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J0HREN STAR OF H.P.WHITNEY STABLE Will Be Chief Reliance in the Important Handicaps Much Expected of Blue Laddie. XEW YORK, January 3. Unless one of the three-year-olds develops during the winter H. P. Whitney will have to rely upon one horse fov representation in the handicaps. That horse is Johrcn. There are others in the stable in the older division, like Dorrow and Tumbler, but they are practically on the list of "moderates." Consequently Johren is the only staff upon which Mr. Whitney and his trainer. James Itowe, can lean with any degree of confidence. In Johren Mr. Whitney has a good horse, if he returns to the scene of racing in the spring in his top form. He did not retire in the soundest condition, according to reports, though Mr. Itowe intimated there was little trouble, notwithstanding he pulled up nodding after the Saratoga Cup and again in the Realization, both of which races he won. beating the little bulldog Roamer In the Cup. Fortunately he had little opposition in the Realization, Whippoorwill being his only adversary. Had there been any of the usual contention in the race to force Johren along, this rich race might not have been credited to the Whitney account. This was Johrens last race of the year, Mr. Howe deciding to give him plenty of rest for 1010 racing. Johren was a sort of surprise horse, Mr. Itowe not believing him to be the horse he turned out to be early last spring, consigning him to rank with the weeds placed in the hands of Albert Simons, who looked after his welfare until he began to show some stake form, after which Mr. Howe, as is customary, had something to say about his training operations. Starting in at Havre do Grace, Johren figured in purse races as well as stakes, and though he was considered good enough to run in the Preakness, he did not graduate from the maiden class until he reached Jamaica, where he won a purse from Snapdragon: II.. Jnsqu au Hont and others of less note. That he had shown Mr. Simons something better than the average is probable, as he went to the post a decided favorite and won like a promising horse. His next effort was in the Withers, and though he ran a respectable race, he could get no nearer than fourth, being beaten by Motor Cop, Ciim Sah and Trompe La Mort. After that came his winning streak, which made. owners .of good . horses sit up and take notice. He first won a handicap with Hand Grenade with 105 in the saddle. His work for this race was so well advertised that he was sent to the post a hot favorite. Shortly after that he won the Relmont Stakes, beatiug War Cloud among others, and the Suburban, in which he beat another of the Macomber horses in Hollister, also; Cudgel. His next effort was in a rather cheap handicap at Aqueduct, which he won after an effort. Something had happened to him about this time, for it was only through the superb riding of Robinson that he won. In the Dwyer Stakes, a few days later, he showed distinctively he had gone off, being beaten decisively by both War Cloud and Jack Hare Jr. That the horse was not just right that day was proved by his speculating friends, who wanted none of him ; in fact Albert Simons was not at all backward In stating lie did not think the horse at his best. His judgment was correct, and he gave hiniJi rest from that day until the Travers was called at Saratoga. The rest brought back his health, but he was beaten a head by Sun Hriar, failing in the last few strides when challenged. Just a trifle short was the excuse given among horsemen for Johren after the race. Simons evidently shared the same opinion, for be was not backward in his expression that he would wager a large sum that Johren could beat Sun Hriar the same way rigged, if they met again in the near future. This published assertion indicated that at least his trainer believed him to be a better horse than Sun Hriar. FAR BEYOND ORDINARY HORSE. Hut the three subsequent victories of Johren in the Huron Handicap, the Saratoga Cup and the Realization demonstrated that he was far beyond the ordinary horse. He beat a good horse in Hand Grenade in the Huron, and Roamer in the Cup. It must be admitted, however, that the track, which was. heavy, was sadly against Roamer, and leing a weight-for-nge race .Roamer earried 127 to Johrens 113. Still the Tictory showed everything to be desired in a horse, indicating he did not have to order a special track and that at weight-for-age he safely held Roamer. one of the gamest little horses of this decade. While Johren has beaten good horses like Cudgel, Hollister, Roamer and Hand Grenade, it was always at a difference in weight to his advantage. In the Suburban when he beat Cudgel he carried but 110 poimds to Cudge s 133. When handicapper Vos-Imrgh puts the ..cid test on the races of these two horses for next year there will not be that disparity in the poundage. Probably he will weight him well up in the "twenties" along with Sun Hriar, War Cloud. Jack Hare Jr.. and one or two others. He will be justified in doing so: in fact, Mn Vosburgh may make him give both War Cloud and Sun Hriar a pound or two, as he beat War Cloud decisively in the Helmout and might have beaten Sun Hriar in the Travers had he been keyed up to his highest pitch. He certainly is a more reliable horse than either, as War Cloud has a distinct dislike for some tracks, -while Sun Hriar is more partial to mud than fast going, though his mile at Saratoga in 1:36 in the Delaware Handicap indicates be is an extremely fast horse over a fast track. All things considered, it seems Johren will be second or at least third on the handicap-pers list next spring. In the three-year-old division Mr. Whitney will have Hlue Laddie and Vindex as representatives in the stake races, and possibly Cresson in the filly stakes. Hlue Laddie gave great promise in the spring of last year, and so did Cresson Hoth went amiss and, were shelved for the late racing season. They may have recovered their health by this time. As for Vindex,- there is a reasonable chance of his being a good horse. Speed is his forte, showed in the Hopeful, in which he led the others a merry dance for the first half mile through stiff going. After that he gave way. On looks he was cut out for a really good horse, and in the hands of such an expert trainer as James Rowe Vindex may be sent to the races next year a different horse. In the older division Mr. Whitney will not start out with a thoroughly strong band, Johren being the ace; but there is no question he will have some two-year-olds to exhibit that rauk high, and some of his three-year-olds may advance as did Flags last year.
