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ROAMER AT ZENITH OF HIS CAREER Considered One of the Most Marvelous Horses of Modern Times in America By J It Jeff cry crySaratoga Saratoga N Y August 5 After Andrew Mil ¬ lers wonderful little gelding Roamer won the Saratoga Handicap for the third time on the opening day of the racing season here it was on every ¬ bodys lips that this sterling son of Knight Errant Hose Tree II is a better horse just now than at any previous time in his long and notable career Making due allowance for the enthusiasm that grows cut of a meritorious performance that has just taken place and which sometimes lends to a hasty con ¬ clusion it seems likely that this opinion is well founded foundedRoamer Roamer scored his victory with consummate ease in recordbreaking time and it was evident that lie could have done even better had it been necessary Nobody can recall a case just like Itoamers when after five years of exacting campaigning he is a better horse at seven years of age than ever before lie is truly one of the most marvelous horses of modern times in America if not indeed of all times and everybody agrees that it is a pity that the use of the surgeons knife has rendered it impossi ¬ ble for him to reproduce reproduceIf If anything were needed to justify the action of General Manager John llachmcister of the Latonia Jotkey Club in deciding upon the bold innovation of barring geldings from future runnings of the rich Latonia Derby an innovation that has brought out declarations of similar intent on the part of the managements of the AVestchester Itacing Association and the Pimlico Jockey Club with respect to their imiHirtant races Hoaniers case furnishes the justi ¬ fication ficationWhile While according the full mead of credit to Itoamer for his marvelous feat on Wednesday II G Bedwell has an idea that Cudgel would have taken the meas ¬ ure of the Miller crack had he been keyed right up to a bruising race which he was not Cudgel had not raced in five weeks and the astute trainer of Commodore Hoss formidable racing establishment believes that the nice will bring him back to his best form for his future engagements here hereSHOWED SHOWED SIGNS OF GOING STALE STALECudgel Cudgel showed signs of staling off a bit in the latter part of June after hard campaigning under the high weights which he is habitually required to carry as the penalty of his prowess So trainer 3edvell decided he should have a respite from train ¬ ing for a short time to freshen him up for his im IHirtant engagements here and when he went to the l ost Wednesday he lacked a trifle of being at his l lest est following that letup letupThe The next meeting of these two giants of the turf will therefore be looked forward to with more than the usual degree of public interest Cudgel was attempting to concede five pounds to his successful adversary on Wednesday and it may be regarded as a sure thing that when the next meeting takes place the weight adjustment will be more in Cudgels favor as one result of the outcome of the race raceThe The remaining engagements of the two stars here are indentical including the Delaware Handicap of 3500 at a mile on Tuesday next the Chaiuplain Handicap of 3500 at a mile and an eighth to be run 011 Saturday August 10 the Merchants and Citizens Handicap of 3500 at u mile and thrce sixtetnths to be run on Saturday August 24 and the Saratoga Cup of 3000 added at a mile and threequarter set for decision on the closing day of the meeting Saturday August 31 31The The showing of A K Macombers highly regarded threeyearold War Cloud in the Saratoga Handi ¬ cap was not only a disappointment to the general public but to his trainer W 15 Jennings There was some disposition to criticise the manner in which jockey liuxton rode the colt but close ob ¬ servers came to the conclusion that Hustons short ¬ comings were uot wholly to blame for War Clouds failure failureBUXTON BUXTON IS IN POOR FORM FORMThere There is no question but that liuxton is showing comparatively p y yr r form in the saddle this year Rut even allowing for that it is inexplicable that such a fast horse as War Cloud has shown himself to ba upon various occasions should be so deficient in speed as he was on Wednesday At no time was hi a serious factor in the decision of the race raceWar War Cloud worked phenomenally fast for the race and some discriminating students of the problems of lacing are inclined to see the explanation of the colts puzzling performances in this fact It is pointed out that the colt ran a disappointing race in the Kentucky Derby under corresponding circum ¬ stances although his failure upon that occasion was generally assigned to dislike for the muddy going that prevailed prevailedBefore Before the running of the Derby trainer Jennings was supremely confident of the ability of War Cloud to run well in the mud The colt had worked mar Vflously fast for the