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CRACK TWOYEAROLDS OF 1920 EXODUS STEP LIGHTLY ORIOLE NANCY LEE BELIEVE IDLE HOUR AND DARTMOOR By W S V O S B U R G H It is no easy matter to classify twoyearolds or for that matter horses of any age If the horses were known to all to be thoroughly fit in every race for which they started it would be different But such is impossible One trains early the other is backward one is raced excessively the other carefully placed where he has liitle chalice of defeat It becomes necessary therefore to take a general average 1 have already written of the twoyearolds of last season that seemed the best but twoyearold racing is often a bad guide to the threeyearold form Many brilliant twoyearolds cannot last the distances of the events for threeyearolds I could give a great many conspicuous examples but will merely say that I should not look upon the leaders of 1920 as certain to hold their places in 1921 1921Exodus Exodus of the Whitney stable would have taken a high rank but for the presence of Tryster and Prudery in the same stable They quite overshadowed him but when they were absent he defended the honor of the stable quite successfully winning live out of the nine races for which lie carried the brown and blue He began July S at Aqueduct for an overnight event and ran second to Bluffer at even weights in a field of fourteen On the opening day at Saratoga he beat a field of twelve and shortly after ran clean away from u field of fifteen winning by four lengths starting favorite at 9 to 5 He was favorite for the United States Hotel Stakes won by Nancy Lee and for the Adirondack Handicap he was again favorite at even money although he had the top weight 125 pounds and making the run ¬ ning won all the way by two lengths Then came the Hopeful August 31 for which he ran unplaced to Leonardo II and Prudery At Laurel October 20 Exodus started in a handicap for twoyearolds with 120 pounds and ran unplaced to Sailing B 101 pounds He was ahead at one time but seemed to tire At Laurel October 23 he had top weight 121 pounds He led the greater part of the race but at the finish he tired and the lightly weighted Idle Dell witii only 98 pounds Avon At Pimlico Novem ¬ ber 3 he won an overnight event with top weight 110 pounds beating Dry Moon and others lie closed the season at Laurel November 9 in an allaged event at high weights he having 101 pounds and de ¬ feated Motor Cop 131 pounds Audacious 128 pounds Leochares 123 pounds and a field of ten winning by nearly two lengths lengthsExodus Exodus is a chestnut colt witii a star and a slight stripe running halfway down his face He is a son of Peter Pan First Flight and is well built with a fine sweeping stride and has good length and stands well on good legs and feet feetStep Step Lightly the Futurity winner had a rather strong campaign starting twelve times winning four races She began at Pimlico in May and won at four and onehalf furlongs making all the run ¬ ning At Belmont Park May 2C she was favodte for an overnight race but Prudery was making her debut and while Step Lightly ledmost of the journey the whitefaced representative of the Whitney stable won Step Lightly finishing fourth For the Fashion Stakes May 29 at five and onehalf furlongs Step Lightly met Prudery at even weights and Prudery led all the way Nancy Lee second Step Lightly third Step Lightly did not start again until Saratoga where August 9 she ran unplaced with 110 pounds to Dough Girl 111 pounds and Rockland 117 pounds August 13 Step Lightly 110 pounds won 1jadJug all tlitt way and finishing ton lengths ahead of Pantalctte 103 pounds August 21 Stop ISglitly ran unplaced to Serapis Hildiir and Dartmoor with sex allowance For the Spinaway August 28 Step Lightly was beaten by Prudery by a length She had 112 pounds while Prudery had 127 pounds Nancy Lee finished third with 127 pounds Three days later she started for the Hopeful with 112 pounds and ran fourth to Leonardo II 115 pounds Prudery 127 pounds and Oriole 115 pounds At Belmont Park September 7 she ran third to Idle Dell to whom she conceded nine pounds and was slow at the start startThe The Futurity was her next race with 115 pounds and her stablemate Careful also started and led the best part of the journey but suddenly stopped causing some trouble to other horses in the race This let Step Lightly up and she won after a hard race with the heavilyweighted Star Voter 127 pounds It was