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CRACK TWO YEAROLDS OF 1920 STAR VOTER CAREFUL AND GREY LAG By W S VOSBURGH VOSBURGHStar Star Voter ran ten races during tlio season of 1920 although lie won only throe lie takes rank over many that ran twice or thrice that number He may be said to have been a victim of circumstances At the Latonia meeting July 3 he won an important race the Cincinnati Trophy value some 8000 It was a fine race to win but it saddled him with a penalty of eight pounds for all the sweepstakes at Sar ¬ atoga Belmont Park and Aqueduct and imposed a weight even more than he was asked to carry in any handicap for which he started That lie performed as well as he did stamped him a colt of undeniable class as he bad the worst of the weights in all his races racesMy My acquaintance with Star Voter began a day or two before the August sales at Saratoga in 1019 when Mr John II Morris asked me to Come over to the stable and see some yearlings I have for sale The first one shown was a whitefaced chestnut since known as Star Voter lie was a splendid creature bis chestnut coat fairly bloomed but he was high in flesh enormously so soWhat What do you think of him asked Mr Morris with evident pride prideA A charming colt I returned He looks like a good feeder Ton think hes overfatV Morris asked I certainly did think so but did not like to say it the colt was fat as a pig The night of the sale he was in great demand but Commander Ross would not be denied and bought him1 for 15000 15000When When I next saw Star Voter I could not recognize him as the colt I had seen at Saratoga It was in April at Havre do Grace and as lie paraded past the stand lie showed none of the massive creature I had seen as a yearling He certainly looked classy but he was not yet ripe for he had all he could do to win from JJaby Grand but ran straight and true In his next race at Aqueduct two months later Tryster conceded him fourteen pounds but in his next essay Star Voter beat his field quite handily For the Hudson Stakes at Aqueduct lie was third to General J M Gomez then he was shipped to Latonia LatoniaThe The race for the Cincinnati Trophy was according to report an easy thing for Star Voter He took the lead at the start and won in a cunter He did not start again until the Hopeful at Saratoga when his Cincinnati race penalized him making his weight 130 pounds and he was unplaced For the Nursery Handicap at Rolmont Park he had 12G pounds the race being won by his stablemate Hildur In an over ¬ night handicap a few days later he had 12r pounds starting favorite It was a three heads finish but bis was the third Grey Lag 114 pounds and Qiiecreek 109 pounds first and second For the Futurity Star Voter with 1117 pounds was second to Step Lightly 115 pounds the weight beat him He was a 3 to 10 favorite for the Breeders FurnritjV Avith 123 pounds but Relieve Idle Hour 120 pounds beat him by a neck neckStar Star Voter is a chestnut colt bred by Mr K D Alexander and is by Ballot Starry Night by Star Shoot second dam Nisbat by Hindoo third dam The Niece by Alarm and traces back to old Magnolia by Glencoe the female line that produced Kentucky Gilroy Iroquoi Harold Whisk Broom and so many noted performers He is marked with a large star and narrow blaze and has a neat head rather short neck good shoulders straight back to the croup tail set on rather high welldeveloped quarters good legs and feet that are fair but might be better He has capital action and looks to be what horsemen call a good doer doerCAREFUL CAREFUL HANDSOME IS AS HANDSOME DOES DOESCareful Careful is not a tiling of beauty but on the record she was second only to Prudery as the filly of the year Naturally her stable companion Step Lightly from the fact of her having won the Fu ¬ turity may more powerfully affect the imagination but Careful a winner of twelve out of seventeen races dominating all the fillies but Prudery conceding weight to the colts and often beating them es ¬ tablished a reputation second to but one Trained in the frosty weather and snowcovered ground at Jamaica in Marcli she was able to take the field at Havre de Grace in April and swept the board We have become accustomed to see these early spring phenomenons drop out of sight later when they met the better class at midsummer