were made for the Sanford horses in any of the Westchester Rac-ing Association stakes for next spring, while entries to the Saratoga stakes were as liberal and extensive as in former years.; The Belmont meeting will conflict with Kentucky racing dates, but not so with the Saratoga racing, and if a Kentucky campaign is included in the plans for 1918. the absence of stake entries at Belmont Park is accounted for. It does not require any great stress of the imagination to surmise that the purchase of Tippity Witchet for 0,500 at the dispersal sale of the Brighton Stable at Pimlico may have been prompted by a desire to again win the Kentucky Derby. It was in 1915 that John Sanford bought George Smith with a view to winning Kentuckys historic race and later had the satisfaction of seeing that good colt carry his colors to victory over A. K. Ma-combers English-bred colt. Star Hawk. Certain it is that Mr. Sanford has a prospective Derby candidate in Tippity. -Witchet, whose racing credentials compare favorably witli any two-year-old of the year. The sensational performances of this wonderful piece of horse flesh created nearly as much interest in racing circles as did the performances of the great three-year-olds, Omar Khayyam and Hourless. This small horse astonished horsemen by conceding weight and beating older opponents witli the same ease with which he disposed of horses of his own age." No distance nor weight seemed to be too much for this sturdy son of Broomstick. Ills record of fourteen winning races out of twenty starts, during which he was but once unplaced, speaks for itself. . Tippity seems to thrive on racing and needs but little work to keep him in condition. He is of the small, hardy type, built on the same lines as Andrew Millers redoubtable champion Roamer. Few expect to see Tippity grow much. or fill out during the winter, but all are agreed that he will be a hard one to beat if he races to the form displayed in Maryland last -fall. , - After paying 0,500 for this popular racer, probably the highest price ever paid for a gelding, it does not seem likely that John Sanford will overlook an opportunity to carry off sucli a rich prize as the Kentucky Derby, especially with such a logical candidate as Tippity Witchet in his stable.