six weeks before Step Lightly reappeared at Laurel when with 115 pounds she won beating Twopair 111 pounds General J M Gomez US pounds and others Her last nice at Laurel October 30 a handicap with 122 pounds she ran unplaced to By Jiminy 111 pounds and was never neverSTEP STEP LIGHTLYS QUALITY ORIOLES LIKING FOR SOFT COURSES COURSESStep Step Lightly is a chestnut filly with a star and right hind pastern white She is by the inbred stal ¬ lion Ultimus Tripping and is a filly of good size and finish She performed in a manner that leaves no doubt of iier class but it is the general opinion she was lucky to win the Futurity and that Star Voter was unlucky to lose it itOriole Oriole stamped himself the mud horse of the year It so happened that there were few muddy days during the season as compared witii some years but whenever it was muddy Oriole proved an im ¬ portant factor He began at Louisville as early as May 10 and at level weights ran third to Black Servant in a field of twelve Two days later on a muddy track he led most of the way but was beaten at the end running second at level weights to United Verde Coming East lie started on the opening day at Belmont Park and fairly ran away from a big field at level weights Sedgcfield second A few days later he was decisively beaten by Mr Wilsons colt Dimmesdalc but finished second in a field of eight At Jamaica he was third to General J M Gomez to whom he conceded five pounds He led until the last eighth At Jamaica June 22 at even weights he was second to Knight of the Heather in a field of nine At Aqueduct Oriole won at fiveeighths boating Normal and Advocate in a field of seven ¬ teen But at their next meeting July 12 Oriole tried to concede Normal four pounds and Normal won Oriole was second Seven started startedAt At the Empire City meeting Oriole on July 15 met Pluribtis at even weights The track was deep in mud and Oriole as usual was at home and won In his next race at Empire City it was again muddy and Oriole again in his element made a runaway race of it beating Brigadier General and others August 7 at Saratoga Oriole started for the United States Hotel Stakes with 115 pounds but failed to obtain a place the winner Nancy Lee leading all the way Orioles next race was over a muddy track He had 119 pounds up being asked to concede Sedgelield eleven pounds Eight started and Oriole plowed through the heavy going so fast that he tired and Rowan had to ride him out to win August 21 for the Grand Union Hotel Stakes Prudery with 127 pounds defeated Oriole 115 pounds by half a length but she was in hand at the finish finishThe The rich Hopeful Stakes was run August 31 the closing day of the Saratoga meeting and George Odom Orioles trainer spent anxious moments watching the skies and consulting the weather bulletins bulletinsShall Shall you start Oriole for the Hopeful V I asked Odom the day before the race raceI I cant toll he answered it depends upon the track If its muddy I certainly shall start him and I believe he would have u chance He and Prudery are weighted the same as when she beat him for the Grand Union but if its muddy she couldnt give him the twelve pounds and beat him himThen Then muddyWell Oriole will start If its muddy but not unless it is muddy Well Ill wait and see Its a great temptation the race is worth so much muchRain Rain fell overnight but before noon it cleared bright and cool with some wind and when the bell rang Oriole answered it He ran a fair race was second most of the way but Leonardo II always had a good lead and won Prudery beating Oriole a half length for second place in that tremendous finish that was the talk of the year The Nursery Handicap at Belmont Park was Orioles last race for which he carried US pounds and finished third to Hildur 114 pounds and Smoke Screen 115 pounds It was a creditable performance and taken in conjunction with Iiis other races makes Oriole worth considering for next season provided his races are not over too long a course courseNancy Nancy Lee was a prime favorite with the racing public For one tiling she was smaller than many competitors and the public takes sides with the smaller horse As Mr Vincent Crnmmels the theatrical manager told Nicholas Nickleby How are you going to get up the sympathies of the audience if there isnt a little man contending against a big oneV For another thing Nancy Lee was known to be the property of one of the most estimable gentlemen on the turf a true sportsman