meetings But at Pimlico in May Careful continued her April successes and returning to Jamaica won the Colorado Stakes StakesWhen When she went to the post for the Kosedale Stakes at Jamaica Careful had an unbeaten record of seven races and it was only June li Here she met Prudery and while she started favorite Prudery won Careful was unplaced Hut for the Clover Stakes at Aqueduct she gave Nancy Lee fifteen pounda and a beating She had 127 pounds for the Astoria Stakes but Crocus witli 112 pounds beat her Evidently Careful had been doing too much A rest did her evident benefit for at Saratoga she won the Schuylerville Stakes witli 127 pounds after making the pace beating Nancy Lee 123 pounds but only after a close finish For the Spinaway Stakes she had 127 pounds and was unplaced to Prudery 127 pounds In a handicap at Belmont Park she had 1115 pounds yet she finished fourth to Grey Lag 114 pounds She had 117 pounds in the Futurity led for half a mile then stopped suddenly ran unplaced hampering several horses which could not be pulled out of her way quickly enough enoughHack Hack to Havre de Grace the scene of her early triumphs Careful took up 124 pounds and after a hard race won the Eastern Shore Handicap beating Ilildur 121 pounds by a neck A week later at Laurel she had another hard race beating By Jimmy by a head It began to look as if Careful was feeling he effect of her hard campaign but after a fortnight of rest she came out at Laurel and with 123 pounds and making all the running won an easy race from By Jiminy 107 pounds and Muttikins 110 pounds if ifCareful Careful is a small bay filly with a blaze in her face and her left hind coronet is speckled a peculiarity frequent among the Alarms years ago though she is not related to them She is a daughter of Mr Hancocks young stallion Wrack son of Hubert le Diahlc lie by Ayrshire Carefuls dam being Mindful by Star Shoot Merdin by Hindoo Mercedes the dam of Barnes and Bunnymede BunnymedeGrey Grey Lag did not make his appearance until toward the close of the Saratoga meeting but to the end of the season he played an important part in the racing of the twoyearolds He came from that prolific storehouse of good horses which Mr John E Madden always seems to have on hand and his form during the autumn months was of a character to place him high in the ranks of the seasons juveniles Max Uirscli brought him out and again proved as he lias so often that he is one of the ablest trainers in the profession He did not rank witli Tryster Prudery Inchcape or Leonardo II they were in a class by themselves but he was within hailing distance of them themIn In his first start at Saratoga August 18 he ran loose it being 30 to 1 against him Dartmoor a handsome colt of the Whitney stable won the race and curiously enough lie and Grey Lag running first and second were the only ones of a Held of twelve that had never before started Grey Lag how ¬ ever ran a good race and was beaten only a half length August 25 he ran second to Broomspun 107 pounds Gray Lag 10S pounds It was 9 to 5 Grey Lag but Broomspun won by two lengths after lead ¬ ing all the way Max Hlrsch now flew at high game by starting Grey Lag for the rich Hopeful Stakes in which lie ran unplaced to Leonardo II and Prudery Then the scene changed to Belmont Park where September 4 Grey Lag stripped for the Nursery He was in well at 112 pounds but the best be could do was to finish fourth to Hildur 114 pounds poundsGREY GREY LAGS QUALITY SHOWN IN BELMONT PARK BACE BACEThen Then came an overnight handicap at Itelmont Park at five and onehalf furlongs It drew a brilliant field for an overnight event Star Voter ami Jlaby Grand of the Ross stable were favorites at 11 to 5 Careful at 41 to 1 Ensor who had his first mount on Grey Lag 114 pounds laid away and coining at the end just won after a hard finish by a bead from Quecreek 109 pounds Star Voter 125 pounds a nose behind Quecreek and Grey Lag was no longer a maiden Ilirsch had like many others thought Haby Grand would win but Itaby Grand was about last Still flying at high game Hirscli started Grey Lag for the Futurity but the colt was away slowly and lost a lot of ground Itut lie came with a rattle at the finish and Star Voter only beat him a half length for second place placeThe The Champagne Stakes is one of