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LEXINGTON WEATHER IS IMPROVING Schooling of Two-Tear-Olds Started — Forty Horses in W. Perkins Stable. Lexington. Ky.. April LI. — There was a slight improvement iu weather conditions here yesterday, but the Kentucky Association track was muddy as a result of Wednesdays snow and far below the usual mini lie r of horses were out for work. The main track was kept open, even though the going was heavy, mid this permitted the first schooling of the year for the two year-olds by assistant slariers Osborne and Hamilton. A large number of youngsters were given their initial lessons at the barrier and from now on they will be schooled twice daily until the meeting opens. Owners and trainers are beginning to fear that a continuation of the bad weather, which has prevailed since last Sunday, will offset a lot of good done in a training way by the early spring. Many of the horses are almost ready for their best efforts and the inability to keep them on edge because of the adverse going might cause them to go stale. It has been many years since the horses, which wintered at the local track, have been as far advanced iu their training at this season of the year as they are this spring. Judge William II. Shelley has not heard li finitely from trainer John S. Ward as to whether he will send Kscoba here to run iu the Derby Trial on May «. but he is hopeful that the crack Broomstick colt will be among the starters in that event. Kenneth I. Alexander, who bred Kscoba. is enjoying a furlough from his duties in the Army now and he will remain in Kentucky until after his colt runs in the Kentucky Derby. It was over the Lexington tra.-k that Kscoba showed his best efforts, his last victory just before going into winter quarters being iu the Breeders Futurity last fall, whin he look into camp not only the liest two-year-olds in Kentucky, but a few sent here from the east, including Papp. a frequent stake winner. Jockey Walter Lilley was among the arrivals from Hot Springs. Lilley has not been seen in the saddle much recently because of increasing weight, but he hopes to be able to ride in Kentucky this spring. A number of owners who planned to ship here by freight from Louisville before now have delayed their departure until the cold snap is over. Because of the scarcity of ears many of the stables which intended to lay up at Louisville between the break at Hot Springs and Havana and the opening here have changed their plans and came on through. Judge Shelley has assurance from a majority pf the prominent owuer* and trainers at the Falls City that they will send some, if not all. of their horses here to take part iu the local meeting. MORE STAKES THAN EVER BEFORE. This will mark the first time in the history of the Kentucky Association that eight stakes were ever offered, and it shows the progress that the s|s rt has made hen- in recent years. The willingness of the Racing Association to share some of its prosperity with the horsemen in the matter of increased stakes will naturally result iu a better grade of horses than ever before coming here. To trainer Will Perkins belongs the credit for having the largest stable at the Kentucky Association track. :;s he has close to forty thoroughbreds under his care, including a number of two-year-old*, which are said to be endowed with plenty of speed. Chief among the older horses in Perkins stable is Marion Goosby. one of the most useful racers in the country- He went amiss at Xew Orleans last winter, but he is now taking his work regularly and bids fair to hold his own at all the Kentucky meetings. Jockey C. Vau Dusen. who formerly rode with much success for J. W. Fuller and Howard Oots. has *pent the winter in this city training and gal lo|»ing horses, and he said that he was never in Is-tter condition in his life. Van Dusen is a real veteran of the saddle, but he always manages to bold his own with the younger generation of riders every year. He now owns a farm just outside of Lexington and he intends to breed thoroughbred horses there on a large scale in the near future. "1 look for the best two-year-old racing this season that we ever had." said Judge Shelley today. "Xever liefore were there as many good juvenile* ready for racing this early in the spring, and I have heard so many reports of fast work that 1 have piit trviug to figure out which stable has the Iiest two-year-olds. It always has been said around hen-" that no matter how good a two-year-old is shown, the Kentlickians will always find one just ■ trifle better, and it look* like thi* year that it will take a long time to determine the best one. as there are so many high -class ones judging from their work-outs."