who as a lad played on the Grotou and Harvard elevens and has since risen to a high position in the financial world and pos ¬ sesses one of the most select private studs studsNANCY NANCY LEE BELIEVE IDLE HOUR AND DARTMOOR DARTMOORTwelve Twelve times Nancy Lee sported silks beginning at Belmont Park May 20 when she ran third to Prudery at even weights and three days later ran second to Prudery which conceded her tiirec pounds On both occasions Nancy Lee defeated Step Lightly For the Kecne Memorial she ran unplaced to Tryster and Kirklevington Tryster conceding her nineteen pounds actual weight At Aqueduct Brig ¬ adier General beat her a half length sex allowance But on June 28 Nancy Lee won her first race beat ¬ ing her field of fourteen by ten lengths after making all the pace Mile Cadeau and Dough Girl second and third July 5 for the Clover Stakes Careful 127 pounds beat Nancy Lee 112 pounds quite handily but at Empire City Nancy Lee waited and coming at the finish won from Pantalette At Saratoga for the Sehuylcrville Stakes Nancy Lee 123 pounds ran second to Careful 127 pounds but it was a close finish At ilfcSjalitAt this time it is fair to believe Nancy Lee had readied the top of her form i The li United ilfcSjalit States Hotel Stakes was her next start She had 1J9 pounds in the saddle and it was 5 to 1 against her while Exodus the favorite was at 8 to 5 with 115 pounds up Nancy Lee was quick at the start and led all tho way winning at the post by a length with General J M Gomez 122 pounds Black Servant 115 pounds and six others following The filly came in for a great reception when Keogh brought her back to the scales For the Spinaway Stakes she had 127 pounds and finished third to Prudery 127 pounds Step Lightly being second with 112 pounds For the Hopeful Nancy Lee was fifth at the finish witii 127 pounds poundsNobody Nobody likes the names E R Bradley gives his horses but everybody likes Mr Bradley Why he should find it necessary to ask people to Jelieve Idle Hour is beyond comprehension Idle Hour is the title of his stock farm and it is rather difficult to see where any question of veracity arises in the mat ¬ ter and lie can rest assured that most people believe Idle Hour a real good filly and that she has ushered in one of those cycles he alludes to freighted with good luck luckBelieve Believe Idle Hour ran second to Annie Elizabeth at Latonia June 15 but three days later won the Clipsetta Stakes beating the noted Miss Muffins and others by a neck August 5 at Saratoga she started for the Schuylerville Stakes with 127 pounds and ran unplaced to Careful and Nancy Lee For the Spinaway she was unplaced to Prudery Her form at Saratoga had been too bad to be true She had been cut off several times and none too well ridden Accordingly when the weights for the Tomboy Handicap at Belmont Park came out she had 120 pounds and was the top weight of the starters She laid away and won in the last strides from By Jiminy 111 pounds nine starting Sin started for the Futurity but was not placed placedReturning Returning to the western circuit Believe Idle Hour started for the Breeders Futurity at Lexington September 25 Lyle had always ridden her but for this race Pool was given the mount The filly had 120 pounds and was at 11 to 10 Star Voter with 123 pounds was favorite at 3 to 10 It was a close Continued on second page CRACK TWO YEAR OLDS OF 1920 Continued from first page race but Believe Idle Hour won by a neck with Star Voter second seven starting For the Fort Thomas Handicap at Latonia October she carried 12 pounds nnd tired at the finish running unplaced to Rnn goon 113 pounds At Louisville November 4 she won with 118 pounds beating Lady Champ 103 pounds six starters and closed the season at Louisville November 13 in a race for all ages seveneighths for which she ran second to the threeyearold Kiiibnrn to whom she tried to concede twelve pounds actual weight weightDartmoor Dartmoor in the Whitney lot was one of the most impressive colts of the year lie is an elegant specimen a chestnut by Whisk Broom Pankhiirst and won his first race at Saratoga beating Grey Lag and twelve others at level weights He alsoran third to Serapis and Hildur at Saratoga In that race Serapis and Hildur crowded each other and in doing so interfered with Dartmoor but for which it i likely lie would have won as when he tried to come through next the rail lie was boxed He also started for the Hopeful but was unplaced