the oldest events for twoyearolds in America and is a prototype of the Dewhurst Plate run at Newmarket and like it is at seveneighths mile and is considered a test of stamina and as such throwing some light on the future of the colts taking part Three days follow ¬ ing the Futurity Grey Lags name appeared as a starter for the Champagne and when the betting began he was a strong favorite as the field was not of the highest class and about evenly weighted Our Itoots made the pace which being the case meant a moderate one Knsor kept Grey Lag about second or third all the way to the last eighth when he came away and won under restraint Continued on second page CRACK TWOYEAROLDS OF 1920 Continued from first page It was at this juncture that Mr Sam Hildrcth attracted by Grey Lag stepped in and purchased him at a sum variously stated between 20000 and 30000 30000I I fancy so far as yon were concerned you did not care to lose him we remarked to Hirsch HirschNo No I hated to lose him he answered but the season is nearly over and he has only one big en ¬ gagement gagementGrey Grey Lag made his lirst appearance in Mr Hildrcths black and blue jacket for the Oakdalc Han ¬ dicap at Aqueduct with Fa tor in the saddle and a hot favorite at evens He had 125 pounds top weight and made all tlie running but Knobbic with only 101 pounds caught him an eighth from the finish and beat him by two lengths A week later in an overnight handicap Grey Lag again had 121 pounds while Knobbie had lift A hard rain had made the track sloppy and Grey Lag never seenied able to join his held Knobbie again winning by six lengths Mulcilwr beating Grey Lag three lengths for sec ¬ ond place placeGrey Grey Lags prestige began to suiter Some said he could not run in wet going others remarked that he had laid away too long while several recalled that Sam Ilildrcth never was a great trainer with twoyearolds and his success was with older horses For the Remscn Handicap at Jamaica Grey Lag had 123 pounds Knobbie 122 Grey Lag was still a strong favorite at 7 to 10 and Knsor waiting on the lightweighted Care Free until the last eighth came away and beat Knobbie a neck A week later Grey Lag again met Knobbie for the Oceanns Handicap This time he had up 128 pounds Knobbie 125 pounds The pair went out and raced head and head all the way the result being that Mulciber 111 pounds came at tlie finish and beat them leading Grey Lag two lengths he beating Knob ¬ bic four lengths lengthsKnobbie Knobbie did not follow Grey Lag any more but at Empire City for tlie Autumn Days Handicap Grey Lag with 123 pounds beat Mulciber 122 pounds and others lie had an engagement for the Ken ¬ tucky Jockey Club Stakes at Louisville one of the most valuable of the year Hildrcth so the story goes heard that Tryster would not start and quietly shipped Grey Lag to Louisville only to find upon his arrival that Tryster was a starter Grey Lag ran a good honest race but he was a tired horse hav ¬ ing run thirteen races during a period in which Tryster had been rested and Tryster beat him easily easilyIt It is a curious fact that Grey Lag only won when Ensor rode him live times Ponce Kelsay Mr Atee Johnson Pierce and Fator rode him in his other races The only race Ensor lost with him was the overnight race at Aqueduct in the slippery muddy track and it was the only time he ever raced over a wet track Grey Lag is a chestnut colt marked with a blaze right fore and hind pasterns white he has good size but rather light in his back ribs and is a long strider His feet are not the best but he is a colt of good courage and seems to be a good doer but judging from the race at Aqueduct he is not at home in the heavy or muddy going goingWhile While on the subject of twoyearolds racing it may interest Americans to know that Durbar II which won trie Epsom Derby for the late Mr Herman Duryea in 1014 is the sire of the two best two yearolds in France in Durban and Dnrzetta Durban won the Grand Criterium of 30000 francs at Longchamps Durzetta beat Durban and others for the Prix de la Foret of 40000 francs Durban is from the mare Banshee while Durzetta is from Frizette by Hamburg Frizette is the dam of Mr H K Knapps Frizzle Durban and Durzetta were purchased as yearlings at private sale last year by M Bonssac from Mrs Duryea for 100000 francs