Derby on the eve of its run ¬ ning just as he did here a day or two before the running of the Saratoga Handicap and some good judges are inclined to believe that on both occasions the colt gave up all he had in the work and could not recover from the effects of his supreme effort in time to duplicate it in his races racesIn In Mipiiort of this theory it is further pointed out that prior to his victory in the Dwyer Stakes which led some to acclaim him the best threeyear old of the season he worked only moderately well and then ran a smashing race Some of the most lucctrswfiil of presentday trainers do not care to have their horses work too fast especially nt the longer distances just before tho running of a race In which they arc to take part partTo To the eye War Cloud appeared to bo in the pink of condition when stripped In the picturesque pad ¬ dock of the Saratoga Association on Wednesday And he save evidence of feeling good too by bully ¬ ing his attendants and giving them a merry time before lie could be saddled If he is u counterfeit this good looking imported lt belies his Jippcar istics isticsSeveral Several of the more important of the stables which came here from Kentucky will not come into the racing action for a few days longer Th horses in J S Wards charge had a trying trip from Ken ¬ tucky via Pittsburgh Philadelphia and New York on account of railroading complications and landed here in such a condition that their capable triincr feels the necessity of giving them more time to re ¬ cover from the effects of the journey than he ordi ¬ narily would They are only now beginning to show evidences of getting back to themselves themselvesMose Mose Goldblatt docs not count on getting busy with the horses of Jefferson Livingston for a few days Colonel Vennie the main reliance of the stable is close to condition after a long absence from racing and will be seen under colors in a short time He lias given trainer Goldblatt no little trouble in getting him back to racing condi ¬ tion and much patience has been necessary But Goldblatt has hopes that this onetime star will succeed in winning a race or two here to compen ¬ sate for the pains which have been taken with him himBecause Because of doubt as to his ability to stand train ¬ ing Colonel Vennie has 110 stake engagements here and his efforts must necessarily be confined to over ¬ night closing purses pursesIn In fact mighty few stake engagements were made here for the Livingston horses because the stable in its present makeup is composed of per ¬ formers that might better be described as of the usual type rather than of stake calibre But Mr Livingstons interest in racing has been not in the least diminished as a result of the failure of bis younger horses to turn out so well as hoped for and at the proper time the stable will be strengthened by the addition of fresh material materialPeter Peter Coyne has been here about a week with the Kentucky stable of George J Long and will start some of his horses within a few days daysSUN SUN BEIAE GETTING BACK TO FOEM FOEMSun Sun Briars good second to Polymelian in Fri ¬ days recordbreaking race is taken by good judges to indicate the early return of this star of last years racing to his real form Henry McDauiel who developed and trains this colt for Willis Sharpc Kilmer was sanguine that Sun Briar would do better over the Saratoga track with its easy cushion than in his earlier disappointing efforts and his judgment already has been vindicated for jockey Knapp who rode the colt Friday declared after dismounting that he would have beaten Poly ¬ melian but for interference from which he suffered in the early stages of the race raceSun Sun Briars ringbones which have become quite prominent since the days when he was sweeping everything before him here a year ago probably will result in his retirement from racing at the end of the season regardless of what he may do in the next mouth or two his owner having declared his intention of sending him to the stud studNaturally Naturally the Kilmer camp was elated over the colts showing Friday and there are many among the rank and file of racegoers who will rejoice if this former idol of the turf does succeed in regain ¬ ing at least some semblance of his championship form of last year yearTrainer Trainer W It Midgley who has been so success ¬ ful with the stable of Gifford A Cochran brought only three horses here to race and left six at Bel mout Park to be freshened for fall racing The trio he has here are Fairy Wand whose fast pace was partially responsible for Itoamers new record of 201 Vs for one mile andt a quarter hero on he open ¬ ing day Ncpperhau and tiie twoyearold Croix dOr dOrMr Mr Cochran who is an officer with the American expeditionary force in Europe breeds his own racing stock at Mt Kisco in Westehester County this state and will depend upon his homebreds for the fresh material that will carry his colors next
